Abstract
The kori bustard (Ardeotis kori struthiunculus) is indigenous
to grasslands and lightly wooded savannahs of southern
and eastern Africa. The species is categorized as near
threatened in its entire range due to anthropogenic factors
and low reproductive rates. The aim of this study was to
analyse the impact of grass colour, grass height, season
and location on the density/occurrence of this bird species
in the Serengeti grass plains, Tanzania. Data were collected
from January 2014 to June 2015 using transect counts in
four seasons: (i) short dry, (ii) long rain, (iii) long dry and
(iv) short rain seasons, respectively. The mean density of
kori bustard in the grass plains was 0.25 1.01 per 0.2
km2 with near-significant differences among the study
sites. The occurrence of kori bustard was high in the
medium height (11–30 cm) during the long rain and short
dry seasons. The kori bustard density is relatively low, and
the distribution varies with grass height and season. We
suggest that conservation efforts should be directed at
preventing its local extinction by protecting the habitat
from excessive human activities, such as livestock grazing
and illegal offtake.