The World's Heaviest Flying Bird The Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori (230)
Information About The Superb Kori Bustard
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The Kori Bustard is the heaviest flying bird on this planet and has a huge body, crested head and long yellow legs and is Robert's bird number 230. It is a great sight to see the Kori take off from a running start. The Kori Bustard is also able to fly very long distances. The Kori Bustard is also the second largest land bird in South Africa, after the Common Ostrich.
Size Of The Kori Bustard:
The Kori Bustards size is normally between 100cm and 135 cm.
Other Information
The Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori) is a large bird native to
The Kori Bustard is mostly grey in color, with a black crest on its
head and yellow legs. Kori Bustards are often found with bee eaters
riding on their backs as they stride through the grass. The bee eaters
make the most of their walking perch by hawking insects from the
bustard's back that are disturbed by the bustard's wandering. This is a
large and heavy bird, and it avoids flying if possible. It spends most
of its time on the ground, foraging for the seeds and lizards which make
up most of its diet.
The male Kori Bustard averages about 110 cm (3.6 ft) in length,
stands 60–90 cm (2.0–3.0 ft) tall and have a wingspan about 230-275 cm.
An average male bird would weigh about 12.4 kg (27 lb), but exceptional
birds may weigh over 20 kg (44 lb). A report exists of a 34 kg (75 lb)
bird, but it is not verified and must be held with skepticism because it
so much heavier than any other recorded weight for a Kori Bustard. The
female Kori Bustard averages 5.7 kg (13 lb) and is usually 20% shorter
than a male.
Like all bustards, Kori Bustards have polygynous breeding habits,
where one male displays to attract several females and mates with them
all. He then leaves the females to care for the young by themselves. The
females build a nest on the ground and incubate the eggs, foregoing
eating for days. When the chicks hatch, the mother brings them a steady
stream of food, most of it soft so the chicks can eat it easily.
