Bustard bird. Description, features, species, lifestyle and habitat of the bustard

Appearance

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Bustard in profile - photo

Birds of this species have an extraordinary appearance. The voluminous, wide body with a convex chest rests on long, thick, three-toed legs. The short neck, slightly tilted back, is crowned by a small head compared to the body. The forehead smoothly flows into a long, large beak. The plumage of bustards is variegated, the color palette consists of red, brown, light gray and black colors. The head, neck, belly and legs have the same shade. The back, wings and tail are covered with small brown-black ripples. Long, stiff white feathers grow at the base of the beak - a distinctive feature of bustards. Powerful, unfeathered legs are adapted for rapid movement on horizontal surfaces. The tail is long, densely feathered, rounded at the end.

What does a bustard look like?

The appearance of the birds is quite ordinary. Their wide body and large chest are supported by three-toed legs, covered with scales and adapted for long walking. The short neck is supported by a small head. The forehead area smoothly transitions into a massive beak. Birds have bright plumage of red or black with light splashes. Almost all parts of their body are painted the same color. Sometimes there are brown specks on the feathers. There are white feather feathers next to the beak - this is a unique feature of birds.

Sexual dimorphism is expressed in the size and color of plumage. So, the male is much larger and more elegant than the female. In males, the body has a circumference of one meter. They weigh from 7 to 16 kilograms and have a long body. In turn, the maximum weight of a female is 8 kg.

How are females different from males?

Bustards of different sexes differ from each other in feather size and color. Adult males are twice the size of representatives of the opposite sex. Females are not as elegant as males.

Male

Bustard male
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Representatives of the stronger sex are very large birds. The body circumference is more than a meter. Males weigh between 7-16 kilograms, and their body length reaches 100-105 centimeters. The wingspan is more than two meters.

For most of the year, male bustards have the same plumage as females - the upper part is reddish-buff with black transverse stripes, and the underparts are light gray or white. In spring, the bird develops a brick-colored “collar” and long, thread-like “whiskers” of white color. The primary wings are brown, the secondary wings are brown with an admixture of white. This color lasts until the end of summer.

Female

Female bustard photo
Females weigh 4-8 kilograms. Body length is 75-80 centimeters, wingspan is 150-190 centimeters.

Females retain their feather color throughout the year. They, like males outside the nesting period, have mottled upperparts and almost white underparts. The eyes are black, the beak is light gray. The bare legs are grayish-green.

Kinds

Bustards live on different continents and differ in size, color, and feeding characteristics. In total, there are 26 species comprising 11 genera.

Among the prominent representatives of large birds:

Bustard Kori

• The Kori bustard is an inhabitant of African savannas and sandy semi-deserts. Gray-brown plumage color. They lead a sedentary life and move little. The largest flying bird in Africa. Males weigh up to 120 kg. They live in groups of 5-7 individuals;
• Indian bustard - inhabits open spaces, fields, wastelands. The height of the bird is up to 1 meter, the weight of the individual is approximately 18 kg. He walks majestically, every step is leisurely and careful. Poaching almost caused the complete extermination of birds. Are under state protection.

Indian Bustard

Great Bustards are endemic to Africa. to say for sure what the smallest bustard bird is called . All individuals of 5 medium-sized species weigh 1-2 kg. Famous little bustards are:

Black-throated Bustard

• Black-throated is a noisy bird with variable plumage color. Reddish-gray shades change the intensity of pigmentation. The length of the birds is 50-60 cm. They live in dry rocky deserts with sparse shrub vegetation;
• Senegalese - individuals are reddish-red in color with a streaky pattern. The difference between the male is the blue tint of the plumage on the throat. The average weight of an individual is 1.5 kg. Inhabitants of African savannas.

Senegalese Bustard

On the territory of Russia and the post-Soviet space there are 3 types of bustards:

Bustard Jack or Beauty

• jack (bustard). The peculiarity of medium-sized birds is their zigzag running. Large eyes with bright irises attract attention. During the mating period, males take bizarre poses, raising their crest, black and white collar on their neck, and tail;
• little bustard is the size of a bird about a hen or black grouse. Reddish color with dark streaks. On the neck, a collar of black and white stripes is the main decoration of the birds. The name reflects the sounds the wings make in flight. Noise during takeoff, fluttering in the wind, shaking, uneven movement;
• The bustard is a very large bird, weighing up to 16 kg. Lives in steppe regions. Thick neck, strong legs, red and white plumage with dark streaks in color.

Male little bustard performs a mating dance

Spreading

The photo shows the habitat of the bustard.
The nesting area of ​​the bustard is extensive. Scattered outbreaks are found in Northern Europe (Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria), North-West Africa (Morocco), the Middle East (Turkey, Iran), China, and the southern regions of Russia. Tiny populations of birds live in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the Amur region, and the Black Sea region.

Where do bustards live?

Bustard in the grass in spring photo
Bustard is a bird of the steppes. The bustard prefers to settle on open tall grass plains, where feather grass and fescue grow. The bustard avoids mountainous and hilly areas and heavily moist lowlands. Prefers cereal steppes and open forage meadows. Settles along river valleys and forest lakes.

Rare bustard birds are of great interest to zoos, nurseries and private collectors of rare bird species.

In zoos and nurseries in many Russian cities (Moscow, Saratov, Penza, etc.) several individuals are kept for the purpose of reproduction. It is difficult to obtain offspring from captive birds, since in order to mate, bustards need to perform the necessary mating rituals, which are practically impossible to implement in an aviary. Even if you get fertilized eggs, difficulties arise with feeding the young. During the first week of life, chicks have to be fed with tweezers, which significantly complicates the feeding process and significantly slows down the development of the birds. In general, adult bustards feel comfortable in captivity. They willingly make contact with people, although when communicating with them, sudden movements and loud speech should not be allowed. Birds are very shy and experience prolonged stress from every excitement.

