Black bellied bustard
Lissotis melanogaster
Fun Fact: Black-bellied bustards inhabit regions of hilly and flat ground with grassy savannah and tall dense grassland.
Introduction: Black-bellied bustards (Lissotis melanogaster) inhabit regions of hilly and flat ground with grassy savannah and tall dense grassland. A feature of their behaviour is to lie flat when disturbed to evade detection.
Distribution: Etosha, Waterberg National Park, Otavi, Grootfontein and Tsumeb region, Caprivi Strip.
Diet: Locusts, beetles and grasshoppers are pecked and eaten whilst walking.
Description: Medium-sized bustard with long, thin necks and long legs. Lissotis is the Latin word for a 'smooth bustard'. Melanogaster is the Greek word for 'black belly'.
Breeding: Females lay 1 or 2 eggs directly on the ground amongst tall grass. Incubation takes 23 days.
Size: 65cm.
Weight: 2.3kg. Males are larger than females.
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