Zoo receives prestigious award

The National Zoo’s kori bustard (Ardeotis kori) team received the prestigious Edward H. Bean Award Sept. 15 from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums for its work on the long-term propagation, breeding and management of kori bustards. This award recognizes institutions that contribute to the reproductive success of one or more species or subspecies.

“Wildlife conservation requires leadership, collaboration, expertise and patience,” said Dennis Kelly, director of the National Zoo. “Here in the nation’s capital, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is one of the world’s leaders in breeding and caring for kori bustards. I am proud that our dedication to science and public education is making such a significant contribution to the local and international conservation of these birds.”

The kori bustard is the heaviest of the world's flying birds and the largest of 25 species of bustard. (Photo by Jessie Cohen)

Kori bustards are large, terrestrial birds native to the eastern and southern regions of Africa. Their numbers have rapidly declined in the wild due to habitat destruction, hunting and slow reproduction rate. Kori bustards eat a variety of food, including insects, lizards, leaves, seeds, flowers and gum, a protein-rich sap that oozes from acacia trees.

Sara Hallager, Zoo biologist and head of the AZA’s Species Survival Plan for kori bustards, leads the Zoo’s kori bustard team, which has been strengthening partnerships and expanding its efforts to conserve the world’s heaviest flying bird.

The Zoo has been breeding kori bustards consistently since 1997 when it became the fourth zoo in the world to hatch them. Since then, it has hatched almost 50 kori bustard chicks—more than any other AZA facility. Nearly all of these offspring were transferred to other facilities in North America, where reproduction has subsequently occurred.

In addition to their work at the Zoo’s Rock Creek and Front Royal campuses, the kori bustard team is actively involved in field work in Africa. It is leading the way in researching the biology and ecology of the kori bustard as populations continue to decline in the wild.

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