Kori Bustards, Ardeotis kori, is a large bird native to Africa.
It is a member of the Bustard family. It may be the heaviest bird capable of flight, although this title may also belong to the Great Bustard.
Description
The Kori Bustards is mostly grey, with a black crest on its head and yellow legs.
This is a large and heavy bird and avoids flying if possible.
The male Kori Bustard measures 110 cm (3.7 feet) in length and stands 60-90 cm (2-3ft) tall. An average male bird would weigh about 13.5 kg (30 lb), but exceptional birds may weigh over 20 kg (44 lb). A report exists of a 34 kg (75 lb) bird, but it is not verified and must be beheld with skepticism because it is so much heavier than any other recorded weight for a Kori Bustard.
The female Kori Bustard averages 7.7 kg (17 lb) and is usually 20% shorter than a male.
Diet / Feeding
Kori Bustards are often found with bee-eaters riding on their backs as they stride through the grass. The bee-eaters make the most of their walking perch by hawking insects from the bustard’s back that are disturbed by the bustard’s wandering.
This heavy bird spends most of its time on the ground, foraging for the seeds and lizards that make up most of its diet.
Breeding / Nesting
Like all bustards, Koris has polygnous breeding habits, where one male displays to attract several females and mates with them all. He then leaves the females to care for the eggs and young by themselves.
The females build a nest on the ground and incubate the eggs, foregoing eating for days.
When the chicks hatch, the mother brings them a steady stream of food, most of it soft so the chicks can eat it easily.
