Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large, terrestrial

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

s living mainly in dry grassland areas and on the

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the temperate grasslands, ...

s of the

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

. They range in length from . They make up the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Otididae (, formerly known as Otidae). Bustards are omnivorous and opportunistic, eating leaves, buds, seeds, fruit, small

vertebrate Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () ( chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, ...

s, and

invertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

s.del Hoyo, J. Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (editors). (1996) ''Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 3: Hoatzin to Auks''. Lynx Edicions. There are 26 species currently recognised.

Description

Bustards are all fairly large with the two largest

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

, the kori bustard (''Ardeotis kori'') and the great bustard (''Otis tarda''), being frequently cited as the world's heaviest flying birds. In both the largest species, large males exceed a weight of , weigh around on average and can attain a total length of . The smallest species is the

little brown bustard The little brown bustard (''Eupodotis humilis'') is a species of bird in the family Otididae. Found in Ethiopia and Somalia, its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. As indi ...

(''Eupodotis humilis''), which is around long and weighs around on average. In most bustards, males are substantially larger than females, often about 30% longer and sometimes more than twice the weight. They are among the most sexually dimorphic groups of birds. In only the floricans is the sexual dimorphism the reverse, with the adult female being slightly larger and heavier than the male. The wings have 10 primaries and 16–24 secondary feathers. There are 18–20 feathers in the tail. The plumage is predominantly cryptic.

Behaviour and ecology

Bustards are omnivorous, feeding principally on seeds and

s. They make their nests on the ground, making their eggs and offspring often very vulnerable to predation. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. Most prefer to run or walk over flying. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips, and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays, such as inflating throat sacs or elevating elaborate feathered crests. The female lays three to five dark, speckled eggs in a scrape in the ground, and incubates them alone.

Evolution

Genetic dating indicates that bustards evolved 30 million years ago in either southern or eastern Africa from where they dispersed into Eurasia and Australia.

Taxonomy

The family Otididae was introduced (as Otidia) by the French

polymath A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...

Constantine Samuel Rafinesque Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz (; October 22, 1783September 18, 1840) was a French 19th-century polymath born near Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire and self-educated in France. He traveled as a young man in the United States, ultimat ...

in 1815. Family Otididae * Genus †'' Gryzaja'' Zubareva 1939 ** †'' Gryzaja odessana'' Zubareva 1939 * Genus †'' Ioriotis'' Burchak-Abramovich & Vekua 1981 ** †'' Ioriotis gabunii'' Burchak-Abramovich & Vekua 1981 * Genus †'' Miootis'' Umanskaya 1979 ** †'' Miootis compactus'' Umanskaya 1979 * Genus †'' Pleotis'' Hou 1982 ** †'' Pleotis liui'' Hou 1982 * Subfamily Lissotinae Verheyen 1957 non Benesh 1955 ** Genus '' Lissotis'' Reichenbach 1848 *** Hartlaub's bustard, ''Lissotis hartlaubii'' (Heuglin 1863) *** Black-bellied bustard, ''Lissotis melanogaster'' (Rüppell 1835) **** ''L. m. notophila'' Oberholser 1905 **** ''L. m. melanogaster'' (Rüppell 1835) * Subfamily Neotinae Verheyen 1957 ** Genus '' Neotis'' Sharpe 1893 ***

Nubian bustard The Nubian bustard (''Neotis nuba'') is a species of bird in the Otididae, bustard family. This is a medium-large bustard found in the sparsely vegetated interface between the southern margins of the Sahara desert and the northern part of the Sah ...

, ''Neotis nuba'' ***

Ludwig's bustard Ludwig's bustard (''Neotis ludwigii'') is a species of bird in the bustard family, and named after Baron von Ludwig. It is a medium-to-large sized species. Description The Ludwig's bustard can weigh from , with a mean of for the much larger ma ...

, ''Neotis ludwigii'' ***

Denham's bustard Denham's bustard, Stanley bustard or Stanley's bustard (''Neotis denhami'') is a large bird in the bustard family. It breeds in much of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a species of open ground, including agricultural land, grassland, flood-plains and ...

, ''Neotis denhami'' **** ''N. d. denhami'' (Denham's bustard) **** ''N. d. jacksoni'' (Jackson's bustard) **** ''N. d. stanleyi'' (Stanley bustard) ***

Heuglin's bustard Heuglin's bustard (''Neotis heuglinii'') is a species of bird in the bustard family. Description It is a fairly large species, at up to in length.''Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi'' by Stevens ...

