The karoo korhaan (''Eupodotis vigorsii''), also known as karoo bustard, is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

in the

bustard Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large, terrestrial birds living mainly in dry grassland areas and on the steppes of the Old World. They range in length from . They make up the family Otididae (, formerly known as Otidae). Bustar ...

family,

Otididae Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large, terrestrial birds living mainly in dry grassland areas and on the steppes of the Old World. They range in length from . They make up the family Otididae (, formerly known as Otidae). Bustard ...

, from Southern Africa. The species is sometimes placed in the genus '' Heterotetrax''. It is the sister-species to

Rüppell's korhaan Rüppell's Korhaan (''Eupodotis rueppellii''), also known as Rüppell's bustard, is a species of bird in the family Otididae. The species is a small bustard Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large, terrestrial birds living mainl ...

, and the two species are sometimes considered conspecific (the same species). There are two subspecies, the nominate race, from south-eastern South Africa, and ''E. v. namaqua'' ( Roberts, 1932), from north-eastern South Africa and southern Namibia.Collar, N. & Kirwan, G.M. (2017). Karoo Bustard (Heterotetrax vigorsii). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/53724 on 3 March 2017). The karoo korhaan lives in a range of arid habitats associated with the karoo and other arid scrubland habitats found in eastern South Africa and Namibia. It is also found in slightly denser scrubland, preferring habitat with cover ranging from off the ground. A small population can also be found in karro-like fynbos habitat in the SW Cape Province. The karoo korhaan is a small bustard, . Males are larger and heavier, weighing compared to the female's . The head, neck and breast of the nominate subspecies is grey-brown, with a black chin and throat edged in white. The belly is pinkish white, and the wings are brown. The female is similar to the male but has less black on the throat. The neck and breast of the subspecies ''E. v. namaqua'' is greyer compared to the nominate subspecies. Karoo korhaans are omnivorous, but plant material is dominant in their diet. Flowers, fruit, leaves and

corm A corm, bulbo-tuber, or bulbotuber is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ that some plants use to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (perennation). The word ' ...

s all being taken. In particular, flowers from

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

Brassicaceae Brassicaceae () or (the older) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The leav ...

and

Mesembryanthemaceae The Aizoaceae, or fig-marigold family, is a large Family (biology), family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genus, genera and about 1800 species. They are commonly known as ice plants or carpet weeds. They are often called vygies ...

are all seasonally important. Eupodotis vigorsii MWNH 0039

References

External links

* Karoo korhaan
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1274363 Eupodotis Birds of Southern Africa Birds described in 1831 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN