Cover image of Ludwig’s Bustard by Rick Nuttall – Murraysburg district, Western Cape – BirdPix No. 192436

Identification

The Ludwig’s Bustard is a relatively large and fairly conspicuous species, especially in flight and when the males are calling and displaying.

In males, the crown, face and fore-neck are dark sooty brown. The folded wings are intricately patterned in various shades of brown. The wing coverts are brown and white. The hind-neck is bright orange-brown and the sides of the neck and the entire belly are white.

Females are similar but slightly smaller. They have paler heads and fore-necks with white mottling. The orange-brown hind-neck is also duller.

This species is often confused with Denham’s Bustard (Neotis denhami). Denham’s Bustard is larger, has a pale grey fore-neck, a darker, more chestnut hind-neck and a black and white-striped crown and face.

In flight Ludwig’s Bustard shows white inner primaries and minimal white on the coverts. In Denham’s Bustard the coverts are mostly white.

Carl Ferdinand Heinrich von Ludwig, in whose honour this species was named, was a citizen scientist. He was born in Germany in 1784, trained as a pharmacist, and came to a post in Cape Town in 1805. By 1807, he was one of nine official pharmacists in Cape Town. He did lots of activities two centuries ago which today would be described as citizen science initiatives. You can read more about him here. He died in Cape Town in 1847.

Distribution

Ludwig’s Bustard is scarce to locally common and is near-endemic to southern Africa. Its range extends marginally into south-western Angola. It occurs in southern and western Namibia, extreme south-western Botswana, and widely in central and western South Africa. It is a marginal, non-breeding visitor to Lesotho. In the Western Cape, it is largely confined to the Karoo and Namaqualand, south to the West Coast National Park. It penetrates beyond the Karoo into the fynbos biome mainly during dry winters.

Ludwig’s Bustard is currently listed as Vulnerable. They are highly prone to collisions with overhead transmission lines and often get tangled up in jackal-proof fencing. Hatching success is also low. Despite this there is no evidence of any major range changes. Its distribution overlaps slightly with Denham’s Bustard in the Western and Eastern Cape.

Habitat

Ludwig’s Bustard inhabits dry open plains, from grassland to desert.

It is most numerous in the arid and semi-arid dwarf shrublands of Namibia and the Karoo. It also frequents the drier western grasslands in South Africa and arid woodlands of the southern Kalahari. It also makes occasional use of agricultural areas in the fynbos biome of the Western Cape.

Often frequents bare open areas within these habitats such as gravel plains and dry watercourses, especially on calcrete. May gather in numbers to forage at dry pans and dams especially when there is a flush of short, green vegetation after the water dries.

Behaviour

Usually found singly or in groups. Small groups of three or four birds are normal but larger groupings of up to 36 birds are regular. The largest recorded group size is 270 birds but this is exceptional. Larger groups are not cohesive but rather loose aggregations at a concentrated food source such as locust swarms or termite alates. They are partially migratory and probably nomadic. Their movements are largely influenced by rainfall.

Occasionally forages alongside Kori Bustard and has been known to join groups of Denham’s Bustard in areas of overlap. Spends most of its time foraging by walking slowly and pecking at the ground but will run after large insects. Ludwig’s Bustard is omnivorous and the diet consists of arthropods and vertebrates as well as a range of plant material. Arthropod prey includes locusts, beetles, ants, termites, flies, centipedes, spiders, scorpions etc. Vertebrates taken include rodents and reptiles and they consume a fair amount of vegetable matter such as seeds, berries, leaves and bulbs.

They seldom drink water, because they obtain most of their moisture requirement from the food they eat.

Ludwig’s Bustards are polygynous whereby males mate with multiple females during the breeding season. Males establish regularly used lek sites where they display competitively in order to entice females for mating. Leks are mostly situated in prominent positions such as on a rocky ridge. Each lek site holds from one to three males, each of whom defends his immediate vicinity from rivals through complex posturing. Displaying males are normally spaced about 300 m apart.

Displaying starts at or before first light and continues for two to three hours. Males perform what is known as a ‘balloon’ display. To begin, the male stands tall with wings drooped and the tail held level. He then erects his neck and breast feathers and inflates the neck with air. After a pause the air is then forcibly expelled from the inflated oesophagus. The ‘balloon’ serves to resonate and amplify the booming call over a great distance. This display also serves a visual function and is conspicuous from a good distance. The display is usually also accompanied by foot stamping. Displaying often resumes in the late afternoon and may continue up to 30 minutes after dark.

