Red-crested Bustard
Lophotis ruficrista
A medium-sized, black-bellied bustard with diagnostic white chevrons on a brown-and-black mottled back. The male has a brown-gray neck and slaty cap, and the female is plainer. The name is misleading, as the red crest is almost always hidden. It walks slowly and steadily in arid woodlands, where it is common but due to its camouflage often avoids detection. The song is a sequence of clicking “tic-tic” notes that are followed by a mournful piping “sweee-swee-sweee sweet” series that accelerates to a crescendo. The male indulges in an absurd display in which he flies nearly vertically into the sky and then folds his wings and somersaults down as if shot, only to unbelievably land on his feet. In flight the Red-crested Bustard’s all-black underwings differentiate it from Black-bellied Bustard, which has white windows in the underwing.
Identification
The red-crested korhaan grows up to 50 cm (1.6 ft) in length with a maximal weight of 680 g (1.5 lb).The feathering of the wings folded on the back is marked by V-formed patterns of a light cream color with some white at the sides. Breast feathers are black. Legs are pale yellow and feet gray.
Taxonomy
One syntype specimen of Otis ruficrista Smith (Rep. Exped. Centr. Afr., 1836, p.56.) is held in the collections of National Museums Liverpool at World Museum, with accession number D56 (male adult). The specimen was collected in the “Country between Latakoo and the Tropic of Capricorn”, South Africa by Andrew Smith. The specimen was purchased at the sale of Smith’s South Africa Museum (Lot 89, 6 June 1838) and came to the Liverpool national collection via the 13th Earl of Derby’s collection which was bequeathed to the people of Liverpool in 1851. There is a further syntype specimen in the bird collection at the Natural History Museum at Tring.
- Scientific name
- Lophotis ruficrista
- Authority
- (Smith, A, 1836)
- Order
- Otidiformes
- Family
- Otididae
- Genus
- Lophotis
Range and habitat
The red-crested korhaan inhabits diverse environments: dry savanna, bushveld, thorny scrubland, but sometimes also wet woodland. It is a sedentary rather than migratory bird.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Finsch's Francolin
Scleroptila finschi
Medium-sized francolin with a mostly gray body, rufous head, and white throat. Found locally on the ground in grassy habitats including savanna, montane grassland, and woodland. Usually in pairs or small groups. Typical vocalization is a duet of “chur-it-cheer” phrases and a repeated single note. Somewhat similar to Red-winged Francolin, but duller, without a strongly marked face or heavily striped breast.
Collared Palm-Thrush
Cichladusa arquata
Odd and distinctive thrush. Note the gray head, pale eye, rufous back, and black mark outlining the throat. Found locally in thickets within palm savanna. Distinctive song consists of an emphatic series of airy, wailing notes. Also gives chattering and rasping calls. Spotted Morning-Thrush is similar, but Collared is separated by its pale eye, bright rufous back, and lack of spotting below. Somewhat similar to nightingales and scrub-robins, but easily separated by its black throat markings.
White-barred Piculet
Picumnus cirratus
Tiny woodpecker of woodlands, forest edges, second growth, and riparian forests. Has a short bill and tail, with an olive-brown back and a heavily barred front. The tail is black with a white central stripe. The crown is spotted white—the forehead is red on males black on females. Song is a fast trill.
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