Bustards
Australian Bustard .
: Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Gruiformes Otididae

Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They make up the family Otididae.

Bustards are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips, and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays.

Bustards are gregarious outside the breeding season, but are very wary and difficult to approach in the open habitats they prefer. Most species are declining or endangered through habitat loss and hunting, even where they are nominally protected.

Houbara Bustard

The relationships of this group are shown below.

• Order GRUIFORMES
  • Family Aramidae: Limpkin
  • Family Psophiidae: trumpeters
  • Family Rallidae: crakes and rails
  • Family Heliornithidae: finfoots and Sungrebe
  • Family Rhynochetidae: Kagu
  • Family Eurypigidae: Sunbittern
  • Family Cariamidae: seriemas
  • Family Gruidae: cranes
  • Family Otidae
    • Great Bustard, Otis tarda
    • Arabian Bustard, Ardeotis arabs
    • Kori Bustard, Ardeotis kori
    • Great Indian Bustard, Ardeotis nigriceps
    • Australian Bustard , Ardeotis australis
    • Houbara Bustard, Chlamydotis undulata, (subspecies undulata and fuertaventurae)
    • Macqueen's Bustard, Chlamydotis macqueenii
    • Ludwig's Bustard, Neotis ludwigii
    • Denham's Bustard, Neotis denhami
    • Heuglin's Bustard, Neotis heuglinii
    • Nubian Bustard, Neotis nuba
    • White-bellied Bustard, Eupodotis senegalensis
    • Blue Bustard, Eupodotis caerulescens
    • Karoo Bustard, Eupodotis vigorsii
    • Rüppell's Bustard, Eupodotis rueppellii
    • Little Brown Bustard, Eupodotis humilis
    • Savile's Bustard, Lophotis savilei
    • Buff-crested Bustard, Lophotis gindiana
    • Red-crested Bustard, Lophotis ruficrista
    • Black Bustard, Afrotis afra
    • White-quilled Bustard, Afrotis afraoides
    • Black-bellied Bustard, Lissotis melanogaster
    • Hartlaub's Bustard, Lissotis hartlaubii
    • Bengal Florican, Houbaropsis bengalensis
    • Lesser Florican, Sypheotides indica
    • Little Bustard, Tetrax tetrax

Macqueen's Bustard has recently been split from Houbara bustard as a full species.

References

• Sibley, C. G., and J. Ahlquist. 1990. Phylogeny and classification of birds. Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn.
• Taxonomic recommendations for British birds. Ibis (2002), 144, 707–710. Alan G. Knox, Martin Collinson, Andreas J. Helbig, David T. Parkin & George Sangster.