The black-bellied bustard (Lissotis melanogaster) also known as the black-bellied korhaan, is an African ground-dwelling bird in the bustard family.
The black-bellied bustard is 58 - 65 cm long. The bill and legs are dull yellow. The male's upperparts have black and brown marks on a tawny buff background; the underparts are black. The head is boldly patterned with black, white and buff. The neck, long and thin for a bustard, is buffy brown with a thin black line down the front that joins the black breast. The tail is brown and buff with four or five narrow dark brown bands. The upper surface of the wings is white with a brown triangle at the base; the flight feathers have black tips except for the outer secondary feathers. The white of the wings is visible when the bird stands, contrasting with the black underparts.
The female is plain buff, cryptically marked with darker brown mottling on the back and vermiculation (narrow wavy bands) on the neck and breast. Females are a lot smaller and lighter than the males. They have an average weight of roughly 1.4 kgs, compared to the 1.8 - 2.7 kgs of the males.
This very handsome female Black-bellied Bustard was captured in beautiful golden lighting during a photography safari on an early morning game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya.
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