Hartlaub's Bustard

Hartlaub's Bustard

Lissotis hartlaubii

Silhouette: Kai Caspar · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Amboseli National Park

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

80 Verified sightings at Amboseli National Park From 2019 to 2026
520 In all 10 parks
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Hartlaub's Bustard

Hartlaub's bustard (Lissotis hartlaubii) is a species of bird in the family Otididae. It is a medium-sized bustard with a long, thick neck, and long legs. It is found in open, tall grassland, range from 1,600 to 2,000 metres (5,250 to 6,560 ft) in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The common name and Latin binomial commemorate the German physician and ornithologist Gustav Hartlaub. They initially classified under the genus Eupodotis in 1839, a subsequent genetic study revealed that the genus Lissotis represents a distinct, long-standing lineage, separate from Eupodotis, emerging during the evolutionary diversification of bustards at the generic level.

A mature Hartlaub's bustard is about 60 centimetres (24 in), recorded weights range from 1,500–1,600 g (3.3–3.5 lb). They are indistinguishable from a far distance, as they are similar to L. melanogaster. The male Hartlaub's bustard has a grayish coloration with a more distinct black stripe on its face, as well as a black stripe running down its neck that connects to its black belly. They have a small head set on a long neck, and a bulky body with large legs. The female is similar in appearance to... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
2 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
3 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
4 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
5 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
6 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
7 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
8 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
9 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
10 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Hartlaub's Bustard in Amboseli National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hartlaub's Bustard sighting in Amboseli National Park on a given day, based on 80 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 177th most-seen of the 362 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Hartlaub's Bustard in Amboseli National Park?

June and September–January

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hartlaub's Bustard in Amboseli National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–May and July–August, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Hartlaub's Bustard?

Between 3 and 6 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hartlaub's Bustard sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Amboseli National Park the best place to see a Hartlaub's Bustard?

4th of 10

Of the 10 parks where we can rate Hartlaub's Bustard sightings, Amboseli National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Meru National Park (Kenya, about 20%), Mkomazi National Park (Tanzania, about 10%) and Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Hartlaub's Bustard live in Amboseli National Park?

Same family: Otididae

The closest relatives of the Hartlaub's Bustard that you can see in Amboseli National Park (family Otididae, Bustards) are Kori Bustard (about 40%), White-bellied Bustard (about 30%) and Buff-Crested Bustard (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Hartlaub's Bustard sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Hartlaub's Bustard is recorded against all the birds logged in Amboseli National Park (80 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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