Bustard habitat

Bustard is a steppe bird. She prefers to settle on flat open plains covered with tall grass: cereals, feather grass, fescue. It is desirable to avoid steep hills, ravines, gullies, rocky areas, waterlogged lowlands, and copses. Such places are clearly visible, and bustards can notice the approach of danger in advance.

Initially, bustards nested in the northern meadow steppes, but currently they can occupy the southern and mountain steppes. Since bustards need a lot of water, they choose places near forest lakes and along river valleys. Bustards also settle on pastures and agricultural lands: there are cases when bustards make nests among crops of grain, sunflowers and other tall crops.

What does a bustard eat?

Bustards look for food in the grass.
Bustards have a mixed diet. The diet includes cereals, forbs, and large insects that live in the ground. Birds happily eat grasshoppers, Colorado potato beetles, locusts, and mole crickets. In the spring, they feast on their larvae and eggs. In the pre-dawn hours, bustards hunt small rodents (mice, ferrets), frogs and lizards. In hungry years, they do not hesitate to eat weakened, wounded relatives.

Bustard rare photo close up

In winter, when living creatures go deep underground, the basis of the bustard diet is vegetation. Bustards feed on seeds and shoots of various plants, buds and fruits. Plants of the legume, cabbage, and aster families are chosen for food. The gastrointestinal tract of the bird is poorly developed and does not accept the ingestion of coarse, fibrous feed, such as beets. From such food the bird suffers from intestinal volvulus and dies.

Bustards drink a lot and often. After each meal, they need to relieve their thirst at a watering hole. Birds are selective about water quality. The water should be clean, fresh and cool. In winter they eat snow.

What does the bustard eat?

The bustard is an omnivorous bird. She can eat both plant and animal food. Which food will predominate in the bustard’s diet depends on the bird’s habitat, its age, gender, time of year, and availability of food. Among plant foods, the bustard eats grass shoots, buds, leaves of herbaceous plants, inflorescences, seeds, and fruits.

The predominant plants in bird food are:

• cereals, legumes, cabbage, cruciferous vegetables;
• tansy, clover, thistle;
• dandelions, peas, alfalfa, rapeseed, sow thistle, kulbaba;
• plantain, salsify, turnip, mustard, fescue, goat grass.

Sometimes it can eat the roots of herbs: poultry grass, creeping wheatgrass, wild onion and garlic. The bustard's digestive system is not adapted for coarse, fibrous food. Therefore, if there is not enough regular food for her, and she is forced to eat rough food, this can lead to intestinal volvulus and the bird may die.

The basis of the bustard's animal food consists of:

• large insects living on the ground: grasshoppers, cicadas, locusts, crickets, beetles, leaf beetles, mole crickets, weevils, ground beetles, darkling beetles;
• insect eggs and larvae, butterfly caterpillars;
• earthworms, snails, earwigs;
• small mammals: mice, ferrets, lemmings;
• small amphibians: frogs;
• small reptiles: lizards;
• bird chicks: skylarks, corncrakes.

Bustards peck food from the surface of the ground; they do not dig up the soil with their feet and do not stir up the grass with their beaks. To improve digestive processes, the bustard sometimes swallows small pebbles, which help grind food in the stomach. The bustard prefers to feed in the pre-dawn hours and in the afternoon, when the heat subsides. During the day she rests in a secluded place in the shade. An adult bird eats twice a day, and at each meal it eats about 100 g of food.

Bustards need to drink a lot and often. After eating, she always looks for a body of water to quench her thirst. She prefers fresh, clean, cool water, most often spring water. In winter, the bustard gets water by eating snow. In summer, most of the bustard's diet consists of animal food. In winter, when animals hide underground, the bustard eats mainly plant foods.

What do chicks eat?

Adult birds feed the growing chicks insects. Small chicks, who cannot fly, get water from dew and from food. When they grow up, they go with adult birds to watering places.

Lifespan

Bustard preening its feathers
Bustards live up to 20 years. Males have a lower life expectancy than females. This is due to a large number of matings in a short period of time, as a result of which the male’s body cannot withstand such heavy loads. Chicks die due to the destruction of nests by predators and during the cultivation of fields with agricultural machinery.

Origin of the species and description

Photo: Bustard

The bustard is a member of the bustard family and the only member of the genus Otis. It is one of the heaviest living birds capable of flight and is found throughout Europe. Huge, robust, but majestic-looking adult males have a bulbous neck and heavy chest with a characteristic upturned tail.

The breeding plumage of males includes white whiskers 20 cm long, and their back and tail become more colorful. On the chest and lower part of the neck they have a stripe of feathers that are colored red and become brighter and wider with age. These birds walk upright and fly with powerful and regular wing beats.

Video: Bustard

There are 11 genera and 25 species in the Bustard family. The kori bustard is one of 4 species in the genus Ardeotis, which also contains the Arabian bustard, A. arabs, the great Indian bustard A. nigriceps and the Australian bustard A. australis. The Gruiformes lineage contains many relatives of the bustard, including trumpeters and cranes.

There are about 23 species of bustards, native to Africa, southern Europe, Asia, Australia and parts of New Guinea. The bustard has rather long legs adapted for running. They only have three fingers and are missing a back finger. The body is compact, held in a fairly horizontal position, and the neck stands erect, in front of the legs, like other tall running birds.

Why was it called that?

Bustard runs
The word “bustard” is borrowed from the Proto-Slavic dictionary and goes back to the word “dropъty”, which in turn is formed from two words that mean “to run quickly” and “bird”. Because of the bustard's ability to run quickly, such a symbolic name was invented.

The steppe bird, the bustard, is popularly called the “whistlewing”, “laughing bird”, “shaker”. The names are associated with the habits of the bustard: during takeoff, the bird makes dull, drawn-out sounds, and while walking, slightly shakes its head.

