Black-bellied Bustard (Lissotis melanogaster melanogaster) - 12 July 2013. Serengeti National Park, Shinyanga Region, Tanzania.

This is a male. Females lack the black belly. This species is similar to Hartlaub's Bustard (L. hartlaubii) but is smaller with a less contrasting face pattern. Black-bellied is partial to tall grass making it hard to see. It is said to be declining because of conversion of grassland to agriculture and hunting. This is the only one I saw. Some authors (e.g. Birdlife) include it in the genus Eupodotis following Sibley & Monroe. This is the smaller nominate race. The larger L. m. notophila replaces it in SE Africa.

Nikon P510 Coolpix Point-and-shoot
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