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A kori bustard with gray and brown feathers walking on sandy ground.
Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kori Bustard

Ardeotis kori

One of the world's heaviest flying birds, a ground-walking hunter of African grasslands that puffs up its neck to show off.

🐓 Ground Birds
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About the Kori Bustard

Kori bustards live in open grasslands and lightly wooded savannas of eastern and southern Africa. They stand about 5 feet tall, and males can weigh 24 to 42 pounds, making them the world's heaviest flying birds. They rarely fly unless in serious danger. Kori bustards eat insects, small mammals, lizards, snakes, seeds and berries, and sometimes carrion.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Ardeotis kori[1]
Size
About 5 feet (1.5 m) tall.[1]
Weight
Males 24 to 42 pounds (11 to 19 kg). Females about half that.[1]
Diet
Omnivore. Insects, small mammals, lizards, snakes, seeds and berries, sometimes carrion.[1]
Habitat
Open grasslands and lightly wooded savanna.[1]
Where it lives
Eastern and southern Africa.[1]
Group life
Lives mostly on the ground and flies only in serious danger.[1]
Babies
One or two eggs, incubated for 23 to 24 days.[1]
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[2]

Fun facts

  • Kori bustards are among the world's heaviest flying birds.[1]
  • A displaying male puffs up his esophagus to as much as four times its normal size.[1]
  • Kori bustards drink by sucking up water instead of scooping it.[1]

Vocabulary

esophagus
The tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.
display
A show of movements or sounds an animal makes to attract a mate or warn others.
carrion
The meat of an animal that is already dead.
omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and other animals.
near threatened
A conservation label meaning a species may become threatened soon.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Kori bustard.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/kori-bustard (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Ardeotis kori (Kori Bustard).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22691928/93329549 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Ground Birds

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