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Kori Bustard - Paired Patterns
A pair of Kori Bustard visit a watering hole in the wilds of Namibia, southwestern Africa.
Normally these birds will be found in pairs, and the male can be identified having a "thicker" neck when comparing the two. In this image, I would assume the one standing is the young male, with the female sitting. Other birds do not like the Kori Bustard. As the description stipulates, this bird is an opportunistic omnivore, eating both meat (other birds, especially chicks) and normal "bird food" such as insects and plants.
I belief Australia also has the exact same species, and there, I have heard, it is consumed by man as a delicacy. In Africa, however, it is not considered edible in general, simply due to the fact that this bird also eats meat. It is a general unwritten rule that anything that eats meat, is not considered edible except in extreme conditions.
The kori bustard is the largest flying bird native to Africa. It is one of the four species in the large-bodied "Ardeotis" genus. In fact, the male kori bustard may be the heaviest living animal capable of flight. This species, like most bustards, is a ground-dwelling bird and an opportunistic omnivore.
comments (4)
Yeah, the same here in Namibia. Local San people are basically allowed to eat everything, while us fellow Europeans are not. Here not all birds are protected. We have 5 hunt-able species (mostly grouse and francolin) - which means they can be hunted with a permit for a few specified months of the year. Then we also have "Problem Birds" that can be shot through-out the year that cause damage to crops etc (Quelea some Finches). But other than that, all others are protected.
Great to hear how things are managed in other countries. For what its worth, Namibia is the only country in the world whereby Conservation and its efforts are written into the Constitution. (You must excuse me, I am extremely patriotic). Posted 10 years ago