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Bustards

Order Otidiformes    Family Otididae

The order Otidiformes contains only one family, Otididae - the bustards. Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. Bustards are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. The male of a species tends to be considerably larger than the female. Their upperparts are brown or gray with speckles or streaks.


Genus Afrotis

Bustard,_Black also Southern Black KoraaAfrotis afra   Found: South Africa
The male Black Bustard has black-and-white barred upperparts; black underparts, head, neck; white patch near the ear; red bill with black tip; yellow legs. Female has light brown plumage.
Similar to: White-quilled Bustard. The ranges of Black Bustard and White-quilled Bustard do not overlap.
Image by: 1) Andy Carter - South Africa  2) Alastair Rae   3) Craig Adam - South Africa


Bustard,_White-quilled  also Northern Black Korhaan Afrotis afraoides   Found: Africa
The White-quilled Bustard has black-and-white barred upperparts; black head, neck, breast; white patch near the ear; white breast patchyellow legs; red base to bill. The wings show bright white flashes in flight. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa.
Similar to: Black Bustard. The ranges of Black Bustard and White-quilled Bustard do not overlap.
Image by: 1, 2, 6) Nik_Borrow - Namibia  3) David Govoni - Botswana  4) Hans Hillewaert - Botswana   5) Ian White 
1, 2) Female 3 - 6) Male




Genus Ardeotis

Bustard,_Australian   Ardeotis australis   Found: Australia
The Australian Bustard has dull brown upperparts; whitish neck, underparts; mottled black and white markings on wing coverts; yellow to cream colored legs. The largest flying bird in Australia, but smallest member of Ardeotis.
Image by: 1) Tim  2) Petr Baum - Serendip  3) Francesco_Veronesi - Queensland  4) Christopher Watson - Northern Territory  


Bustard,_Arabian  Ardeotis arabs  Found: Africa
The Arabian Bustard has brown upperparts;  gray neck; whitish underparts; white spots at front of folded wing.
Similar to: Kori Bustard. The Arabian Bustard has more and smaller white spots on its wings than does the Kori Bustard. The Arabian Bustard is slipper, especially the neck.
Image by:  1) Allan Drewitt - Ethopia  2) Kris Maes - Ethopia  3, 4) Nik_Borrow - Ethiopia


Bustard,_Indian  also  Great Indian Bustard   Ardeotis nigriceps  Found: India, Pakistan
The Indian Bustard has brown upperparts; pale head and neck; black cap. Breeding male has black breast-band.
Image by: 1) KR Burdak  2) Koshyk  3) Madhukar Bangalore - Maharashtra, India


Bustard,_Kori Ardeotis kori   Found: Africa
The Kori Bustard has brown upperparts;  gray neck; whitish underparts; white spots at front of folded wing; blackish crest; yellow legs. One of the heaviest flying birds.
Similar to: Arabian Bustard. The Arabian Bustard has more and smaller white spots on its wings than does the Kori Bustard. The Arabian Bustard is slipper, especially the neck.
Image by: 1) Frank Vassen - Namibia  2, 3) Dick Daniels - Tanzania  4) Dick - Tanzania   5) Arno Meintjes  6) Nevit Dilmen - Tanzania  7) Kevin O'Grady - Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania   8) Winfried_Bruenken - Namibia  9, 10) Nik_Borrow = Tanzania





Genus Chlamydotis

Bustard,_Houbara  Chlamydotis undulata  Found: northern Africa, southeast Asia
The Houbara Bustard has brown upperparts; white underparts; black stripe on sides of neck.
Similar to: Macqueen's Bustard. Houbara Bustard is found in northwest and north central Africa; Maqueen's Bustard is found in northeast Afrcia, Europe, Asia
Image by: 1, 2) S. Shankar - Al Ain Zoo, UAE 3) Jim Bleak  4) Tarique_Sani - India
1) Juvenile


Bustard,_Macqueen's  Chlamydotis macqueenii  Found: Europe, northeast Africa, Asia
The Macqueen's Bustard has brown upperparts; white underparts; black stripe on sides of neck.
Image by: 1) Sergey Yeliseev - Kazakhstan  2)( Ron Knight  3) Kannan_AS - India



Genus Eupodotis
Many of these Bustards are also known as Kohanns. For example, the Red-crested Bustard is also known sa the Red-crested Kohann.

Bustard,_Blue   Eupodotis caerulescens   Found: Lesotho, South Africa
The Blue Bustard has blue-gray neck, underparts> Male has black crown, neck. Female has buff ear-coverts.
Image by:  1, 2) Bernard_Dupont  3) Rudi_von_Staden 
1) Female 2, 3) Male


Bustard,_Buff-crested  Eupodotis gindiana  also  Lophotis gindiana Found: Africa
The Buff-crested Bustard is found in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Image by: 1) Steve Garvie - Kenya  2) Carol Foil - Kenya  3) Dick Daniels - Tanzania  4) Frederic Salein - Kenya  5) Nik_Borrow



Bustard,_Karoo also Karoo Korhaan Eupodotis vigorsii  Found: Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa
The nominate species of Karoo Bustard has gray-brown head, neck, breast; black chin; throat edged with white; pinkish white belly; brown wings. Female similar to male, but less black on throat.
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels near De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa  2) Bernard_Dupont - South Africa  3) Nik_Borrow - Namibia


Bustard,_Little_Brown  Eupodotis humilis Found: Ethiopia, Somalia
The Little Brown Bustard has light brown upperparts; whitish underparts; dark flight feathers. Male has black tuft on nape. Female has heavy buff spotting on breast.
Image by: 1,  23) Nik_Borrow
1) Female  2, 3) Male


