Botswana: CKGR – Cori Bustards

Here’s another iconic African bird – Cori Bustard (Ardeotis kori). This is one of the largest flying birds in Africa and the world, with males weighing 10–19 kg (22–42 lb), with some reaching up to 20 kg (44 lb). They are mostly ground-dwelling and prefer to walk rather than fly. During the breeding season(which so the beginning of the rain season), males perform a dramatic display, inflating their throat pouch, fanning their tail, and lifting their wings while making deep booming sounds to attract females. Their brown, white, and gray plumage helps them blend perfectly with dry grasslands, making them difficult for predators. We saw quite a few of them on the drivers through Central Kalahari, even large males with puffed up necks.P