Kori bustards (Ardeotis kori) are native to southern Africa, where they can be found on grassy savannas foraging for insects, small mammals, snakes and seeds. With an average male weight of 30 pounds, they’re the largest flying bird in the world, though because of their size they spend much of their time on the ground.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources has classified the kori bustard as a “near threatened” species, noting that the bird was undergoing a somewhat rapid population decline due to increased collisions with power lines, hunting and habitat degradation. One reason for the decline of kori bustard populations is increased hunting to obtain their feathers. Salmon fly fishers, in particular, seek these feathers because their physical characteristics are so well-suited for use in fishing lures. In fact, demand for the feathers skyrocketed to the point where a single feather was being sold for $500.
In response to the demand for kori bustard feathers, in 2005 the Kori Bustard Species Survial Plan (SSP) launched the Kori Bustard Molted Feather Project with fly fishing enthusiast John McLain. Under the program, participating zoos-- including Zoo New England-- gather their molted kori bustard feathers and send them to McLain, who fills customer orders at his website. McClain encourages recipients of the feathers to donate to the non-profit Friends of the Kori Bustard SSP, which was created as part of the project to raise funds for kori bustard research and conservation.