, ''Neotis heuglinii'' ** Genus '' Ardeotis'' Le Maout 1853 ***

Arabian bustard The Arabian bustard (''Ardeotis arabs'') is a species of bustard which is found across the Sahel region of Africa and south western Arabia. It is part of the large-bodied genus, ''Ardeotis'', and, though little known, appears to be a fairly typi ...

, ''Ardeotis arabs'' (Linnaeus 1758) **** ''A. a. lynesi'' (Bannerman 1930) (Moroccan bustard) **** ''A. a. stieberi'' (Neumann 1907) (great Arabian bustard) **** ''A. a. arabs'' (Linnaeus 1758) **** ''A. a. butleri'' (Bannerman 1930) (Sudan bustard) *** Australian bustard, ''Ardeotis australis'' (Gray 1829) *** Great Indian bustard, ''Ardeotis nigriceps'' (Vigors 1831) *** Kori bustard, ''Ardeotis kori'' (Burchell 1822) **** ''A. k. struthiunculus'' (Neumann 1907) (Northern Kori bustard) **** ''A. k. kori'' (Burchell 1822) (Southern Kori bustard) * Subfamily Otidinae Gray 1841 ** Genus ''Tetrax'' Forster 1817 *** †'' T. paratetrax'' (Bocheński & Kuročkin 1987) ***

Little bustard The little bustard (''Tetrax tetrax'') is a bird in the bustard family, the only member of the genus ''Tetrax''. The genus name is from Ancient Greek and refers to a gamebird mentioned by Aristophanes and others. Distribution It breeds in Southe ...

, ''Tetrax tetrax'' (Linnaeus 1758) Forster 1817 ** Genus ''Otis'' Linnaeus 1758 *** †'' O. bessarabicus'' Kessler & Gal 1996 *** †'' O. hellenica'' Boev, Lazaridis & Tsoukala 2014 *** Great bustard, ''Otis tarda'' Linnaeus 1758 **** ''O. t. tarda'' Linnaeus 1758 (Western great bustard) **** ''O. t. dybowskii'' Taczanowski 1874 (Eastern great bustard) ** Genus '' Chlamydotis'' Lesson 1839 *** †'' C. affinis'' (Lydekker 1891a) Brodkorb 1967 *** †'' C. mesetaria'' Sánchez Marco 1990 *** Macqueen's bustard, ''Chlamydotis macqueenii'' (Gray 1832) ***

Houbara bustard The houbara bustard (''Chlamydotis undulata''), also known as African houbara, is a relatively small bustard native to North Africa, where it lives in arid habitats. The global population is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2014. ...

, ''Chlamydotis undulata'' (Jacquin 1784) **** ''C. u. fuertaventurae'' (Rothschild & Hartert 1894) (Canary Islands houbara bustard) **** ''C. u. undulata'' (Jacquin 1784) (North African houbara bustard) ** Genus ''Houbaropsis'' Sharpe 1893 ***

Bengal florican The Bengal florican (''Houbaropsis bengalensis''), also called the Bengal bustard, is a bustard species native to the Indian subcontinent, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List because fewer than 1,00 ...

, ''Houbaropsis bengalensis'' (Statius Müller 1776) Sharpe 1893 **** ''H. b. bengalensis'' (Statius Müller 1776) Sharpe 1893 **** ''H. b. blandini'' Delacour 1928 ** Genus ''Sypheotides'' Lesson 1839 *** Lesser florican, ''Sypheotides indicus'' (Miller 1782) Lesson 1839 ** Genus '' Lophotis'' Reichenbach 1848 *** Red-crested korhaan, ''Lophotis ruficrista'' (Smith 1836) *** Savile's bustard, ''Lophotis savilei'' Lynes 1920 *** Buff-crested bustard, ''Lophotis gindiana'' (Oustalet 1881) ** Genus '' Eupodotis'' Lesson 1839 ***

Little brown bustard The little brown bustard (''Eupodotis humilis'') is a species of bird in the family Otididae. Found in Ethiopia and Somalia, its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. As indi ...

, ''Eupodotis humilis'' (Blyth 1855) ***

Karoo korhaan The karoo korhaan (''Eupodotis vigorsii''), also known as karoo bustard, is a species of bird in the bustard family, Otididae, from Southern Africa. The species is sometimes placed in the genus '' Heterotetrax''. It is the sister-species to Rüppe ...

