A collaboration between zoos, field scientists, and educators.
Courtship
Sexual maturity for females is around three years both in the wild and in captivity. Males reach sexual maturity at three years in captivity and unknown in the wild.
Kori bustard males mate with more than one femal during the breeding season (polygynous). Breeding occurs between December and August for the eastern subspecies (A. k. struthinunculus) and September to February for the southern subspecies (A. k. kori).
During breeding season, males gather either singly or in loose formations, called leks, and perform "ballon" displays to attract females. Displays can occur throughout the day, but are usually most intense in the early morning and late afternoon/evening. During the height of the display, males will inflate their esophagus to as much as four times its normal size (resembling a balloon). With the neck expanded, the tail and wing feathers pointed downward, and the crest erected, the male gives a low-pitched booming noise as he snaps his bill open and shut. Females are presumabley attracted to the male with the most superior display. After copulation, the male leaves and resumes displaying to attract another female. Males do not assist in egg incubation or chick rearing. Outside of breeding season, kori bustards are generally solitary animals except for females with chicks.
The female builds a nest by making a shallow scrape in the ground and lays her eggs. The nest is usually near a small clump of grass so the female is partially hidden. The clutch is usually one or two eggs. In captivity, incubation period is 23 days. The precocial chicks are able to follow their mother around several hours after hatching and remain with her until the start of the next year's breeding season.
Photos by Sara Hallager
Kori Facts:
- The "balloon" display can be seen up to one kilometer (1.6 miles) away!
- It's a tough beginning for kori bustard chicks - about 82 percent do not survive the first year of life in the wild.
Photo by Jessie Cohen, SNZP
