This Bustard is a Bruiser

The Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori) is a bruiser. A mature male can weigh up to 40 pounds, making it the heaviest bird in Africa capable of flight. And like a rumbling C-5, that flight is not pretty. The slow beat of a 9 foot wingspan takes time, but eventually lifts this big boy aloft.

I spotted this specimen in the Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania. Wish I had a scale to show size. I went black and white to highlight its complicated markings.

See a Kori Bustard for yourself. Come with us on an African safari.

Big Boy

Easy there, big boy!

This photo doesn't offer a sense of scale, but realize that this dude is more than a meter tall! That makes the Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori) the largest flying bird in Africa (the ostrich is bigger, but doesn't fly). Mature bustards can weigh 40 pounds and are possibly the heaviest creature capable of flight today.

Kori Bustards are rare outside of protected areas. The species is considered "vulnerable" on the endangered list. I was delighted to find this one striding along (like a T-Rex!) looking for a meal on the edge of Lake Magadi (Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania).