The little bustard is a bird in the bustard family, the only member of the genus Tetrax. It breeds in Southern Europe and in Western and Central Asia.
Region
Western Palearctic
Typical Environment
Breeds from the Iberian Peninsula and southern France across southern Ukraine and the steppes of western and central Asia. Uses open steppe, fallow and cereal fields, alfalfa, and other low vegetation farmland mosaics, avoiding dense tall crops and forests. Wintering birds move to milder Mediterranean zones, North Africa, and parts of the Middle East. Iberian birds are largely resident or dispersive, while eastern populations migrate longer distances.
Altitude Range
0–1800 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The little bustard is the only member of the genus Tetrax and favors open grasslands and traditional low-intensity farmland. Males perform striking spring displays with puffed necks and a dry 'prrt' call while leaping to show bold black-and-white neck bands. Many populations have declined due to agricultural intensification and habitat loss.
Egg, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
Temperament
wary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with level, low flight and brief glides
Social Behavior
Outside the breeding season it often forms small to large flocks. In spring, males display on loose leks, leaping and calling to attract females; the species is polygynous. Nests are shallow ground scrapes hidden in low vegetation, with clutches typically of 2–3 eggs.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Males give a dry, explosive 'prrt' or 'raspberry' note during display, often repeated from low ground or short leaps. Calls are otherwise soft and infrequent, aiding its secretive nature.
Plumage
Upperparts are finely mottled and barred brown, with a white belly and striking white wing coverts visible in flight. Breeding males show a black neck with two bold white bands; females and non-breeding males are more uniformly cryptic.
Diet
Omnivorous, taking seeds, green shoots, and leaves, especially from legumes and cereals. Insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and other arthropods are important, particularly in spring and for growing chicks. Diet composition shifts seasonally with availability and agricultural cycles.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in open steppe, grazed grasslands, fallow plots, alfalfa, and cereal stubbles with patchy low vegetation. Avoids dense crops and tall swards where movement and visibility are restricted.
