HOME | DD

Description

Species Name: Australian Bustard

Species Latin Name: Ardeotis australis

Also Known As: Plains Turkey and Bush Turkey

Native To: Northern Australia and southern New Guinea

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Photo Taken At: N/A

Size (length): 90 – 120cm (35.4 – 47.2 inches)

Size (Height): 0.8 – 1.8m (2.6 – 5.9 feet)

Wingspan: 1.8 – 2.3m (5.9 7.5 feet)

Weight: 2.8 – 8.2kg (6.2 – 18.1 pounds)

Lifespan: 25 – 30 years

Population: Between 10,000 – 100,000

Population Trend: Decreasing

Diet: Omnivore, frugivore

Lifestyle: Terrestrial, oviparous, nomadic

Baby Name: Pups, chicks

Reproductive Season: All year round, peak during rainy season or between October - November

Eggs Per Clutch: 1 – 2 eggs

Incubation Period: 23 days

Age of Sexual Maturity: 5 - 6 years

Description:

The Australian Bustard is a large terrestrial ground dwelling bird that can be likened to the American Turkey (Genus Meleagris) in both form and behaviour. They are distinguished by their large size, long legs as they slowly stride along the open plains. Generally these animals will have black feathers along the top of their head, their necks will be pale grey and their wings will feature brown plumage. Their beaks can vary from whitish in colouration to a more brown colour, their legs can vary in colour from yellow to more cream in colouration. The males will have a dark brown shade to the colour of their iris whereas the females will have more of a pale white/light grey colour to their iris. Males and females will otherwise appear similar in appearance with the males being much larger than the females in size and weight.

Diet:

These birds are omnivorous and they will feed on a variety of insects and plants including grasshoppers, lizards, young birds, small rodents, leaves, buds, seeds, furits, frogs, caterpillars, beetles, and other invertebrates. These birds will typically walk slowly as they pick at food as they wander, they will generally feed at night during the early morning just before the sun rises or just after dark. Despite being quite heavy looking birds the Australian Bustard is capable of flying quite long distances, they will migrate from site to site wherever food is more plentiful and repeat their feeding behaviours before moving onto the next feeding site. These birds are particularly fond of the fruit from the Caper Bush (Capparis spinosa) plant which is also known as Flinders Rose. Generally these birds will take things into their beak and swallow them whole.

Behaviour:

The Australian Bustard are generally quite shy and reserved animals so they generally do not make much noise with exception to breeding season and when they fly. When flying these birds are known to make a loud, high-pitched whistle, with a rolling "Carr-ack" call in flight.

When these animals are wondering the plains to eat their stride has been referred to as appearing quite 'snooty' in appearance as they hold their necks and head up high. When disturbed these birds will adopt a cryptic pose with their neck erect and their bill pointed towards the sky. They may gradually walk away slowly when disturbed or they will run if they are alarmed and only fly away as a last resort. The young Australian Bustard is unable to fly away but will instead remain motionless and stay low to the ground if disturbed as it relies on the camouflage of their plumage to survive.

Generally you will see these birds either alone or wandering in pairs, the exception to this will be during mating season where these birds will congregate in larger numbers. The normal shy disposition of these birds will change particularly in the males as they take up a spot in a so called 'display arena'. The males will stand well apart from one another approximately 100 – 1000 meters (328.1 – 3280.8 feet) as they will perform their displays to attract a female. Males that perform this display will inflate their throat sacs which allows the long throat feathers to be displayed like a sort of fan. This act will generate a sound likened to a distant roaring lion that is stated to sound like a "Who-o-o-o" call. The males will become rather aggressive to defend their designated display arena and will fight other birds on the ground to defend their spot. Larger males will tend to be more successful in attracting a mate as they are able to perform more elaborate displays.

Mating can occur all year around but the peak of mating season depends on the region. Areas that are more arid or dry will generally have no breeding season but breeding will peak after periods of rain, in other locations breeding season will peak during the months of October – December. These birds will generally not attempt to make an actual nest, their eggs will either be laid on the bare ground, in tall grass, or near a bush. The female will generally lay between 1 – 2 eggs per clutch and the female will have sole responsibility of incubating the eggs for 23 days before the egg hatches. The plumage of the young chick helps it blend in with its surroundings, only the female will care for and nurture the chick as they mature. Due to these birds longer life spans it takes around 5 – 6 years for them to reach sexual maturity.