Flight of the Bustard

The bustard is a large, heavy bird, its movements are smooth, unhurried, and measured. It is difficult for her to take off, so in order to get into the air, she needs to run. She runs thirty meters against the wind and, making one powerful flap of her wings, takes off from the ground. It gains height gradually, making rare powerful flaps of its wings.

It flies quite heavily, like a goose, does not gain much altitude, and tries to stay closer to the ground. Despite the apparent slowness, the bustard in flight is capable of reaching speeds of up to 50 km/h, making deep, measured strokes. During the flight, the bustard extends its neck and head, and picks up its legs, which do not extend beyond the edge of the tail.

When bustards carry out binding

In spring, birds arrive as soon as it starts to warm up and thawed patches appear. Bustards fly in small flocks of 5-7 heads, sometimes in pairs; they rarely fly alone. In the fall, they prepare to migrate in October-November, again gathering in small groups and flying through the air only during the day.

Why was it called that?

The name “bustard” comes from the Old Church Slavonic language from the word “dropъty”. It is formed by two words, meaning “bird” and “to run fast.” That is, this word was used to describe a bird capable of running very fast. Also in the name lies the peculiarity of the bustard - to run away from danger, and not to fly away. In common parlance there are other names for this bird: dudak, spoonbill, hohotva, whistlewing, shaker. These names come from other habits of the bustard: it shakes its head slightly when walking and makes dull whistling sounds when taking off.

Lifestyle

A bustard flies over the steppe.
To keep its heavy body in the air, the bird has to make deep flaps of its wings. The flight of the bustard is smooth, measured, but at the same time fast. To take off, a heavy bird needs a run. The bustard runs 30 meters against the wind, and then, with one strong flap of its wings, takes off.

Gray bustard in the steppe

Despite the fact that bustards fly well, they still prefer a terrestrial lifestyle. When walking, the bird's neck is extended, its head looks forward. The bustard's steps are measured and lazy. Unlike the crane's closest relative, the bustard does not dig up the ground in search of food, but collects it from the surface of the ground. It catches mammals with one strong blow of its beak. It swallows prey whole. For better digestion, the bustard swallows small pebbles, which help grind and digest food. If danger looms over the bird, it can hide in tall grass or run away to a safe distance. Bustards are active during the daytime. In the cool morning and evening hours they feed and during the day they rest in dense bushes.

Bustards are solitary by nature. During the warm season, they rarely gather in groups, preferring to rest and feed alone. In the autumn-winter period, in order to migrate, birds gather in small colonies consisting of same-sex birds. A group of bustards flies separately, at different heights.

Bustard with a bird on its back

Bustards lead a sedentary lifestyle; only in the northern regions are there a few colonies of birds migrating to the southern regions for the winter. Numerous studies have shown that bustards are adaptive birds that quickly adapt to the characteristics of a particular region. However, due to the lack of a special sebaceous secretion, the feathers of birds quickly become wet from rain and snow, which quickly freezes the body, making it difficult for the bird to move, much less fly. They are also forced to migrate by the lack of food, which remains under the thick snow.

Migratory birds, bustards, return to their nesting grounds in early spring. They return home in small flocks of 3-6 birds, moving only during the day. At the end of April, birds gather at lekking areas - open areas where the marriage ceremony and mating take place.

Bustard bird: description

The bustard is also known as the dudak and represents the Bustard family, as well as the Crane-like order. It is considered one of the heaviest birds that can fly. Males reach turkey size and weigh almost 2 times more than females. Adult birds weigh from 7 to 16 kilograms with a body length of more than 1 meter. Females, as mentioned above, weigh 2 times less, from 4 to 8 kilograms, and their body length is no more than 0.8 meters.

There are 2 subspecies of these birds:

• European Bustard.
• East Siberian Bustard.

Interesting facts about the Bustard bird (With photos and videos)

Appearance

The bustard is a very massive bird, characterized by an expanded chest, as well as a thick neck. This unique bird is distinguished not only by its impressive size, but also by its unique color, as well as strong limbs on which feathers do not grow. This is evidence that the bird is more adapted to moving on land.

The color of the bird is quite variegated and includes red, black, white and gray shades. The belly area, chest, undertail, and the underside of the wings are more white. The head, as well as the neck area, are colored in ash-gray shades, while the eastern populations are characterized by a lighter plumage color. The upper part of the body is colored reddish-ocher with the presence of black transverse stripes. The flight feathers of the first order are darker in comparison with the flight feathers of the second order, which are more brown with inclusions of white.

Interesting moment! When spring comes, males develop chestnut-colored “collars” and mustaches of the same color. The whiskers are formed by hard and long tufts of feathers that extend to the sides from the base of the beak. Males wear such mustaches until the end of summer.

Females, regardless of the time of year, are distinguished by the same colors, similar to the colors of autumn-winter males. These birds have a light gray beak and dark eyes, as well as strong and long legs of a greenish-brown hue. The tail is relatively long with a rounded end. Each limb has 3 fingers. The wings are wide with a span of up to 2 and a half meters. The bustard takes off quite heavily, although after takeoff it picks up decent speed. During the flight, its neck is extended, and its legs are tucked and in a horizontal state, without extending beyond the tail. The wing beats are not frequent, which is not surprising; white spots and dark flight feathers can be seen on the wings.

Character and lifestyle

The period of activity of the bustard occurs during daylight hours, while the birds obtain food for themselves in the morning and evening hours, and during the day the bird rests, hiding in the tall grass. If the air temperature is not so high, then these birds may not rest during the day, but feed throughout the day. Bustards are quite social birds that prefer to form numerous groups, mostly of the same sex, which include up to a hundred birds.

