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Black bellied bustard

Lissotis melanogaster
Black-bellied bustards inhabit regions of hilly and flat ground with grassy savannah and tall dense grassland.

Black bellied bustard

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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