Neotis ludwigii
Ludwig’s Bustard occurs only in the southern and western provinces of South Africa, Namibia and a corner of southern Angola. The IUCN considers it to be an endangered species, sadly indicating that, mainly due to in-flight collisions with telephone and power lines and wind turbines, their population has declined by at least 50% in the past 30 years.
The Ludwig’s Bustard inhabits open, arid scrubland in the Karoo, Kalahari and Namib, migrating considerable distances over these areas as it follows the rains and the resultant proliferation of seeds, rodents, insects and other invertebrates (it is an omnivore) that follows. They’re usually seen either singly or in small groups though congregations of up to 80 individuals have been recorded.
Male Ludwig’s Bustards are territorial, defending a small patch in which they try to keep and mate with as many females as possible during the breeding season that spans the spring and summer months, and playing no further role in the rearing of the precocial chicks. The female nests in a shallow scrape in the ground, usually surrounded by vegetation, incubating a clutch of 1-3 eggs. Fully grown they stand approximately 85cm tall, with a wingspan of up to 1.8m and weighing between 2.5kg and 4.5kg, males being considerably larger than females.
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