In groups formed by females, you can see young males that have not reached sexual maturity. Bustards do not use their beaks and limbs to obtain food for themselves by loosening the soil and digging in the meadow litter. As a rule, these birds move slowly, often stopping and pecking only those parts of plants that are accessible.

Important point! In addition to vegetation, the bustard feeds on various living creatures, which it catches in flight using its beak. If a potential victim tries to escape, the bustard catches up with it in large jumps, grabs it with its beak and kills it by hitting the ground.

The bustard flies only during the daytime. In the western and southern territories, the bustard prefers to lead a sedentary lifestyle, while the eastern, and especially northern populations, make seasonal migrations, and therefore are considered migratory or partially migratory birds. Moving over relatively short distances, bustards cover this distance by land. When leaving for the winter, these birds form numerous groups. They leave the territory quite late - in October/November. These birds moult in the spring, before the mating season. During this period, partial replacement of the plumage occurs. When the molting process occurs in the fall, the plumage is almost completely replaced.

How long do bustards live?

Experts are inclined to believe that these birds, living in natural conditions, live for about 20 years.

Where does it live?

These birds live in various parts of the Eurasian continent, with very few populations living in the northeast of the African continent, although according to some reports the African population has ceased to exist. The habitat in Eurasia is associated with the territories of the Iberian Peninsula, with the territory of Austria, Slovakia and the south of the Czech Republic. In addition, the bustard is found in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia.

This species inhabits the territory of western Siberia, including Barnaul and Minusinsk, the southern regions of the Eastern Sayan Mountains, the lower reaches of the Upper Angara, the Khanka lowland and the lower Zeya valley. The southern borders are connected with the Mediterranean coast, the territories of Asia Minor, the southern regions of Azerbaijan and the north of Iran. The bird feels great east of the Caspian Sea and further, including the lower reaches of the Ural River, as well as eastern Kazakhstan.

This bird is found in the Tien Shan, in the southwest of Tajikistan, and also to the west towards the Karatau ridge, as well as in the north of the Gobi, at the foot of the Greater Khingan, in the northeast of Heilongjiang province and in the south of the Primorsky Territory.

It is important to know! The eastern and western habitats pass through the territory of the Altai Territory. The European and Turkish bustards prefer to lead a sedentary lifestyle, and the eastern populations fly to wintering in Central Asia, the Crimea, the Caspian Sea, and also to the territory of north-east China.

Experts point to the high degree of adaptability of this species to various living conditions, noting the habitat of birds over vast territories. At the same time, they established that these birds have adapted to conditions that humans have changed beyond recognition.

It is believed that the natural landscapes of the bustard are the meadow steppes of the northern regions. In modern conditions, these birds prefer the tall grasses of cereal and feather grass steppes. They feel great on plains with high, but not too dense grassy vegetation. At the same time, they try to avoid ravines, steep ravines and hills, as well as rocky areas. They build their nests on flat terrain.

Bustard. A unique bird at home.

What does it eat?

Bustards, like many other species of birds, feed on a very diverse diet of both plant and animal origin. It should be noted that the diversity of the diet depends on factors such as the age and sex of the bird, living conditions, and the availability of nutritional components.

Adults prefer to eat:

• Dandelion, salsify, thistle, kulbaba, tansy.
• Meadow and creeping clover, peas and alfalfa.
• Sowing and field radish, rapeseed, cabbage, turnips, black mustard.
• Goat and fescue.
• Plantain.

Sometimes they eat the root systems of plants such as poultry grass, wheatgrass and onions.

Interesting moment! When there is a deficiency of basic nutritional components, the bustard can eat rougher food, such as beet shoots. Unfortunately, this leads to the death of birds, although not always, due to the inability of their digestive system to digest roughage.

In addition to various vegetation, these birds eat components of animal origin, such as:

• Locusts and their larvae, grasshoppers, crickets and mole crickets.
• Ground beetles and their larvae, Colorado potato beetles, leaf beetles and weevils.
• Butterflies and their caterpillars.
• Snails, earwigs and earthworms.
• Lizards, frogs, chicks of various birds, whose nests are located on the ground.
• Small rodents.
• Ants and their pupae.

It is very important that there is a body of water somewhere nearby, and in winter they can make do with snow.

Reproduction and offspring

Migratory bustards return to their original nesting sites in early spring, when the snow begins to melt. As soon as the steppe dries out, the birds begin mating. They display in groups and alone, but do not start any fights among themselves. Mating takes place in an open area, where there is an excellent view of the living space.

Each male controls an area of ​​50x50 meters. The “concert” begins at sunrise, although there are times when the mating process continues all day, until sunset. Males spread their wings, throw back their heads, flare out their necks, throw their tails over their backs and puff up their mustaches. For several seconds, each male resembles a white cloud, after which he takes on his normal appearance, and so on over and over again.

Interesting to know! These birds do not form permanent pairs, so they mate with different partners they like several times to ensure fertilization.

At the beginning of May, females begin to arrange their nests, which are located on the ground. Laying from 2 to 4 eggs, the female incubates them herself, and then takes care of feeding and raising the offspring. After mating, the males again gather in groups and go to the postnuptial molting sites.

Offspring are born in May/June, after a 3/4 week incubation period. After birth, the chicks quickly get to their feet and leave the nest. They do not go far from the nest, especially since the female is waiting for them here, and she begins to feed her cubs. After 5 days, they begin to independently look for food for themselves, but at the same time they do not refuse maternal feeding for another 3 weeks. Young bustards can fly already at the age of one month, but they do not leave their mother until autumn, or even spring. Upon reaching 2-6 years of life, bustards become sexually mature and acquire a unique plumage color, depending on their gender. Males mature somewhat later than females.

Natural enemies

Adult bustards are susceptible to attack by predators such as:

• Eagles.
• Golden Eagles.
• White-tailed eagle.
• Burial ground.
• Foxes.
• Wolves and badgers.
• Steppe ferrets.
• Stray dogs and cats.

