Denham's Bustard - BirdForum Opus

Neotis denhami

Photo by PEC
Masai Mara

Identification

84–116 cm. Brown back, darker and plainer in the male, white underparts, pale grey neck with an orange nape, and the head has black stripes on the crown. Pale yellow legs. The wings are brown, white and black, the male showing more white in flight than the female or young birds. The male inflates his throat when displaying to show a balloon of white feathers.

Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa.

Taxonomy

Subspecies¹

• N. d. denhami - SW mauritania and Senegambia to n Uganda and Ethiopia
• N. d. jacksoni - Kenya and w Tanzania to Botswana, Zimbabwe and s Angola
• N. d. stanleyi - Swaziland and South Africa

Habitat

Grasslands and savanna; open ground, including agricultural land, flood-plains and burnt fynbos.

Behaviour

The diet includes insects, small vertebrates and plant material.

External Links

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