Black-bellied Bustard

The black-bellied bustard (Lissotis melanogaster) is a medium-sized African bustard of tall grassland and open savanna. Both sexes are around 60 cm long, but males are substantially heavier: females average roughly 1.4 kg, while males commonly weigh about 1.8–2.7 kg. Adult males have a striking black throat, breast and belly, together with boldly patterned black-and-white head markings. Females are much more cryptically coloured, with buff-brown patterned plumage and pale underparts.

The species is similar to Hartlaub's bustard (Lissotis hartlaubii), especially in East Africa. Hartlaub's is generally greyer and differs in its head, neck and rump pattern. Two subspecies are recognised: the nominate L. m. melanogaster across most of the range and L. m. notophila in southeastern Africa from Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique towards South Africa.

Black-bellied bustards favour open grassland and lightly wooded savanna, particularly where grasses are tall enough to provide cover but the vegetation is not so dense that movement is restricted. They also use seasonally wet grassland and other open habitats with scattered shrubs or trees.

Birds may appear in recently burnt or grazed areas once fresh growth and insects become abundant, but they generally avoid both extensive bare short grass and dense woodland. A mosaic of cover and more open feeding areas is therefore especially suitable.

The diet is opportunistic. Insects and other invertebrates are important, especially grasshoppers, beetles, termites and caterpillars, while seeds and other plant material are also eaten. Small frogs, lizards and other vertebrate prey may be taken when encountered.

Black-bellied bustards forage by walking slowly and deliberately through vegetation, stopping frequently to inspect the ground before pecking or making a short rush at prey. This allows them to find both conspicuous insects and smaller food items hidden among grass stems.

Breeding timing varies strongly across the range, with local peaks often following periods of rainfall and fresh vegetation growth.

Males are polygynous, meaning that one male may mate with several females. The courtship display is exceptionally conspicuous. The male stretches his neck and gives a frog-like croak before retracting the head toward the shoulders; a growl follows, ending in the characteristic pop as the head rises again. The sound carries over a long distance and has given the species the informal name “champagne bird”. When approaching a female, the male may hold the tail raised. Males may repeat the display from favoured grassland patches and also perform an aerial display that prominently exposes the inflated throat.

After mating the male takes no part in nesting or parental care. The female lays one or two eggs in a shallow scrape on the ground, often beside a grass tussock or low shrub where her cryptic plumage provides cover. She incubates and later tends the well-developed chicks alone. The chicks can leave the nest area soon after hatching but remain dependent on the female for protection and guidance.

Precise incubation and fledging periods remain poorly documented in wild populations.

The black-bellied bustard is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List. It remains widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, but the global population trend is considered decreasing.

In South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, the species was also classified as least concern regionally in 2025. Local populations can nevertheless be reduced by loss and intensive use of grassland, disturbance and hunting. The species depends on open savanna and grassland that still provide sufficient vegetation cover.