Heuglin's Bustard
Neotis heuglinii
A fairly large and lanky bustard. Males have a mostly black face, females a striped face. Both sexes have a gray neck and white belly. In flight, the wing is pale brown and black above and mostly pale below. A generally scarce species that is found in dry savanna, scrub, and other semi-desert habitats. Often in pairs. Similar to White-bellied Bustard, but the male is distinguished by his dark rather than pinkish bill, and the female by her gray rather than brownish neck.
Identification
It is a fairly large species, at up to 89 cm (35 in) in length. The males weigh 4–8 kg (8.8–17.6 lb) and the much smaller females weigh 2.6–3 kg (5.7–6.6 lb). Other than size, sexes differ considerably in appearance. The striking male has a large back marking over the crown down the face to the chin with a bluish-grey neck. On the male, a chestnut band on the lower chest which is separated from the white belly by a thin black band. The female is much more of a subdued brownish color overall, with no bold black markings and has a face lined with faint slate-gray markings. In flight, the species reveals a white primary wedge on the otherwise dark upperwing, a feature obscured when the species is standing.<p>The Heuglin's bustard is found in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. It occurs in pairs or small groups in arid or semi-arid grasslands, even ranging into desert-edge.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Neotis heuglinii
- Authority
- (Hartlaub, 1859)
- Order
- Otidiformes
- Family
- Otididae
- Genus
- Neotis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
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