Beasts of Botswana – The Kori Bustard

There are any number of birds here that Steve and I refer to as “ground chickens.” I don’t know why we do this, since chickens themselves are “ground chickens,” but one of the most interesting are the Kori Bustards – which are actually closer to “ground turkeys” than chickens.

These birds are the heaviest flying bird in southern Africa, and they spend most of their time on the ground, flying only when absolutely necessary and not letting anyone get close to them. Some of the ones we’ve seen in the Kalahari are huge, and they strut along the ground with their beaks pointed skyward looking, as Lonely Planet says, “aloof.” They’re brown and white and can be difficult to see in the tall grasses, but when we do see them they’re fantastic. I find them to be really interesting birds – they’re fairly omnivorous but, fun fact, prefer toasted grasshoppers and small animals caught in grassfires.