In territories that are actively developed by humans, bustard clutches may be damaged by human actions. In addition, the nests of these birds are destroyed by smaller predators.

Reproduction

A male bustard attracts a female.
Females reach sexual maturity at 3-4 years, males at 5-6. At the mating site, each male has a certain territory with a diameter of 50 meters. Males, calling females, perform ritual dances, while the birds raise their tails and, lowering their wings, press the front part of their body to the ground. They turn their backs towards the females and defiantly stick out their “fifth point”. The clucking sound is getting louder. During mating, males breathe rapidly, their crop, throat feathers and “whiskers” swell. The head is pulled into the neck. Birds stomp in one place for 10-15 seconds, then blow air out of their throats and take the appropriate pose. After 5-7 minutes, the males repeat the enticing technique. Bustards are polygamous and do not create permanent pairs. The male tries to take possession of as many females as possible. Females also mate with 2-3 partners at once. Usually there are more females in a flock than males. Mating games last 1.5-2 months.

Bustard Features:

• bustards lack the coccygeal gland, which produces a sebaceous secretion that prevents feathers from getting wet under the influence of water. Freezing after rain is especially dangerous for the bustard; this leads to freezing of the wet bird. The bustard has special feathers growing in the tail part. These feathers break off quite often, but this is not bad for the bird. A finely dispersed powder is released from the site of a feather fracture, which covers other feathers like powder. Such tail feathers are called powder feathers.
• Birds do not have sweat glands, so in hot weather, to cool down, the bustard spreads its wings wide to enhance heat transfer and breathes deeply through its open beak.
• The bustard prefers to walk on the ground rather than fly. Despite the fact that this bird can reach high flight speeds, the bustard rarely flies over a distance exceeding 100-150 meters.
• The dim gray-brown color perfectly camouflages the bustard against the background of the fields. When in danger, she presses herself to the ground, trying to merge with the grass.
• During the mating season, male bustards perform very spectacular dances, inflating their throat pouch, retracting their heads and fluffing out the feathers of their tail and wings.
• Bustards molt twice a year: in the spring, when down and small feathers are replaced, and in the fall, when the plumage completely changes.
• The bustard is a silent bird and makes virtually no sounds. When performing the courtship dance, the male makes sounds similar to the bleating of sheep. Females use abrupt, muffled calls when communicating with chicks. Small chicks squeak, while older ones emit thin trills.

Lifespan

The average life expectancy of a bustard in natural conditions is about 20 years. Males live slightly less than females, which is associated with the enormous burden of numerous matings on the male’s body. Chicks mainly die in the teeth of predators and from agricultural machinery.

Nest

Bustard nest with eggs
The birds begin arranging the nest at the end of May. The nest is a small earthen hole measuring 25*10 centimeters. Only the female is engaged in the construction of the home. For laying, the expectant mother chooses a secluded place overgrown with thick grass. First, with the help of its beak, the bird “weeds” the area, freeing the ground from grass, then with its paws it makes a depression in the ground, giving it a rounded shape. The bottom is lined with grass and down. Bustard nests are built at a distance of 30-40 meters from each other.

Nesting

The nesting period for bustards lasts from April to June. The time of egg laying depends on the air temperature and the region where the birds live. In the southern regions, bustards lay eggs at the end of April, in more northern regions - 2-3 weeks later, usually in early May. Nest construction is carried out exclusively by females.

After mating, males leave females, gather in groups and go to secluded places for spring molting. They do not take any part in arranging the nest, incubating eggs, or raising chicks. The female builds a nest directly on the ground; she can place it under the branches of bushes, in the middle of tall grass or on an open surface.

Sometimes she makes a nest in a plowed field. Females make nests no closer than 50 meters from each other, most often the distance between nests is several hundred meters. With powerful legs, she digs a hole 25-40 cm in diameter, lays grass and dry leaves on the bottom and compacts everything tightly. When grass grows around the nest in the summer, it perfectly camouflages the nest.

In one season, a female bustard makes only one clutch, which usually contains two eggs, rarely one or three. She takes them down one at a time with a period of 1-2 days. The shape of the bustard egg is ellipsoidal, similar to chicken eggs, but much larger - up to 7-9 cm in length. The color of the eggs can vary: from light brown to dark olive; they are not monochromatic, but have spots and specks of a darker shade. You may notice an oily sheen to the shell, which becomes more pronounced towards the end of the incubation period.

After laying eggs, the female begins to incubate them, which lasts three to four weeks. She sits tightly on the eggs. In case of danger, the bustard bends closer to the ground and freezes. The bird's camouflage color allows it to blend in with the surrounding vegetation. Twice a day, morning and evening, the female leaves the nest for about 40 minutes to feed. She tries not to move more than 400 meters from the nest. Ripe eggs hatch into small, feathered chicks. They quickly gain weight and within a month weigh two to three kilograms.

The female may lose her clutch, in which case she lays eggs again. Males, individuals who did not take part in reproduction, stick together, forming flocks of birds of the same sex. Such groups are joined by females who have lost their clutches. Sometimes flocks of males reach one hundred individuals.

Chicks

A bustard chick walks on a stone.
A female bustard lays 1-2 eggs. The egg is 7-9 centimeters long and up to 7 centimeters in diameter. The color of the shell is variegated - the base is greenish-brown, dotted with specks of different sizes of brown and dark gray. The shell is shiny.

The female incubates the chicks for 3-4 weeks. At this time, males go in small groups to molting areas. The female bustard sits quietly in the nest, hardly moves, and does not make any sounds. When a predator or a person approaches, the bustard tries to divert danger from the nest - the female runs away from the nest and pretends to be a wounded bird, and then, allowing the enemy to come close, attacks. In the early morning and evening, the female leaves the nest to feed. Forages for food at a distance of 400 meters from the nest.

