Although kori bustards are a common sight at Sentinel Ranch, their breeding sites are not.

The Bekkens family, visitors to Sentinel last weekend, were privileged to find an active kori bustard scrape in a rocky outcrop when the parent bird alighted from the nest in fright as they stepped down from their Land Rover some meters in front of it to get a better view of the landscape from a rocky ridge.  Sensitive to the bird's plight, they quickly photographed the scrape that contained two eggs, and withdrew so the bird could return to its clutch.  It was only on inspection of the photos later that it was noticed that one of the eggs is cracked.

The group returned to the site a few days later and carefully approached the nest without disturbing the bird to take the attached photos of the adult hunkering down, mimicking the rocks around it, in order not to be noticed.  Our thanks to Renee Bekkens for allowing us to use her photographs on this site.

Roberts Birds of Southern Africa tells us that kori bustards have been largely exterminated from much of their former range, and list its status as "rare to uncommon resident".  Clutches usually consist of two eggs, but sometimes only one.  Their meat was considered a great delicacy in times of yore, and they are now protected in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Incubation and fledgling times have never been recorded!