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Little Bustard

Little Bustard

Tetrax tetrax

Identify the Little Bustard by sound or photo and log your sightings with Birdpass.

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The Little Bustard is the smallest Palearctic bustard, a pheasant-sized bird of open grassland and farmland in southern Europe, North Africa and western and Central Asia, and the only member of its genus. Breeding males have a grey head and a black neck with bold white collars; females are mottled sandy-brown. It has declined in many areas through agricultural intensification. Southern populations are resident, others migratory.

Did you know?

  • It is the only species in the genus Tetrax.
  • Displaying males jump vertically while giving a raspberry-like call.

Voice

Sound

About the species

Identification

A fairly small, slender bustard. It is mottled brown with fine patterning above and paler below, with long legs and an upright stance. The breeding male has a grey head and a black neck with clear white bands. Females and young are more subdued mottled brown. In flight a broad white area shows on the wings, contrasting with black primaries.

Family

Otididae

Size

Large (crow)

Colours

brown, white, black, grey

About the habitat

Open steppe and dry grassland, and farmland with cereals, fallows and alfalfa, with vegetation tall enough for cover.

Diet

Omnivorous: seeds, green shoots, leaves and buds, and in the breeding season many insects and other invertebrates; occasionally small vertebrates.

Behaviour

Mostly terrestrial and wary, walking with a stately gait and running rather than flying when disturbed. In spring males display on small territories, stamping, leaping and giving a “prrt” call like blowing a raspberry, while their wings whistle. Outside the breeding season it gathers in flocks. Its flight is fast and low with rapid wingbeats.

Sources

Photo: Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax), Castuera, Extremadura, Spain.jpg

Sound: Bubulcus, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tetrax_tetrax_-_Little_bustard.ogg

Text: Wikipedia (English) + GBIF regional observations + Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0; GBIF occurrence data; Wikipedia: CC BY-SA 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_bustard

See also