The Kori Bustard

A common Species to Madikwe , at this time of the year we are noticing on the plains large numbers of these birds gathering together. The Kori Basturd been mostly an Omnivore the will feed on Grasshoppers, dung beetles, caterpillars but have also been seen feeding on lizards, snakes and small mammals
Being one of the heaviest Birds, the male which is larger than the female, can weigh up to 20 kg (44 lbs)

People always ask if they can fly and the answer is yes, they have a very impressive wing span of 2.75 m (9 ft) which helps them get in to the air
During mating season which is between October and March, the males are capable of inflating their throats to 4 times its normal size just to try and impress the little lady Bustard. The impressive thing is, once the male has mated with a female, he will immediately begin searching for another mate. The female will lay her 1-3 eggs on the ground in a shallow little hollow where she will incubate them between 23-30 days. The young will stay close to the female for close on 3- 4 months