White-bellied Bustard - BirdForum Opus

Eupodotis senegalensis

Photo by PEC
Masai Mara, Kenya

Identification

Males and females both show the distinctive white belly but can be distinguished by their facial markings - the male has a black line bordering the crown and a black stripe below the eye.

Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa from about 17°N to 17°S and further south into eastern South Africa.

Taxonomy

Subspecies¹

• E. s. senegalensis - South-western Mauritania to [Guinea], Central African Republic and southern Sudan
• E. s. canicollis - Ethiopia to Kenya and north-eastern Tanzania
• E. s. erlangeri - Southern Kenya and western Tanzania
• E. s. mackenziei - Eastern Gabon to southern Zaire, eastern Angola and western Zambia
• E. s. barrowii - Botswana to eastern South Africa and Swaziland

Habitat

Prefers grassland with scattered shrub cover.

Behaviour

Usually seen in pairs or family groups.

References

1. Clements James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2008. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019

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