Attracted females fly or walk to display sites, either singly or in groups of up to three birds. Displaying lasts around six weeks following spring rains.

Breeding mostly takes place between August and December in South Africa and during March in Namibia.

One or two eggs are laid per clutch and no nest is constructed. The eggs are well camouflaged and are laid in the open on bare ground, or in a shallow scrape, often among stones. All incubation and parental care is performed by the female. The incubation and fledging periods are unrecorded and the chicks are highly precocial.

Further Resources

This species text is adapted from the first Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP1), 1997.

The use of photographs by Alan Collett, Desire Darling, Johan and Estelle van Rooyen, Rick Nuttall and Tino Herselman is acknowledged.

Virtual Museum (BirdPix > Search VM > By Scientific or Common Name).

Other common names: Ludwigse pou (Afrikaans); Iseme (Xhosa); Khupa (South Sotho); Ludwig-trap (Dutch); Outarde de Ludwig (French); Ludwigstrappe (German); Abetarda de Ludwig (Portuguese).

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2023. Ludwig’s Bustard (Neotis ludwigii). Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available Online at http://thebdi.org/2023/02/28/ludwigs-bustard-neotis-ludwigii/

List of bird species in this format is available here.

Bird identification, birding

Cover image: Stark’s Lark by Zenobia van Dyk – Near Poffadder, Northern Cape – BirdPix No. 245207 Stark’s Lark

Identification

Stark’s Lark is a small species with a more elongate and slender build than other small larks. It is very pale and appears white from a distance. The legs are fairly long and spindly and the head appears large due to its crest and stout beak.

Stark’s Larks is sandy, grey-brown above with dark streaks. It is almost completely white below with indistinct streaks on the breast. The throat is white and the face is pale and relatively unmarked. The crown is streaked and can be raised into a long, shaggy crest. The tail is relatively long and has a dark middle with white outer tail feathers.

The beak is pinkish-grey and is stout and heavy with a curved upper mandible.

The sexes are alike.

Juveniles have whitish tips to the feathers on the crown, back and wings.

Status and Distribution

Stark’s lark is near-endemic to southern Africa. It is distributed from the Northern Cape in South Africa, up through Namibia and into south-western Angola. It can be locally common but is highly nomadic and its abundance and range is largely determined by rainfall.

Habitat

Stark’s Lark is a species of arid and semi-arid open plains, with sparse perennial grasses and Karoo shrubs on sands. It favours sites where there are patches of calcrete or scattered pale quartz or calcrete pebbles. It also occurs in open, arid savanna in the Southern Kalahari and on the edge of the Namib Desert where it is found on sparsely vegetated gravel plains.

Behaviour

Stark’s Larks are found in pairs when breeding. When not breeding they occur in flocks of several individuals up to a few hundred or even thousands of birds, which congregate in areas of fresh green grass after rains. They often occur alongside Grey-backed Sparrow-Larks and Lark-like Buntings. They appear able to survive without drinking water but they will drink regularly during the dry season if water is available. Drinks less often after rains have greened vegetation and increased insect availability. They fly to waterpoints in flocks. Avoids heat stress during the mid-day heat by crouching in shade. Occasionally perches on a low shrub or rock, facing into the breeze while holding its wings away from the body to cool down.

Forages by walking slowly on flexed legs, with its body close to ground, pecking items from off the floor. Feeds primarily on seeds from various grasses and shrubs. Arthropods also form an important part of the diet and include Harvester Termites, ants, beetles, bugs, flies, spiders etc. Also feeds on green plant material, especially the fresh base of grass stems.

Males start singing and displaying after rainfall has stimulated breeding activity. It sings from the ground, from a low shrub or in flight display. During display the male rises between 50 m to 200 m above the ground while hovering or flying in slow circles, calling constantly.

Stark’s Lark is a monogamous, solitary nester, often in loose colonies. This species breeds opportunistically after rain and breeding may take place whenever sufficient rain has fallen. There is however a breeding peak from March to May after late summer rains.

The nest is a neat cup composed of fine strips of grass, built into a slight depression in the soil. It is usually placed at the base of a plant or stone but sometimes also in exposed positions. The nest normally faces south or south-east for shade on hot days.

Clutches consist of two or three eggs and incubation takes 11 to 13 days. The eggs are incubated by both sexes. The nestling period lasts for around 10 days during which time the chicks are fed by both parents.