Threats:

The Australian Bustard used to be more widely distributed before the arrival of the European Settlers, since their arrival over hunting has resulted in a sharp decline in their numbers. Before the arrival of the European Settlers these birds were also hunted by the indigenous population of Australia for their meat. The indigenous people of Australia would even take advantage of this birds particular fondness of the Caper Bush by digging around these bushes to set a trap to capture the Bustard as it tries to eat the bushes fruit.

Other threats to this species include feral predators such as pigs, foxes, as well as habitat destruction and habitat loss. These birds are also particularly sensitive at breeding sights, they are prone to abandon their nesting sights if disturbed by cattle, sheep, or humans. This species is also vulnerable to have their eggs predated by the Black-breasted Buzzard (Hamirostra melanosternon) which is known to drop rocks on Australian Bustard eggs to break them open so that the raptor can feed on the eggs contents.

Due to this birds nomadic lifestyle there are difficulties in getting a full grasp on their numbers, that said for the most part despite the decline in their numbers these animals are listed as a species of least concern. That said in some states such as Western Australia and the Northern Territory the Australian Bustard is listed as Near Threatened, in the states of South Australia and New South Whales they are listed as Endangered, in the state of Victoria they are listed as Threatened, and in the state of Queensland they are listed as Least Concern.

It is now illegal generally to hunt these birds for their meat with the exception of the indigenous people of Australia. It is unclear what kind of future lays in store for these birds, it is officially noted that the numbers of these birds are on the decline, if their numbers continue to drop further conservation methods may be adopted if required.

Further Reading (general information):

Wikipedia: Australian bustard - Wikipedia

Australian Museum: Australian Bustard - The Australian Museum

Kidadl: Amaze-wing Facts About The Australian Bustard That Kids Will Love (kidadl.com)

Animalia: Australian bustard - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio

Birdlife: Australian Bustard | BirdLife Australia

Birdfact: Australian Bustard Bird Facts (Ardeotis australis) | Bird Fact

Birds In Backyards: Australian Bustard | BIRDS in BACKYARDS

Description

Species Name: Australian Bustard

Species Latin Name: Ardeotis australis

Also Known As: Plains Turkey and Bush Turkey

Native To: Northern Australia and southern New Guinea

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Photo Taken At: N/A

Size (length): 90 – 120cm (35.4 – 47.2 inches)

Size (Height): 0.8 – 1.8m (2.6 – 5.9 feet)

Wingspan: 1.8 – 2.3m (5.9 7.5 feet)

Weight: 2.8 – 8.2kg (6.2 – 18.1 pounds)

Lifespan: 25 – 30 years

Population: Between 10,000 – 100,000

Population Trend: Decreasing

Diet: Omnivore, frugivore

Lifestyle: Terrestrial, oviparous, nomadic

Baby Name: Pups, chicks

Reproductive Season: All year round, peak during rainy season or between October - November

Eggs Per Clutch: 1 – 2 eggs

Incubation Period: 23 days

Age of Sexual Maturity: 5 - 6 years

Description:

The Australian Bustard is a large terrestrial ground dwelling bird that can be likened to the American Turkey (Genus Meleagris) in both form and behaviour. They are distinguished by their large size, long legs as they slowly stride along the open plains. Generally these animals will have black feathers along the top of their head, their necks will be pale grey and their wings will feature brown plumage. Their beaks can vary from whitish in colouration to a more brown colour, their legs can vary in colour from yellow to more cream in colouration. The males will have a dark brown shade to the colour of their iris whereas the females will have more of a pale white/light grey colour to their iris. Males and females will otherwise appear similar in appearance with the males being much larger than the females in size and weight.

Diet:

These birds are omnivorous and they will feed on a variety of insects and plants including grasshoppers, lizards, young birds, small rodents, leaves, buds, seeds, furits, frogs, caterpillars, beetles, and other invertebrates. These birds will typically walk slowly as they pick at food as they wander, they will generally feed at night during the early morning just before the sun rises or just after dark. Despite being quite heavy looking birds the Australian Bustard is capable of flying quite long distances, they will migrate from site to site wherever food is more plentiful and repeat their feeding behaviours before moving onto the next feeding site. These birds are particularly fond of the fruit from the Caper Bush (Capparis spinosa) plant which is also known as Flinders Rose. Generally these birds will take things into their beak and swallow them whole.

