Male. Photo © by Peter R. Bono
Dida Galgalu Desert (north of Marsabit), Kenya (along Kenyan/Ethiopian border), November 1991
Dida Galgalu Desert (north of Marsabit), Kenya (along Kenyan/Ethiopian border), November 1991
- Neotis heuglinii
Identification
75 cm (29½ in)
- Smudged black face
- Pale crown
Distribution
Africa: Eritrea to southern Ethiopia, northern Somalia and northern Kenya.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Clements regards this as a monotypic species [1].
Habitat
Open lowland deserts with annual grass and semi-dry savanna.
Behaviour
Diet
Their main diet consists of orthopter, such as locusts and grasshoppers, small lizards and mice, berries and some other vegetable matter.
Breeding
They lay their eggs in a ground scrape. Their breeding effort is timed when the rains when the grass its tallest.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Sept 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Heuglin's Bustard. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 24 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Heuglin%27s_Bustard