Bustard chick in human hand

Chicks appear unevenly. For the first 3-5 days they move little, their eyes are closed. The skin is covered with light gray fluff. The basis of the diet of newborn bustards is ants and their eggs. The mother feeds the chicks, placing pieces of food into their open mouths. From the first days of life, the young begin to explore the area around the nest. After a week, the female takes the brood to the steppe, where the bustards will learn to forage on their own. At 35 days, a bustard chick weighs 1.5-2 kilograms. The young fledglings reach 40 days of life. By the end of summer, the birds unite in flocks and leave the nesting area. Until next spring, the mother protects the young and teaches them the wisdom of feathered life.

Bustard lifestyle

The bustard is diurnal, that is, it is active during daylight hours. In summer, on hot sunny days, she feeds in the early morning and evening. In the midst of the heat of the day, she seeks shelter in bushes or under tall grass, where she waits out the midday heat. On cloudy days, the bustard can feed from morning to evening without taking breaks.

While feeding, the bird slowly walks along the ground, pecking at everything edible that it comes across. She catches insects and small animals with a sharp blow of her beak, rapidly jerking her head forward. If the prey runs away, the bustard catches up with it in large leaps, grabs it with its beak, hits it hard on the ground and swallows it. It swallows caught prey whole.

The bustard can fly well, but mainly leads a terrestrial lifestyle. She walks on the ground with her neck stretched forward, looking ahead. Moves forward with slow measured steps. If the bustard senses danger, it hides in tall grass or runs away to a safe distance.

In summer, bustards live alone, preferring to look for food and hide in the shade alone. They rarely gather in small groups. Bustards usually lead a sedentary life, trying not to migrate anywhere. The area where the bustard lives depends on whether it will leave its nesting site in the fall or not. Those birds that live in the northern regions are forced to fly to warmer places for the winter. The most important thing is the decrease in temperature, and the thickness of the snow cover, from under which it is difficult to get food.

Bustards do not have a sebaceous secretion that prevents the birds' feathers from getting wet. Therefore, with the arrival of winter, bustards may have their bodies wet from snow and freeze. It is also difficult for birds to get food from under the thick snow: the animal food supply is sharply reduced, leaving only plant food, which is difficult to get out of the snowdrift. These unfavorable factors force bustards to migrate to warm areas. It is the lack of food that forces bustards to fly hundreds of kilometers south in search of areas with little snow.

In the fall, before migrating, they begin to gather in small flocks consisting of birds of the same sex. Each flock of bustards flies separately at different altitudes. After wintering, migratory bustards return to their original places in small groups of 5-7 birds. They fly only during the day.

Types of Bustards

Ornithologists distinguish two subspecies of bustards - European and East Siberian. Both are on the verge of extinction. The European and East Siberian bustards differ from each other in habitat and plumage color.

European Bustard

European bustard - photo
Latin name: O. t. tarda

Weight: 9-15 kg

Conservation status: category 3 – rare subspecies

Birds of the European species are painted in dark colors. The head, wings and tail are dark brown. On the back the pattern is unclear, the black lines are thin.

A hundred years ago, the European bustard lived in the steppes and forest-steppes of Europe and Asia. Today, focal concentrations of birds are observed in the Rostov region, the Lower Volga region (Ulyanovsk, Samara, Saratov and Volgograd regions). Groups of 3-6 couples live in Kalmykia and Stavropol, in the Orenburg region.

European bustard in the steppe

Small populations of bustards live in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Iran. In all countries, the subspecies is recognized as endangered (the world population is 32 thousand birds).

East Siberian Bustard

East Siberian Bustard
Latin name: O. t. dubowskii

Weight: 9-15 kg

Conservation status: Category 2 - a species whose numbers are declining throughout its range

The East Siberian Bustard has a clear, bright dorsal pattern, with wide black stripes. Males grow thread-like tufts of white color on their heads every summer.

In Russia, the eastern race is found in Tyva, Buryatia, Chita, the Amur region and the Primorsky Territory. Outside Russia, small focal nesting sites have been observed in Mongolia and northern China.

Habitat of the bustard

Bustards live on the territory of the Eurasian continent in the following regions of Europe: the south of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Belarus, the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula. On the African continent - in the northeast of Morocco. In the countries of the Middle East: in Turkey and Iran, small populations of bustards live in Kazakhstan, southern Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. Also, the distribution area of ​​bustards goes further to the East: Mongolia, India, China.

On the territory of Russia, bustards are found in the following regions: Bryansk, Ryazan, Tula, Penza, Samara, Western Siberia, east from the Caspian Sea to the Urals, the south of the Eastern Sayan Mountains, the lower reaches of the Upper Angara, the Khanka Lowland, the lower reaches of the Urals.

Bustards nesting in the northern regions fly to the Crimea, the south of Central Asia, northeast China, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan for the winter.

Studying the distribution of bustards, ornithologists came to the conclusion about the high ecological adaptability of this species of birds, which have adapted to living conditions in extremely different climatic conditions. This conclusion is also supported by the fact that bustards have learned to survive in landscapes that have been changed beyond recognition by human activity.

Enemies of the bustard

The main enemy of the bustard is the golden eagle.
Adult bustards rarely give offense to anyone. Females are attacked by golden eagles, steppe eagles and white-tailed eagles. On the ground, foxes, wolves, badgers and corsacs await the birds. Cats and steppe ferrets hunt for wounded birds.

Predators cause damage to the population by destroying the nesting grounds of bustards and eating bird eggs. Rooks, crows and magpies are involved in destroying nests. The birds wait until the frightened female leaves the nest and attack the brood.

Features of character and lifestyle

Photo: Bustard female

These birds are diurnal and have one of the largest size differences between the sexes among vertebrates. For this reason, males and females live in separate groups almost the entire year, with the exception of mating season. This size difference also influences food requirements as well as breeding, dispersal and migratory behavior.

