Australian Bustard
Scientific Name: Ardeotis australis
Size: 70-100 cm
What does it look like?
No other Australian bird resembles the Australian Bustard. The back and wings are brown; black and white spotting in the front of the wings is most extensive in the male. The head and neck are grey-buff, except for the black crown, eye-stripe for the black crown, eye-stripe and breast band (browner and less prominent in the female). The remainder of the underparts are white.
Where is it found?
It is found over most of the Australian mainland
What are its habitats & habits?
If alarmed, an Australian bustard tends to crouch down on the ground with wings outstretched. When courting, the male’s throat sac inflates until it touches the ground. The Australian Bustard inhabits open wooded grasslands, pastoral lands and shrub steppes.
This species features in my book Australia’s Birdwatching Megaspots
