Page 164 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

CRANES AND BUSTARDS
Order Gruiformes Family Otitidae Species Tetrax tetrax
Little Bustard small head

fingered black neck feathers black neck
wingtips pheasant-like inflated in display with white “V”
head and neck and broad
white collar
barred back mottled sandy
upperparts
MALE
big white spotted
wing patches breast
white
IN FLIGHT belly

FEMALE
long legs
lthough it resembles the Great
A Bustard in shape and general
appearance, the Little Bustard is
much smaller in size, and is able to
fly low and fast, whirring almost like
a big pigeon or partridge. It can be very
difficult to see except in flight, occupying
wide open plains but keeping to sufficient MALE
cover in which to hide itself expertly.The
Little Bustard has declined in many areas
in the face of agricultural FLIGHT: fast, direct, partridge-like, with quick
intensification and is further wingbeats and short glides with wings stiffly arched.
threatened by irrigation schemes.
VOICE Male has short gruff note
repeated every 10 seconds or so,
in spring; otherwise very quiet
except for whistling noise from
wings in flight. Female has low
chuckling note.
NESTING Scrape on ground in
thick cover; 3–5 eggs; 1 brood;
April–June. MALE DISPLAYING
FEEDING Picks seeds, grain, In display, the male raises his head and
shoots, buds, roots, and various neck feathers to show off the black WINTER FLOCKS
insects from ground. and white pattern on the neck. Large groups gather outside the breeding season, flying
fast over open, grassy plains.
SIMILAR SPECIES
OCCURRENCE
PHEASANT 2similar GREAT BUSTARD 2 Breeds in areas with open grass or
to 2; see p.153 similar to 2; see
much p.161 cereals on rolling plains, often dry,
longer bigger stony places, in France (summer),
tail Spain, Portugal, and Sardinia; local
in Italy and Balkans. Rare vagrant
shorter outside usual breeding areas.
lacks legs
white Seen in the UK
on wings
JF M A M J JA S ON D
Length 40–45cm (16–18in) Wingspan 83–91cm (33–36in) Weight 600–900g (21–32oz)
Social Winter flocks Lifespan Up to 10 years Status Vulnerable
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