Behaviour:

The Australian Bustard are generally quite shy and reserved animals so they generally do not make much noise with exception to breeding season and when they fly. When flying these birds are known to make a loud, high-pitched whistle, with a rolling "Carr-ack" call in flight.

When these animals are wondering the plains to eat their stride has been referred to as appearing quite 'snooty' in appearance as they hold their necks and head up high. When disturbed these birds will adopt a cryptic pose with their neck erect and their bill pointed towards the sky. They may gradually walk away slowly when disturbed or they will run if they are alarmed and only fly away as a last resort. The young Australian Bustard is unable to fly away but will instead remain motionless and stay low to the ground if disturbed as it relies on the camouflage of their plumage to survive.

Generally you will see these birds either alone or wandering in pairs, the exception to this will be during mating season where these birds will congregate in larger numbers. The normal shy disposition of these birds will change particularly in the males as they take up a spot in a so called 'display arena'. The males will stand well apart from one another approximately 100 – 1000 meters (328.1 – 3280.8 feet) as they will perform their displays to attract a female. Males that perform this display will inflate their throat sacs which allows the long throat feathers to be displayed like a sort of fan. This act will generate a sound likened to a distant roaring lion that is stated to sound like a "Who-o-o-o" call. The males will become rather aggressive to defend their designated display arena and will fight other birds on the ground to defend their spot. Larger males will tend to be more successful in attracting a mate as they are able to perform more elaborate displays.

Mating can occur all year around but the peak of mating season depends on the region. Areas that are more arid or dry will generally have no breeding season but breeding will peak after periods of rain, in other locations breeding season will peak during the months of October – December. These birds will generally not attempt to make an actual nest, their eggs will either be laid on the bare ground, in tall grass, or near a bush. The female will generally lay between 1 – 2 eggs per clutch and the female will have sole responsibility of incubating the eggs for 23 days before the egg hatches. The plumage of the young chick helps it blend in with its surroundings, only the female will care for and nurture the chick as they mature. Due to these birds longer life spans it takes around 5 – 6 years for them to reach sexual maturity.

Threats:

The Australian Bustard used to be more widely distributed before the arrival of the European Settlers, since their arrival over hunting has resulted in a sharp decline in their numbers. Before the arrival of the European Settlers these birds were also hunted by the indigenous population of Australia for their meat. The indigenous people of Australia would even take advantage of this birds particular fondness of the Caper Bush by digging around these bushes to set a trap to capture the Bustard as it tries to eat the bushes fruit.

Other threats to this species include feral predators such as pigs, foxes, as well as habitat destruction and habitat loss. These birds are also particularly sensitive at breeding sights, they are prone to abandon their nesting sights if disturbed by cattle, sheep, or humans. This species is also vulnerable to have their eggs predated by the Black-breasted Buzzard (Hamirostra melanosternon) which is known to drop rocks on Australian Bustard eggs to break them open so that the raptor can feed on the eggs contents.

Due to this birds nomadic lifestyle there are difficulties in getting a full grasp on their numbers, that said for the most part despite the decline in their numbers these animals are listed as a species of least concern. That said in some states such as Western Australia and the Northern Territory the Australian Bustard is listed as Near Threatened, in the states of South Australia and New South Whales they are listed as Endangered, in the state of Victoria they are listed as Threatened, and in the state of Queensland they are listed as Least Concern.

It is now illegal generally to hunt these birds for their meat with the exception of the indigenous people of Australia. It is unclear what kind of future lays in store for these birds, it is officially noted that the numbers of these birds are on the decline, if their numbers continue to drop further conservation methods may be adopted if required.

Further Reading (general information):

Wikipedia: Australian bustard - Wikipedia

Australian Museum: Australian Bustard - The Australian Museum

Kidadl: Amaze-wing Facts About The Australian Bustard That Kids Will Love (kidadl.com)

Animalia: Australian bustard - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio

Birdlife: Australian Bustard | BirdLife Australia

Birdfact: Australian Bustard Bird Facts (Ardeotis australis) | Bird Fact

Birds In Backyards: Australian Bustard | BIRDS in BACKYARDS