Ludwig's Bustard

Ludwig's Bustard
Ludwig's Bustard
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Otididae
Genus: Neotis
Species: N. ludwigii
Binomial name
Neotis ludwigii
(Rüppell, 1837)

The Ludwig's Bustard (Neotis ludwigii) is a species of bird in the bustard family. It is a mid-to-large sized species. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa. Its habitats include semi-arid grasslands.

The Ludwig's Bustard can weigh from 3 to 7.3 kg (6.6 to 16 lb), with a mean of 6.3 kg (14 lb) for the much larger male and 3.4 kg (7.5 lb) for the female. Length ranges from 76 to 85 cm (30 to 33 in) in females and 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 in) in males.[1][2] It lives largely on large insects (mainly locusts), as well as flowers and seeds. Although it lives in semi-arid areas it seems to shift locally to follow the presence of rainfall. During extreme concentrations of rainfall, as many as 230 Ludwig's Bustards have been seen at once feeding on locusts.[3]

This little known species is now considered endangered. The main threat is collisions with power lines, which it is reportedly the most likely bird species in Southern Africa to be a victim off.[4]

References

  1. ^ Liebenberg, Louis, Field Guide to the Animal Tracks of Southern Africa. David Philip, Publishers (1990), ISBN 978-0864861320
  2. ^ CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), ISBN 978-0849342585.
  3. ^ Dean & Milton (editors), The Karoo: Ecological Patterns and Processes. Cambridge University Press (1999), ISBN 978-0521554503
  4. ^ [1] (2011).


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