Kori Bustard: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Birds That Walk · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. Carmine bee-eaters sometimes ride on a kori bustard's back as it strides through the grass, snapping up the insects it scares up.
2. It loves the sticky gum that oozes from acacia trees. In Afrikaans it is nicknamed Gompou, which means gum peacock.
3. Unlike most birds, which scoop water up, the kori bustard sucks it in. It can live as far as 40 km from the nearest water.
4. It has no oil gland for grooming its feathers. Instead it makes a fine powder down to stay clean, and it takes sun and dust baths.
5. A sitting mother stays on her eggs 98% of the time and never drinks. She even drops bits of plants on her back to hide better.

The quiz

1. Which birds sometimes ride on a kori bustard's back?

• Ostriches
• Carmine bee-eaters (correct)
• Vultures
• Flamingos

Bee-eaters catch the insects that the walking bustard disturbs.

2. What does the Afrikaans name Gompou mean?

• Grass runner
• Thunder bird
• Gum peacock (correct)
• King of the plains

It is named for its love of acacia gum.

3. How does a kori bustard drink?

• It sucks the water up (correct)
• It only gets water from dew on its wings
• It scoops water with its lower beak
• It never drinks at all

Unusually for a bird, it sucks up water rather than scooping it.

4. Without an oil gland, how does it keep its feathers clean?

• By swimming every day
• Other birds clean it
• By rubbing on tree bark
• It makes a powder down (correct)

It has no preen gland, so it produces powder down to keep clean.

5. What does a nesting mother kori bustard drop on her back?

• Water
• Bits of plants (correct)
• Sand mixed with gum
• Her own feathers

She drops vegetation on her back to improve her camouflage.

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