, ''Eupodotis vigorsii'' (Smith 1831) **** ''E. v. namaqua'' (Roberts 1932) **** ''E. v. vigorsii'' (Smith 1831) ***

Rüppell's korhaan Rüppell's Korhaan (''Eupodotis rueppellii''), also known as Rüppell's bustard, is a species of bird in the family Otididae. The species is a small bustard Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large, terrestrial birds living mainl ...

, ''Eupodotis rueppellii'' (Wahlberg 1856) **** ''E. r. fitzsimonsi'' (Roberts 1937) **** ''E. r. rueppellii'' (Wahlberg 1856) ***

Blue korhaan The blue korhaan or blue bustard (''Eupodotis caerulescens'') is a species of bird in the family Otididae which is native to South Africa. Its call is a series of frog-like croaks, usually uttered in flight. Its natural habitat is plateau gra ...

, ''Eupodotis caerulescens'' (Vieillot 1820) ***

White-bellied bustard The white-bellied bustard or white-bellied korhaan (''Eupodotis senegalensis'') is an African species of bustard. It is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa in grassland and open woodland habitats. Description It is rather small for a bustard, ...

, ''Eupodotis senegalensis'' (Vieillot 1821) **** ''E. s. barrowii'' (Gray 1829) (Barrow's/southern white-bellied Bustard) **** ''E. s. canicollis'' (Reichenow 1881) (Somali white-bellied knorhaan) **** ''E. s. erlangeri'' (Reichenow 1905) **** ''E. s. mackenziei'' White 1945 **** ''E. s. senegalensis'' (Vieillot 1821) (Senegal bustard) ** Genus '' Afrotis'' Gray 1855 *** Southern black korhaan, ''Afrotis afra'' (Linnaeus 1758) *** Northern black korhaan, ''Afrotis afraoides'' (Smith 1831) **** ''A. a. etoschae'' (Grote 1922) **** ''A. a. damarensis'' Roberts 1926 **** ''A. a. afraoides'' (Smith 1831)

Status and conservation

Bustards are gregarious outside the breeding season, but are very wary and difficult to approach in the open habitats they prefer.Bota, G., J. Camprodon, S. Mañosa & M.B. Morales (Editores). (2005). Ecology and Conservation of steppe-land birds. Lynx Editions. Barcelona ; 978-84-87334-99-3. Most species are declining or endangered through habitat loss and hunting, even where they are nominally protected.

United Kingdom

The birds were once common and abounded on the

Salisbury Plain Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in the south western part of central southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies wi ...

. They had become rare by 1819 when a large male, surprised by a dog on

Newmarket Heath Newmarket Heath is a 279.3-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Newmarket in Suffolk. It covers most of Newmarket Racecourse. Most of this site is chalk grassland, and it has areas of chalk heath, a rare habitat in Britain. T ...

, sold in

Leadenhall Market Leadenhall Market is a covered market in London, located on Gracechurch Street but with vehicular access also available via Whittington Avenue to the north and Lime Street to the south and east, and additional pedestrian access via a number of ...

for five guineas. The last bustard in Britain died in approximately 1832, but the bird is being reintroduced through batches of chicks imported from Russia. In 2009, two great bustard chicks were hatched in Britain for the first time in more than 170 years.Bird Guides 2009
''The first Great Bustard chicks in the UK''
Bird Guides, June 2009. Reintroduced bustards also hatched chicks in 2010.Biodiversity Lab 2010
''Reintroduced Great Bustards Breed Again''
The Biodiversity Lab, University of Bath.

Floricans

Some Indian bustards are also called Floricans. The origin of the name is unclear.

Thomas C. Jerdon Thomas Caverhill Jerdon (12 October 1811 – 12 June 1872) was a British physician, zoologist and botanist. He was a pioneering ornithologist who described numerous species of birds in India. Several species of plants (including the genus '' Je ...

writes in ''The Birds of India (1862) The Hobson-Jobson dictionary, however, casts doubt on this theory stating that

Notes

References

* Bota, Gerard, et al. ''Ecology and conservation of Steppe-Land birds''. International Symposium on Ecology and Conservation of Steppe-land birds
Lynx Edicions 2005
343 pages. . * * * * * *

External links

Bustard videos
on the Internet Bird Collection {{Taxonbar, from=Q21755 Extant Miocene first appearances * Serravallian first appearances Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque