Scientific name: Neotis denhami
The male is 9 to 10 kg (20 to 22 lb) and 100–116 cm (39–46 in), the female is much smaller at 3 to 4 kg (6.6 to 8.8 lb) and 80–87 cm (31–34 in). The back is brown, darker and plainer in the male, and the underparts are white. The neck is pale grey with an orange nape. Its grey crown is bordered with black, and a black line runs through the eye with a white line forming an eyebrow above. The long legs are pale yellow. The wings are strikingly patterned in brown, white and black, the male showing more white in flight than the female or young birds. The long legs are yellowish in color and the bill is whitish horn in color. The male inflates his throat when displaying to show a conspicuous balloon of white feathers.
In southern Africa it is locally common in southern and eastern South Africa, while scarce in northern Botswana and north-eastern Zimbabwe. It breeds in grassland and lowland fynbos, but in the non-breeding season it also strays into cultivated fields of barley, cotton and clovers. It also occurs in Nama karoo and sparse woodland.
It is omnivorous, feeding on a wide range of animals, including grasshoppers, weevils, spiders, and even snakes, as well as plant products, such as grass, leaves and flowers.
