White-bellied Bustard

Eupodotis senegalensis

With its distinctive black-and-white pattern and proud strut across the African savannah, this striking grassland bird puts on quite a show during its elaborate courtship displays.

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Visual Identification

Appearance

The White-bellied Bustard is a fairly small bird with a distinctive appearance. Males have a distinctive head pattern, greyish-blue neck, and tawny-buff upperparts that contrast with their white bellies. The wings show black flight feathers with some white on the inner parts and tawny-buff coverts.

Females are more subtly marked and have less distinct head patterning. Both sexes share the characteristic white belly that gives the species its name, though their overall colouring varies across their African range, with some populations considered possibly distinct species.

Size

Length

48cm to 61cm

Wingspan

110cm to 120cm

Weight

1.1kg to 1.4kg

Colours

Male Female

Primary Colour

Brown White

Secondary Colour

Black Grey

Beak Colour

Grey Pink

Leg Colour

Yellow

Primary Colour (Female)

Brown

Secondary Colour (Female)

Buff White

Beak Colour (Female)

Grey

Leg Colour (Female)

Yellow

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The White-bellied Bustard is not typically found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The White-bellied Bustard is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The White-bellied Bustard is not typically found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The White-bellied Bustard is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The White-bellied Bustard is not typically found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The White-bellied Bustard is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The White-bellied Bustard can be found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The White-bellied Bustard is not typically found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The White-bellied Bustard is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The White-bellied Bustard is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The White-bellied Bustard is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The White-bellied Bustard can be found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

White-bellied Bustards inhabit open grasslands, savannahs, and lightly wooded areas across sub-Saharan Africa. They are found from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south to Tanzania and northern Mozambique.

These birds prefer areas with short grass and scattered trees or bushes. They are non-migratory, maintaining year-round territories in suitable habitats throughout their range.

Elevation Range

Up to 2,000 meters

Climate zones

Tropical, Subtropical

Distribution Map

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a White-bellied Bustard. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons