Black-bellied bustard  (Eupodotis melanogaster)

Classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1), and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3).

The black-bellied bustard is a slender bird with long legs and a long, thin neck (2) (4). Both sexes have brownish upperparts patterned with black spots and bars, but whereas the female is white underneath, the male has the black breast and belly that gives this distinctive bird its name (4). The male’s black underparts extend into a thin stripe that runs up its neck and throat (2) (4) (5). The call of the male, performed relentlessly from an exposed mound or anthill, is a croaking ‘waak’ followed a few seconds later by an incongruous ‘pop’ (5) (6) (7).

The black-bellied bustard is found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa (8).

Sparse woodland and open grassland are the preferred habitats of the black-bellied bustard (2) (5).

The black-bellied bustard is normally seen alone or, during the breeding season, in pairs (5) (6). During courtship the male performs an elaborate aerial display in which it flies high and slow, before abruptly parachuting to the ground with wings held aloft (5) (7). A breeding female usually lays one to two eggs in a shallow scrape in the grass (9).

The black-bellied bustard is not thought to be threatened overall but localised declines have probably occurred due to hunting, afforestation and crop farming (8) (9) (10).

There are no known conservation measures in place for the black-bellied bustard.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

To find out more about conservation of birds in Africa see:

• African Bird Club:
  www.africanbirdclub.org

For more information on this and other bird species please see:

• BirdLife International:
  http://www.birdlife.org