The pale crown stripe, throat and pale grey foreneck are diagnostic in male. The similar Ludwig's Bustard has a dark throat and foreneck, and has less white in the wing.
Male is considerably larger than female, with a darker, plainer back. Displaying male inflates the throat and forms a conspicuous \ balloon of white feathers. Juvenile and female have less white on the wings and have brown specklings on the neck.
Recently burnt fynbos, open grassland and agricultural land.
Largely silent.