Further Resources

Species text adapted from the first Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP1), 1997.

The use of photographs by Alan Collett, Gregg Darling, J Terblanche, Katharina Reddig, Michael Houlden and Zenobia van Dyk is acknowledged.

Virtual Museum (BirdPix > Search VM > By Scientific or Common Name).

Other common names: Spizocorys starki (Alternative Scientific Name); Woestynlewerik (Afrikaans); Alouette de Stark (French); Starks Kurzhaubenlerche (German); Cotovia de Stark (Portuguese)

A list of bird species in this format is available here.

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2023. Stark’s Lark (Eremalauda starki) Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at http://thebdi.org/2023/02/13/starks-lark-eremalauda-starki/

Bird identification, birding

Cover image. Sclater’s Lark by Alan Collett – Carnarvon District, Northern Cape – BirdPix No. 142244

Identification

Sclater’s Lark is a small species with a stocky build and a large, horn-coloured beak.

These birds have an overall buff-brown colouration. Its most distinctive feature, apart from the beak, is the diagnostic dark ‘tear-drop’ marking below the eye.

The upperparts are buffy grey-brown with dark streaks. The throat is white and gives way to buff-coloured underparts. The breast and belly have a warmer tone than the rest of the body. There are variable bold black streaks on the breast.

In flight the tail appears fairly short and dark above with broad white outer tail feathers.

The sexes are alike.

Juveniles resemble the adults but they have less distinct facial patterning.

Status and Distribution

The Sclater’s lark is endemic to Southern Africa, its distribution is entirely confined to the Nama Karoo. The majority of records are from the Northern Cape province, with scattered records from Southern Namibia. It is most abundant on the stony plains of Bushmanland in the Northern Cape with outlying records from near Mariental, (central Namibia), Beaufort West (Western Cape) and Aberdeen (Eastern Cape).

It is both uncommon and local in occurence, especially in Namibia. It is currently listed as Near-threatened.

Habitat

Sclater’s Lark inhabits arid to semi-arid plains with low, sparse shrubs, grasses and extensive bare patches of gravel and stones. It is most closely associated with open areas of quartz pebbles or shale gravel.

Behaviour

Sclater’s Lark is an opportunistic and highly nomadic species, moving into areas after rain before nesting and then moving on. They are found in pairs when breeding and usually in small, dispersed flocks of up to 25 birds when not breeding.

Forages by walking with a slow, plodding gait on bare, open plains where there are few other birds. They are known to turn over small flat stones while foraging. Sclater’s Larks feed mostly on Harvester Ants (Messor spp.) and Harvester Termites (Hodotermes spp.) as well as a range of seeds picked off the ground.

Drinks frequently, particularly when breeding. They often drink with the eyes partially closed. Typically flies to water in small groups and the flight is fast and dipping, accompanied by intermittent calling.

Sclater’s Larks are well camouflaged and are often only seen when flushed. They usually fly quite far before settling. Roosts in a shallow depression in open gravel plains.

Sclater’s Larks are Monogamous, solitary nesters, but some nests may only be several meters apart.

The nest is a tidy cup composed of fine, grass leaves, stems and awns. The nest is built inside a hollow in the substrate which is excavated by both sexes using their feet. The nest sits flush with the edge of the hollow and small stones are often placed around it. The stones presumably help to disguise the nest from predators. Most nests are situated in completely exposed situations in bare stony patches, far from shrubs or grass tufts. The nest is always within 1km of a water source.

Nesting in the open conceals the nest from predators which mostly forage around the base of vegetation. However, nesting in the open can expose the eggs or chicks to intense heat, something to which the Sclater’s Lark is well adapted. The incubating parent will stand over the nest to shade it, normally facing into the breeze or towards the sun. The incubating bird may pant continuously and raise its feathers and half close the eyes to aid in cooling. The dense nest lining may also help to insulate eggs and small chicks from high ground temperatures.

Egg laying takes place mainly from August to November and breeding takes place during the driest time of the year. Very high ground temperatures from December to March likely prevent breeding during this period. Just one egg is laid per clutch and is incubated by both sexes.

Further Resources

Species text adapted from the first Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP1), 1997.

The use of photographs by Alan Collett, Etienne Marais, Pamela Ruth Kleiman and Zenobia van Dyk is acknowledged.

Virtual Museum (BirdPix > Search VM > By Scientific or Common Name).

