The white-bellied bustard or white-bellied korhaan (Eupodotis senegalensis) is an African species of bustard. It is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa in grassland and open woodland habitats.[3]

White-bellied bustard
Male calling at Maasai Mara, Kenya
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Otidiformes
Family: Otididae
Genus: Eupodotis
Species:
E. senegalensis
Binomial name
Eupodotis senegalensis
(Vieillot, 1821)
Synonyms

Eupodotis barrowii
Eupodotis caffra

Description edit

 
E. s. canicollis, male, Sweetwaters Game Reserve, Kenya
 
Male from Maasai Mara, Kenya
 
E. s. erlangeri, female, Serengeti, Tanzania
 
E. s. erlangeri, male, Serengeti, Tanzania

It is rather small for a bustard, 48 to 61 centimetres (19 to 24 in) long. All are tawny brown above and on the breast and white on the belly, with cream-coloured legs; juveniles have light brown necks and heads, and adults have blue-grey necks. The adult female has a grey crown, a brown and buff line below the eye, and black speckling on the throat. The adult male has a black crown, black lines on the white cheeks, a black throat patch, and a pinkish-red bill. The call, often given in the early morning and late evening, has been described as "a very loud, guttural k'whuka WHUKa, k'wuka WHUKa..., or k'warrak, k'warrak...[4]

This species is usually seen in pairs or family groups, as young stay with their parents much longer than those of other bustards in the region.[4]

Subspecies edit

Five subspecies are recognized:[5]

References edit

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Eupodotis senegalensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22691996A93332403. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22691996A93332403.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^ Sibley, Charles G.; Monroe, Burt L. Jr. (1990), Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World, Yale University Press, p. 217, ISBN 0-300-04969-2, retrieved 2010-03-24
  4. ^ a b Zimmerman, Dale A.; Turner, Donald A.; Pearson, David J. (1999), Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania, Princeton University Press, pp. 76–77, 328, ISBN 0-691-01022-6
  5. ^ White-bellied Bustard, Internet Bird Collection

External links edit