White-Quilled Bustard

White-Quilled Bustard

Afrotis afraoides

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Moremi Game Reserve

In 3 days <5%

8 Verified sightings at Moremi Game Reserve From 2019 to 2026
1,867 In all 4 parks
March Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the White-Quilled Bustard

The northern black korhaan (Afrotis afraoides), also known as the white-quilled bustard, is a species of bird in the bustard family, Otididae. It is widely distributed across Southern Africa. Its habitat is primarily open grassland and scrub.

The northern black korhaan was first described in 1831 by the Scottish surgeon, explorer and zoologist Andrew Smith, who gave it the specific name "afraoides". He placed it in the genus Eupodotis, where it was one of two species, the other being the southern black korhaan (Eupodotis afra). Then in 2014, del Hoyo and Collar transferred both species to the genus Afrotis.

The male's plumage has regularly-arranged black and white barring on the back and wings, the head, neck and underparts being black. The female has the head, neck, breast and upper parts barred or chequered in black and buff, the belly being black. The primary feathers are largely white, which distinguishes this species from the southern black korhaan where they are black. Both the female and the male... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:06

South Africa · 2025

© janet_taylor · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:09

South Africa · 2025

© Luke Goddard · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:19

Namibia · 2025

© Nick Helme · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~60%
2 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
3 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
~10%
4 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a White-Quilled Bustard in Moremi Game Reserve?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-Quilled Bustard sighting in Moremi Game Reserve on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 314th most-seen of the 334 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a White-Quilled Bustard in Moremi Game Reserve?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-Quilled Bustard in Moremi Game Reserve on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a White-Quilled Bustard?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-Quilled Bustard sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Moremi Game Reserve the best place to see a White-Quilled Bustard?

4th of 4

Of the 4 parks where we can rate White-Quilled Bustard sightings, Moremi Game Reserve ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 60%), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South Africa, about 30%) and Chobe National Park (Botswana, about 10%).

Which relatives of the White-Quilled Bustard live in Moremi Game Reserve?

Same family: Otididae

The closest relatives of the White-Quilled Bustard that you can see in Moremi Game Reserve (family Otididae, Bustards) are Crested Bustard (about 10%), Kori Bustard (about 10%) and Black-bellied Bustard (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the White-Quilled Bustard sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the White-Quilled Bustard is recorded against all the birds logged in Moremi Game Reserve (8 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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