Neotis ludwigii
Silhouette: Kai Caspar · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Ludwig's bustard (Neotis ludwigii) is a species of bird in the bustard family, and named after Baron von Ludwig. It is a medium-to-large sized species. The Ludwig's bustard can weigh from 3 to 7.3 kg (6.6 to 16.1 lb), with a mean of 6.3 kg (14 lb) for the much larger male and 3.4 kg (7.5 lb) for the female. Length ranges from 76 to 85 cm (30 to 33 in) in females and 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 in) in males.
The bird's face and front neck are coloured grey-brown while the back of the neck and face is white. The nape of the neck is coloured a dull orange. Females and juveniles vary from the male adults by their smaller size and slightly lighter coloured front neck and face.
The Ludwig's bustard is frequently confused with Stanley's bustard (more commonly known as the Denham's bustard), Neotis denhami. The Denham's bustard, however, has a paler grey on its face and front neck, a browner nape, and is also marked with unique crown stripes of black and white on its head.
Ludwig's bustard is a member of the Otididae family, which comprises the bustards. General bustard characteristics include short, stout bills; camouflaged bodies; and dwelling in savannas and grasslands... Wikipedia →
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South Africa · 2022
© Lynette Rudman · XC758156 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 4 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Ludwig's Bustard sighting in Etosha National Park on a given day, based on 58 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 156th most-seen of the 260 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August–September and December–January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ludwig's Bustard in Etosha National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–July and October–November, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ludwig's Bustard sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Ludwig's Bustard sightings, Etosha National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Namib-Naukluft National Park (Namibia, about 10%) and Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Otididae
The closest relatives of the Ludwig's Bustard that you can see in Etosha National Park (family Otididae, Bustards) are Kori Bustard (about 60%), White-Quilled Bustard (about 60%) and Crested Bustard (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ludwig's Bustard is recorded against all the birds logged in Etosha National Park (58 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.