Females tend to flock together with relatives. They are more philopatric and sociable than males and will often remain in their natural area for their entire lives. During the winter, males establish a group hierarchy by engaging in violent, prolonged fights, striking other males on the head and neck, sometimes causing serious injury, behavior typical of bustards. Some bustard populations migrate.

Interesting fact: Bustards make local movements within a radius of 50 to 100 km. Male birds are known to be solitary during the breeding season, but form small flocks in winter.

The male is believed to be polygynous, using a mating system called "exploded" or "dispersed". The bird is omnivorous and feeds on insects, beetles, rodents, lizards and, sometimes, even small snakes. They are also known to feed on grass, seeds, berries, etc. When threatened, female birds carry young chicks under their wings.

Species status

Bustard among flowers
Bustard is recognized as an endangered bird species and is included in the Red Books of several countries and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and is also protected by individual international conventions.

Uncontrolled hunting of these birds caused a sharp decline in the bustard population at the beginning of the 20th century. The number of birds in certain regions has also decreased due to the expansion of agricultural land and the introduction of new technologies in land cultivation. Bustards are known to lay eggs on the ground, which often led to eggs being buried by tractor equipment during harrowing or sowing. Bustards are very shy. Seeing a rattling car next to the nest, the females move from their place, leaving the nests forever.

There is less and less land left suitable for bustards to live comfortably. The areas where large concentrations of bustards once nested are being used for agricultural purposes. On such lands there is less food due to pesticides. Nesting here becomes impossible and the birds move away in search of better living conditions.

Over the past 20 years, conservation programs have been created to restore the bustard population. First of all, specialists began protecting the areas where the bird disappeared. Nature reserves have been created where there is no agricultural activity, hunting is completely prohibited and birds can feel calm. In European countries and Russia, special nurseries have been organized in which bustards reproduce naturally. In specially created laboratories they carry out artificial incubation of eggs.

Bustard protection

According to ornithologists, the total population of bustards numbers 45,000-55,000 individuals, and it tends to decrease. The bustard has been completely destroyed in England, France, Poland, Scandinavia, and the Balkans. In the north of Germany there are about two hundred birds left, in Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Romania - about 1300-1400 individuals. About 11 thousand birds live on the territory of the former Soviet Union, of which only 400-600 individuals living in Buryatia belong to the eastern subspecies.

In 1994, the bustard was listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Bustard numbers have been steadily declining and have been considered endangered since 2011. The greatest damage to bird life comes from the reduction of bustard habitats as a result of human activity.

About 90% of the natural habitats of birds have been altered by humans: meadows have been plowed, roads have been laid, cities have been built, quarries have been developed, and irrigation has been applied. The use of agricultural machinery led to eggs being buried during harrowing or sowing. Also, loud operating agricultural machinery scared bustards from their nests, and they left them for good.

The use of pesticides and herbicides when cultivating fields has led to a decrease in the food supply of bustards. Uncontrolled hunting and poaching also played a significant negative role. Considering the small number of eggs in the clutch of one female, the number of bustards has greatly decreased.

In order to preserve and increase the population of bustards, special programs have been developed in many countries of the world: in Europe, America, India, Africa, CIS countries and others. These programs involve breeding birds in captivity and then releasing them into protected areas. Projects aimed at increasing the number of bustards, carried out in the countries of the Middle East and northern Africa, have a different goal: the birds are bred for falconry, which is popular there.

In the United States, protection is primarily focused on the conservation of cinnamon bustards (Eupodotis ruficrista). In India, the Bustard project has been launched since 2012, aimed at protecting the great Indian bustard and other birds (floricana and Bengal florican). In Russia, a reserve has been created in the Saratov region to protect bustards.

Bustard voice

Bustards shout at each other.
The sounds that a bustard makes can hardly be called singing. More like bleating, rumbling, hiccupping. Male bustards “talk” more than females. Their voice is low and hoarse. Words consist of unvoiced consonant sounds “ikkrkh”, “kkrkh”, “kryhh”. Females are more silent and emit warning signals to the chicks in times of danger. Excited and frightened birds bubble loudly, the sounds are short, repeated once every 5-6 seconds.

Caring for the chicks

The female bustard takes all care of the offspring; males do not participate in this process. As soon as the chicks hatch from the eggs, the most difficult days begin for the female. The chicks hatch feathered with buffy down with dark spots and stripes along the body. At this time, the chicks are completely defenseless, move little, and cannot take food themselves.

The mother brings them ants, ant eggs and other small insects several times a day and feeds them. But already on the 4-5th day, the chicks begin to take food themselves and slowly walk near the nest. The chicks develop very quickly, and within two weeks after hatching they can feed on their own, although they still receive additional feeding.

They learn to fly at 5-6 weeks, their weight at this time approaches two kilograms. The female teaches them how to get their own food and what to do in case of danger. When a threat arises, she gives them a signal with a dull sound, and the chicks press themselves to the ground, bend their necks, and hide in the grass.

If there is an immediate threat from a predator near the nest, the mother bustard pretends to be sick and tries to avert the danger as far as possible. In a critical situation, she herself attacks the enemy. Around the beginning of August, the grown chicks are ready to leave the nest. They join other bustards and form flocks that prepare for migration in the fall.

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Reproduction and offspring

Migratory bustards return to their native lands by the time the snow melts, beginning to display as soon as the steppe dries out. They display in groups (without fighting) and individually, choosing open areas for display where they can view the area.

One male accounts for up to 50 m in diameter. The current is timed to coincide with sunrise, but sometimes occurs before sunset or during the day. The chanting dudak spreads its wings, throws back its neck, inflates its throat, puffs up its mustache and throws its tail over its back. A male in love ecstasy looks like a white cloud, taking on its usual “bird” appearance after 10–15 seconds.

