Red List of South African Species

Alternatively, Explore species
| National Red List categories | Partners |

diagnostics

44-55 cm, 0.9-1.1 kg. An attractive medium-sized korhaan that is usually detected by its far-carrying honking or croaking calls. Sexes differ in size and plumage colouration. In adult male, crown and front of neck blue-grey; hind neck rufous in southern races barrowii and mackenziei (but blue-grey in the northern races senegalensis, canicollis and erlangeri). Remainder of upperparts tawny-rufous, lacking distinct markings. Face white, with black patch on nape and throat. White underside diagnostic in both sexes. Females lack blue colouration and dark throat markings. Females of race barrowii distinguished by buffy face (white in other races) and darker back. Bill dusky with pinkish base. Eyes brown. Legs whitish yellow. Juvenile similar to female, but has speckled or vermiculated crown (Allan 2005i).

trophic

The White-bellied Korhaan is a near-endemic to the Grassland Biome (Allan 1997d, 2005i), sometimes occurring in ecotones with savannah and fynbos (Allan 2005i). Although most sources state that the species requires longer grass (30-60 cm) than most other bustards and generally avoids overgrazed and recently burnt areas (Moreira 2004), the birds do occasionally move into open areas in winter to forage (Moreira 2004), including recently burnt grassland. On farms they may also make use of cultivated pastures as an artificial grassland habitat (Young et al. 2003), but are found in crop fields only after harvesting (D Swanepoel pers. obs.).

Not much information here?

SANBI is currently in the process of adding more information about species to this database.

Search for this species on The Encyclopedia of Life