Other common names: Namakwalewerik (Afrikaans); Alouette de Sclater (French); Sclaters Kurzhaubenlerche (German); Namagua-leeuwerik (Dutch); Cotovia de Sclater (Portuguese)

A list of bird species in this format is available here.

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2023. Sclater’s Lark (Spizocorys sclateri) Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at http://thebdi.org/2023/02/10/sclaters-lark-spizocorys-sclateri/

Bird identification, birding

Cover image: Black-eared Sparrow-lark by Alan Collett – Carnarvon District, Northern Cape – BirdPix No. 70664

Identification

The Black-eared Sparrow-lark is a small, compact lark with a conical grey-white beak. The species shows marked sexual dimorphism.

Adult males are unmistakable, being entirely black save for chestnut brown feathers on the back, wings and upper-tail. Pitch-black underwings render males very conspicuous in flight.

Females are pale brown above on the back and wings. The undersides are cream-coloured, with heavy but variable black streaks. The streaks are predominantly on the chest but may extend onto the belly. Lacks the dark belly patch of other sparrow-lark females. In flight shows distinctive black secondaries.

Immature birds resemble the females but are variably buff and white spotted above.

Status and Distribution

The Black-eared Sparrow-lark is endemic to Southern Africa. It occurs mainly in southern Namibia and the Northern Cape in South Africa. It is marginal in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State and its its presence in these provinces can be erratic.

It is most numerous in the central and upper Karoo of the Northern Cape.

Habitat

Occurs in arid, sparse shrublands and grassland, particularly on red soils. Favours sandy soil but is also found on poorly drained clays and stony substrates in the Karoo. The Black-eared Sparrow-lark is also present in the southern Kalahari.

Behaviour

Gregarious at all times, even when breeding and flocks usually number 5 to 10 birds. Flock sizes swell after breeding and can range from 50 to several hundred birds. Aggregates in large numbers in areas receiving good rainfall.

Forages in open places among shrubs and stones. Flies readily when disturbed, in typically bouncing erratic flight. Males perform a circular, butterfly-like display flight with exaggerated wingbeats and sometimes with dangling legs.

Collects food items off the ground or from the base of plants. The diet consists of various insects and a wide range of seeds. Favours grass seeds but also consumes the seeds of forbs and shrubs. Insect prey is known to include termites, beetles, ants and leaf-hoppers. Very seldom drinks and gets almost all its moisture requirement from the food it eats (Metabolic water).

The Black-eared Sparrow-lark is a monogamous, territorial and solitary nester, even though nests may only be a few meters apart. Breeding may take place at any time of the year and is linked to rainfall. They require at least 40 to 50mm of rainfall to stimulate widespread breeding.

The nest is a cup composed of fine grass leaves, panicles, feathery awns and rootlets. The nest is placed in an excavated hollow, usually in sandy substrate. The nest rim is normally slightly raised and decorated with the soil encrusted webs of Buckspoor Spiders (Seothyra spp.). The nest is usually situated at the base of a shrub or grass tuft and facing south or east for shade. The nest is built entirely by the female.

1 to 4 (normally 2 or 3) eggs are laid per clutch. Clutches are largest after heavy or follow-up rainfall. The eggs are white and finely speckled with pinkish-brown markings. The markings are often concentrated at the obtuse end. Incubation begins after all the eggs have been laid and is shared equally between the sexes.

The nestling period lasts just 7 to 10 days and parental duties are shared by both sexes. The young are fed exclusively on arthropods, particularly Harvester Termites, caterpillars and grasshoppers. The adults perform distraction displays when the eggs or young are threatened. The male will hover over the nest while alarm calling. Both sexes perform an injury-feigning display by flying towards an intruder with loud wing-beats, before dropping to the ground and fluttering away while giving distress calls.

Further Resources

Species text adapted from the first Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP1), 1997.

The use of photographs by Alan Collett, Gerald Wingate, Tino Herselman and Vaughan Jessnitz is acknowledged.

Virtual Museum (BirdPix > Search VM > By Scientific or Common Name).

Other common names: Swartoorlewerik (Afrikaans); Moinelette à oreillons noirs (French); Schwarzwangenlerche (German); Cotovia-pardal-preta (Portuguese)

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2023. Black-eared Sparrow-lark (Eremopterix australis) Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available Online at http://thebdi.org/2023/02/04/black-eared-sparrow-lark-eremopterix-australis/

Bird identification, birding