diagnostics
100-120 cm, 3.7-7.6 kg. A large, impressive bustard with striking black-and-white patterning on the wing coverts and remiges. Sexes dimorphic in plumage colouration and male further distinguished by its slightly larger size and thicker neck. Adult male has black crown, broad white supercilium, narrow blackish eye-stripe and bluish grey face. Throat white with foreneck and upper breast bluish grey and lower breast white. In astonishing ‘balloon' display, inflates neck and flares normally concealed white neck and breast plumes. Hind-neck and upper mantle deep chestnut; lower mantle, back and rump brown with fine black vermiculations. Tail blackish brown with 2-3 broad, creamy white bands. Upperwing coverts and inner primaries boldly pied; lesser wing coverts vermiculated blackish brown. Underparts, including flanks and undertail, white. Males distinguished from females by unmarked white or grey fore-neck and breast as well as plainer upperparts (Urban et al. 1986, Allan 2002). Fore-neck and upper breast of female finely barred with sharply demarcated white underparts (Allan 2005).