This is interesting! Females arriving or coming to lek do not form permanent pairs. Bustards exhibit both polyandry and polygyny, when “grooms” and “brides” mate with different partners.

They nest in early May, building nests on bare ground, occasionally camouflaging them with grass. The incubation of eggs (2–4), as well as the raising of broods, is entrusted to the mother: the fathers unite in flocks and migrate to places of postnuptial molting.

The chicks hatch in May–June, after three to four weeks of incubation . The puffballs almost immediately crawl out of the nest, but do not leave it: here their mother feeds them. They begin searching for food on their own after about five days, without giving up maternal feeding for another 2-3 weeks. The young are fully feathered and on their wings by about 1 month, not leaving their mother until autumn, and often until spring. The final winter/nuptial plumage appears in bustards no earlier than 4–6 years, in parallel with fertility, which in females occurs at 2–4 years, and in males at 5–6 years.

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Nutrition

The bustard is considered an omnivore. The following can be noted on the poultry menu:

• seeds of herbs and cultivated plants;
• tender shoots;
• wild garlic;
• larvae and insects (locusts, beetles, grasshoppers);
• mice and other small rodents;
• frogs and lizards;
• chicks of small birds.

In hot weather, after eating, the bustard descends to lakes or springs to drink. The bird consumes both fresh and salt water, although it prefers the former.

Then rest in a shady place. When the heat subsides, the bustard continues to search for food.

Bustard on vacation

What do chicks eat?

The chicks feed mainly on insects. To feed them, females dig out ants and their pupae from the soil with their paws, which constitute the main part of the diet of the young.

If the watering hole is located far from the nesting site, the chicks can make do with drops of dew and liquid contained in the food.

Important! In summer, the bustard's diet consists mainly of animal food, while in winter it consumes more vegetation. The chicks' menu consists mainly of insects.

During the day, the bird has at least two meals. The amount of feed consumed per day is 100 g or more.

Social structure and reproduction

Photo: Pair of Bustards

Although some of the reproductive behaviors of bustards are known, the finer details of nesting and mating, as well as the migratory activities associated with nesting and mating, are believed to vary greatly among populations and individuals. For example, they are capable of year-round breeding, but for most populations the breeding season runs from March to September, which largely encapsulates the summer monsoon season.

Likewise, although they do not return to the same nests year after year and tend to create new ones instead, they will sometimes use nests made in previous years by other bustards. The nests themselves are simple and are often located in depressions formed in the soil in low-lying areas of arable land and meadows, or in open rocky soil.

It is unknown whether the species uses a specific mating strategy, but elements of both promiscuous (where both sexes mate with multiple partners) and polygynous (where males mate with multiple females) mating have been observed. The species does not appear to form pair bonds. Lekking, where males gather in public display areas to perform and court females, occurs in some population groups.

However, in other cases, solitary males may attract females to their areas with loud calls that can be heard at least 0.5 km away. The male's visual display involves standing on open ground with his head and tail raised, his white feathers fluffed out, and his air-filled speculum sac (neck pouch).

After breeding, the male leaves and the female becomes the exclusive caregiver for her young. Most females lay one egg, but laying two eggs is not unknown. She incubates the egg for about a month before it hatches.

The chicks are able to feed themselves after a week, and they become full-fledged when they are 30-35 days old. Most young are completely freed from their mothers at the start of the next breeding season. Females can breed as early as two or three years of age, while males become sexually mature at five or six years of age.

Interesting fact: Several distinctive migration patterns have been observed among bustards outside of the breeding season. Some may make short local migrations within a region, while others fly long distances across the subcontinent.

Natural enemies

Adult birds are hunted by both terrestrial and feathered predators:

• eagles;
• golden eagle;
• white-tailed eagle;
• burial ground;
• fox, including steppe fox;
• badger and wolf;
• steppe ferret;
• stray cats/dogs.

In areas intensively developed by humans, danger threatens the broods and clutches of dudak. Nests are more often destroyed by meadow and field harriers, foxes, magpies, buzzards, hooded/black crows and rooks. The latter have adapted to accompany field equipment that flushes out brood hens from their nests, which is what rooks use. In addition, bustard chicks and eggs become easy prey for stray dogs.

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Interesting facts about the bird

The bustard is the heaviest flying bird in our country. Interestingly, it is symbolic. In Africa, the bustard is associated with fertility, as well as the deep relationship between earth and air. In Russia, this bird is a symbol of the Saratov region.

The restoration of the number of bustards in our country is being carried out by the Saratov branch of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution. A. N. Severtsov Russian Academy of Sciences. The experience of this institution in restoring the population of the species is widely known not only throughout the country, but also beyond its borders. The program attracted the interest of British specialists, and in 2003 the British consortium “Big Bustard” and the Russian Academy of Sciences signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to restore the natural bustard population. After all, in England the bustard is one of the most beloved birds, as well as one of the symbols of the country. It is depicted on coats of arms, bars, clubs and various organizations are named after the bustard, but there are very few bustards left in the wild nature of Foggy Albion.

Appearance

The description of the bustard should begin with its long legs and neck. In the photo the head is large, rounded, the neck is thick. The wings are long and wide.

The tail also looks elongated, with generally rounded outlines. The birds have bright motley plumage - reddish-brown on the back and wings, white on the chest.

Males have a stronger body and filamentous feathers that resemble antennae.

The bustard has long legs and neck

Important! In the East Siberian subspecies, which lives in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Eastern Siberia, long feathers near the beak form an entire beard along with the antennae.

In flight, the bustard looks like a goose: the head and neck are extended forward, the legs are strongly laid back. The flapping of the wings is unhurried and uniform, at the same time, the description of the flights shows that individuals develop high speed.

The plumage of the bustard is reddish-brown with white areas