Africa's Red-Crested Bustard - Romantic Stuntman
The Red-Crested Bustard or Korhaan is a master of understatement most of the time. This ground-dwelling bird seems almost invisible, blending perfectly into the dry grasses and scrub of the African savanna. Its intricate and exquisite brown plumage is nature’s camouflage at its finest, making it easy to walk right past one without ever knowing it is there.
When we saw this chicken-sized bird, the back feathers were mesmerizing, like a quill full of magic darts. Sadly we did not witness its bizarre mating rituals. To impress his intended, the male will jettison straight up from the ground 30-50 feet. At the apogee of his flight, the bird will do his suicide move, cocking his feathers like a Star Wars fighter jet and plummeting to the ground.
Sadly, the females who are the target of this crazy stunt, are as indifferent as ingenues at a frat party. When a female is receptive however, the male raises a hidden red crest and romps around her, making a sound like he’s snapping his fingers in time with his cringe dance moves. The effect is more 50s musical than romantically impressive, but the result is effective (NSFW - watch if you can with sound on).
The Red-Crested Bustard has perfected the art of trying way too hard, hoping sheer persistence and absurdity will somehow be attractive.
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