The great bustard is a bird in the bustard family, and the only living member of the genus Otis. It breeds in open grasslands and farmland from northern Morocco, South and Central Europe to temperate Central and East Asia. European populations are mainly resident, but Asian populations migrate farther south in winter. Endangered as of 2023, it had been listed as a Vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 1996.
Region
Western Palearctic and Central Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds and occurs across open grasslands, steppe, and extensive low-intensity farmland from the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco through Central and Eastern Europe into temperate Central and East Asia. It favors wide, treeless vistas with short to medium-height vegetation and avoids dense woodland and rugged terrain. During winter it often uses cereal stubbles, fallow fields, and pasture where food and visibility are good. Nests are on the ground in sparse cover, typically in large, undisturbed fields or native steppe.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The great bustard is among the heaviest flying birds, with males several times larger than females, showing one of the most extreme sexual dimorphisms of any bird. Males perform elaborate lek displays, puffing out their plumage and raising white whisker-like feathers to attract females. Major threats include habitat loss from intensive agriculture and collisions with power lines, though targeted conservation and reintroduction projects are underway in parts of Europe.
A museum display shows male–female sexual dimorphism.
Captive male great bustard, showing the characteristic long, beard-like feathers and heavy build
Close up of face
Mounted specimen of a female, with somewhat more muted tones and a more slender, smaller build than the adult male
Great bustards in Spain in fairly typical habitat for the species
Adult male great bustard in habitat
A great bustard in flight
Male bustard display
Eggs in the Museum Wiesbaden
Bustard juvenile
Adult great bustards
Wood engraving by Thomas Bewick in his A History of British Birds, 1797; he was concerned about their probable local extinction. A horseman and greyhound gallop after another bustard in the background.
Temperament
wary and alert, forming groups outside the breeding season
Flight Pattern
powerful flier with steady, deep wingbeats and long, level glides
Social Behavior
Highly polygynous; males gather on traditional leks in open ground to display to visiting females. Females choose mates, then nest alone in shallow scrapes and raise the chicks without male help. Outside the breeding season they form single-sex or mixed flocks that feed and roost in open fields.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Generally quiet, lacking a true song; males produce low, booming or guttural sounds during display. Both sexes give soft clucks and grunts, and alarm calls are harsher and carry over open country.
