[1] It prefers semi-arid habitats such as grasslands, shrublands and savannas where it can easily prey on ground-dwelling arthropods and eat seeds.

[5] Numbers have declined rapidly as much of its habitat has been converted to agricultural land and remaining tracts are often fragmented.

[1] The southern black korhaan was one of the many bird species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in the 1758 10th edition of his Systema Naturae, where it was given the binomial name of Otis afra.

[8] "Southern black korhaan" has been designated as the official common name for the species by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC).

[11] The female, in contrast, has the whole of her head, neck and breast the same colour as her body, which is checkered brown and white.

[1] It prefers open, semi-arid habitats such as shrub-lands and savannahs where it can easily prey on grass-dwelling arthropods, also grasslands adjoining marshland.

[11] The southern black korhaan is a polygynous species, which means males mate with multiple females.

[17] The southern black korhaan will also ingest grit and other small rocks to help in digestion by assisting the grinding process in the gizzard.

[4] Recent studies have shown that the southern black korhaan's population has been decreasing lately, which has raised concerns about its conservation status.

[6] Indeed, agricultural lands do not provide sufficient plant cover to protect them from predators such as the Pied Crow.