Photo: Alan Manson / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Denham’s Bustard
Neotis denhami
Denham's Bustard (Neotis denhami) — Unusual & Unique Birds of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Denham’s Bustard (Neotis denhami) is a member of the Otididae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 4 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Otidiformes
- Family Otididae Bustards
- Genus Neotis
- Species denhami
Quick facts
- Weight
- 4 kg
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Otididae
- Order
- Otidiformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Denham’s Bustard is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Denham’s Bustard is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Denham’s Bustard (Neotis denhami) belongs to the Otididae family of the order Otidiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 4 kg, with a wing length of about 55.9 cm and a tail of around 31.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 7.7 million km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Denham’s Bustard?
The Denham’s Bustard is a very large bird that weighs around 4 kg.
Where does the Denham’s Bustard live?
The Denham’s Bustard is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Denham’s Bustard belong to?
The Denham’s Bustard (Neotis denhami) belongs to the Otididae family, in the order Otidiformes.
What does the Denham’s Bustard eat?
The Denham’s Bustard is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Denham’s Bustard migrate?
The Denham’s Bustard is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Denham’s Bustard endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
How large is the Denham’s Bustard's range?
The Denham’s Bustard has a mapped global range of about 7.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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