| Bustards | ||||||||||
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| Great Bustard | ||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||
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The Bustards are a group of large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground.
They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with “fingered” wingtips, and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays.
Bustards are gregarious outside the breeding season, but are very wary and difficult to approach in the open habitats they prefer. Most species are declining or endangered through habitat loss and hunting, even where they are nominally protected.
The relationships of this group are shown below
Gruiformes
Houbara Bustard
Traditionally the bustards in the order Otidae have been grouped with two other families of birds, the equally large craness and the small railss and crakes in the order Gruiformes.
The new Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy which has been widely accepted in America, raises the rail family to order level as the Galliformes.
Macqueen's bustard has recently been split from Houbara bustard as a full species.
Taxonomy
References