Great Bustard
The Great Bustard (Otis tarda) is a very large bird of the bustard family. The weight of old males (females are noticeably smaller) can reach 16 kg, body length - up to 110 cm; it is one of the heaviest flying birds in the world.
In the past, the bustard was a symbol of the steppes, a numerous species and a popular hunting object, but since the middle of the 20th century its numbers have fallen dramatically and repeatedly, primarily due to mass plowing of virgin lands and poaching. Now the world number of bustard is estimated at about 50,000 individuals and continues to decline. Probably about 100 pairs nest in Kazakhstan; 1-2 thousand birds, including, apparently, from Mongolia and Russia, occur on wintering grounds. The migration routes of Bustard are poorly studied.
Conservation status
“Endangered” (EN) listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN);
Status in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Kazakhstan: 1 category. Endangered species. (Source link) or (PDF File);
Included in the List of rare and endangered animal species of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Appearance
A large bird, about the size of a turkey. Sexual dimorphism is expressed mainly in size: male is much larger, white color prevails on open wing from above, in female it is less because of larger area of red crowns. On the folded wing, the white field of the male is visible, while that of the female, as a rule, is not. Seasonal differences in coloration are insignificant. In spring the male has “whiskers” of elongated white feathers, red color prevails on the neck from below. After mid-summer there are no “whiskers”, red neck feathers are mostly replaced by gray, as in the female. Young until September-October are similar to the female, but lighter and more red, gray feathers on the head and neck mixed with red, black feathers on the back are less distinct, the under tail is striped (in adults - pure white). They acquire full mating attire between 3 and 6 years of age. Males participating in breeding for the first time may lack “whiskers”, reddish coloration on the neck is weaker. Weight of adult males 7-12 kg (specimens up to 20 are known), females - 4-8 kg, length 80-120, wing of males 59.5-70.0, females - 47.0-66.0, wingspan 190-260 cm. (kz.birding.day)
Species distribution
A rare breeding migratory bird. Inhabits flat and hilly steppe landscapes on plains and in mountains at altitudes up to 1500 m in Tarbagatai and up to 1800 m in the Chilikta Valley, preferring areas dominated by sagebrush or wormwood, wheatgrass meadows with sparse reeds on the banks of dried-up lakes or, very rarely, fallow lands. In spring it appears in pairs or small flocks in late February - March in southern regions and in April - early May in northern regions. On the Chokpak Pass the last migrants are observed in mid-May. Nests in pairs or in small groups, if there are 2-3 females per male. The female makes a nest on the ground in a very shallow hole barely lined with dry grass. Laying of 1-3 eggs takes place in late April - May. Only the female incubates the clutch for 25-30 days, and then takes care of the offspring, which are born in May-June. In late July - August young birds begin to fly and broods unite into flocks. Fall migration begins in the second half of August and continues through September and October. Individual birds stay until mid-November, and in case of favorable foraging conditions winter in southern Kazakhstan (kz.birding.day)
Threats
- Fatalities due to collision with wires of high-voltage power lines in fog and with wind turbine blades of wind power plants;
- Habitat loss;
- Pesticide poisoning;
- Poaching.
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