Bustard,_Red-crested  Eupodotis ruficrista   also  Lophotis ruficrista  Found: Africa 
The male Red-crested Bustard has red crest (only erect during display); distinctive mottled back;
Image by: 1) Terri Bird  2) Pim Stouten - South Africa  3. 6) Arno Meintjes    4) Francesco Veronesi - Etosha  5) Ron Knight 
1) Female



Bustard,_Rüppell's  Eupodotis rueppellii  Found: southwestern Africa
The Rueppell's Bustard has sandy brown upperparts; whitish underparts; gray head, neck; black stripe(s) on neck.
Image by: 1) Alastair Rae - Namibia  2) Nik_Borrow    3) Cristiano Crolle - Namib Naukluft Namibia  4) Stuart Turner - Namibia 5) Yathin Krishnappa  



Bustard,_Savile's   Eupodotis savilei  Found: Africa
Image by: 1)  Nik_Borrow - Senegal


Bustard,_White-bellied Eupodotis senegalensis   Found: Africa
The White-bellied Bustard has tawny-brown upperparts, breast; white belly; blue-gray neck; creamy legs. Adult male has black crown; black lines on the white cheeks; black throat patch; pinkish-red bill. Adult female has gray crown; black speckling on throat. Juvenile has light brown neck.
Image by: 1, 4) Nik_Borrow - Kenya  2, 5) Lip Kee   3) D Gordon Roberston - Tanzania  6) Dick Daniels - Tanzania   7) Tarique_Sani - Tanzania
1) Pair  2) Juvenile  3, 4) Female  5 - 7) Male




Genus Houbaropsis - 1 species

Bustard,_Bengal also Bengal Florican   Houbaropsis bengalensis  Found: Cambodia, Indian subcontinent, Vietnam
The male Bengal Bustard has buff upperparts with black vermiculations and black arrowhead markings; black head, neck, underparts; white wings. Female has mainly buff plumage; dark brown crown; dark streaks on side of neck; are larger than male.
Similar to: Lesser Florican. Male Bengal Florican has more white on wing than male Lesser Florican.
Image by: 1) Richard_Lydekker 2) Nejib_Ahmed  3) David_Cook



Genus Lissotis

Bustard,_Black-bellied Lissotis melanogaster   Found: Africa
The male Black-bellied Bustard has tawny-buff upperparts with black and brown marks; black underparts; black, white and buff marked head; buffy-brown neck with thin black line. Female has buff upperparts with darker brown mottling; narrow-wavy bands on neck and breast.
Image by: 1) Steve Garvie - Kenya  2) Nik_Borrow - Tanzania   3, 4) Arno Meintjes 5) Bernard_Dupont - South Africa
1, 2) Female  3 - 5) Male



Bustard,_Hartlaub's  Lissotis hartlaubii also Eupodotis hartlaubii Found: Africa
The Hartlaub's Bustard is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Female similar to male but with creak colored head, whitish belly; paler tail.
Image by: 1) Jerry Friedman - Kenya  2) Dick Daniels - Tanzania  3) Nik_Borrow - Kenya
1, 2, 3) Male



Genus Neotis

Bustard,_Heuglin's  Neotis heuglinii  Found: Africa
The male Heuglin's Bustard has a mainly black head; bluish-gray neck; chestnut banc on lower breast; white belly. Female has mainly brownish plumage; faint slate-gray marking on face.
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya   2, 3) Nik_Borrow - Ethiopia
2) Juvenile male  4) Male


Bustard,_Ludwig's  Neotis ludwigii  Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Hans Hillewaert - Namibia 2) Ian White - Namibia  3) Johann_duPreez


Bustard,_Nubian  Neotis nuba  Found: Africa
The male Nubian Bustard has pale tawny buff upperparts lightly vermiculated with black; tail grayer; black crown; white face; black chin, throat; gray neck. Female similar but duller; mantle slightly streak. Compared to most bustards, it has a rounder head and body.
Image by:  1) Desconocido
1) Male


Bustard,_Stanley also  Denham's Bustard  Neotis denhami     Found: Africa
The Stanley Bustard has brown back; white underparts; gray neck with orange nape; gray crown bordered with black; black line through the eye. Female's back is paler brown.
Image by: 1, 4) Nik_Borrow - Uganda 2) David Cook - Uganda  3) Bernard Dupont - Uganda  5) Craig Adam - Botriver, South Africa
1) Pair  2) Female  3) Male




Genus Otis - 1 species

Bustard,_Great  Otis tarda  Found: Europe, Asia
The Great Bustard has brown upperparts with black barring; gray head, neck; white underparts. One of the heaviest flying birds. The male is much much larger than the female.
Image by: 1, 2) Sergey Yeliseev - Kaluga region of Russia  3) Photo Nature  4) Oldbilluk



Genus Sypheotides - 1 species

Florican, Lesser   Sypheotides indicus  Found: Indian subcontinent
Similar to: Bengal Florican. Male Bengal Florican has more white on wing than male Lesser Florican.
Image by: 1) John_Gould  2) Raghavendra M  3) KoshyK



Genus Tetrax - 1 species

Bustard,_Little   Tetrax tetrax  Found: southern Europe, central and western Asia
The breeding male Little Bustard has brown upperparts; white underparts; gray head; black neck with white borders. Female and nonbreeding male lack the dramatic neck pattern.
Image by: 1) Joan_Galisteo - Catalonia  2) Adrien  3) Francesco_Veronesi - Spain 4) Blake_Matheson
1, 2) Female  3, 4) Male






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