Bustard
Bustards are a family of medium to large birds known for their long necks and legs, which primarily inhabit grasslands and dry plains. There are 27 recognized species, with sizes ranging from the little brown bustard, weighing just over a pound, to the kori and great bustards, which can weigh up to 45 pounds. Their plumage features a variety of colors, including gray, chestnut red, and black, providing effective camouflage in their natural habitats. Bustards are generally ground-nesters and exhibit varying social behaviors; some species are monogamous while others are polygamous, with males often engaging in elaborate courtship displays.
Their omnivorous diet consists of a range of plant materials and small animals, and they are known to adaptively forage near areas affected by grass fires. Bustards face numerous threats, including habitat destruction and predation, which complicates their study and conservation. Only females incubate the eggs, which typically number one or two, and they care for the chicks until they are several months old. As these birds are alert and nervous, they tend to flee from danger, making them difficult to observe in the wild.
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Bustard
All but two of the 27 species of bustards are long-necked and long-legged birds with heavy bodies that nest on the ground in grasslands and dry plains. Despite their large size, they can fly but move best when running on the ground. They are challenging to study for several reasons, but scientists know that the species vary in habit.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Otididae
Bustards are medium to large birds which range in size. At just over one pound (600 grams), the little brown bustard (Heterotetrax humilis) is the smallest of the Otididae family. The kori bustard (Ardeotis kori) and the great bustard (Otis tarda) are the largest bustards, weighing up to 45 pounds (20 kilograms). Bustards' heads and long necks have gray, chestnut red, black, white, and tan plumage (feathering) in camouflage patterns. Smaller species have rapid wingbeats, while the larger species fly quickly with slow wingbeats. All bustards walk and run quickly on the ground. They appear alert and nervous and run to hide when threatened. Mammals like foxes prey on bustards, and crows eat their eggs. Another threat is the destruction of grassland and plains habitats through farming and fertilizers and herbicides use. Although some farmers appreciate the bustards' eating crop pests, other people shoot certain species.
Bustards live mainly in the grasslands and dry plains regions of Africa. They also live in southern Europe, the Middle East, southern Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Kampuchea, Australia, and New Guinea. In these places, they eat an omnivorous diet, including plants and animals. Bustards eat shoots, flowers, seeds, and fruit. Some also leap to pluck berries from bushes, and larger species may eat the gum from acacia trees. Invertebrates (animals without skeletons) such as beetles, grasshoppers, and crickets are also popular menu items. They may also eat small reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and the eggs and nesting young of other ground-nesting birds. Usually, they find their food on the ground or plants, chase it, and pounce on it. Other species dig food from the ground with their strong bills. When a grass or brush fire burns, bustards are often near the forward-moving edge of the fire where they catch prey escaping from the flames. Bustards have strong gizzards with enough grit to grind and digest their tough food.
Bustard species vary in their social habits. They may or may not be territorial. Bustards may be sociable and live in flocks, or they may live alone but gather in small groups occasionally. Some bustard species are monogamous, which means one male and female mate only with each other in a season. Other species are polygamous, which means a male mates with more than one female during mating season. Several males gather in the same area but stay 2,300 feet (700 meters) apart. In areas called lekking grounds, males perform fancy courtship displays to attract females. Most of the time, females lay one or two eggs, but some smaller species lay up to six. The eggs are olive, olive brown, or reddish. The smallest eggs are those of the little bustards, which weigh 1 1/2 ounces (40 grams). Great bustards lay eggs weighing just over five ounces (145 grams). Only females incubate the eggs, keeping them warm until they hatch 20 to 25 days later. The young can soon leave the shallow, bar nest on the ground, but their mothers feed them until they are several months to one year old. If the young are not eaten, and their habitat is not destroyed, they may live many years, but how long is unknown.
Bustards are difficult to study because they are nervous and run to hide at the first sign of danger. Once hiding, their plumage camouflages them well. They will also leave their nests if they are frightened. Another difficulty is that they are slow to breed and have chicks.
Some of the bustard species are:
Arabian bustard Ardeotis arabs
Australian bustard Ardeotis australis
Bengal florican Houbaropsis benegalensis
Black-bellied bustard Eupodotis melanogaster
Blue bustard Eupodotis cearulescens
Denham's bustard Neotis denhami
Great bustard Otis tarda
Great Indian bustard Ardeotis nigriceps
Houbara Clamydotis undulate
Kori bustard Ardeotis kori
Lesser florican Sypheotides indica
Little brown bustard Eupodotis humilis
Little bustard Tetrax tetrax
Nubian bustard Neotis nuba
Red-crested bustard Eupodotis ruficrista
White-bellied bustard Eupodotis senegalensis
Bibliography
Bible, Jill. "Ardeotis Kori." Animal Diversity Web, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ardeotis‗kori. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.
Collar, Nigel. "Buff-crested Bustard (Lophotis gindiana)." Birds of the World, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 24 Oct. 2023. doi.org/10.2173/bow.bucbus1.01.1. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.
"What are bustards?" Eurasian Bustard Alliance, eurasianbustardalliance.org/bustards. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.