Photo: Lucy Keith-Diagne / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Unusual & Unique Birds

Savile’s Bustard

Lophotis savilei

Savile's Bustard (Lophotis savilei) — Unusual & Unique Birds of Africa.

The Savile’s Bustard (Lophotis savilei) is a member of the Otididae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 712 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Otidiformes
Family Otididae Bustards
Genus Lophotis
Species savilei

Where it lives

Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia to central Sudan

Africa

Quick facts

Weight: 712 g
Diet: Omnivores
Family: Otididae
Order: Otidiformes
Habitat: Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Savile’s Bustard is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Savile’s Bustard is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Savile’s Bustard (Lophotis savilei) is a member of the Otididae family, within the order Otidiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia to c Sudan.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 712 g, with a wing length of about 24.5 cm and a tail of around 12.2 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.1 million km².

Songs & calls

Savile’s Bustard — Song

Recorded by Bram Piot Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Savile’s Bustard?

The Savile’s Bustard is a large bird that weighs around 712 g.

Where does the Savile’s Bustard live?

The Savile’s Bustard is found across Africa with a range covering AF Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia to c Sudan, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.

What family does the Savile’s Bustard belong to?

The Savile’s Bustard (Lophotis savilei) belongs to the Otididae family, in the order Otidiformes.

What does the Savile’s Bustard eat?

The Savile’s Bustard is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Savile’s Bustard migrate?

The Savile’s Bustard is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Savile’s Bustard endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Savile’s Bustard make?

1 real field recording of the Savile’s Bustard — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Savile’s Bustard's range?

The Savile’s Bustard has a mapped global range of about 1.1 million km².