Asian Houbara
Chlamydotis macqueenii
The Asian Houbara (Chlamydotis macqueenii) is a rare bustard found in 16 countries, weighing about 1.5 kg. The Asian houbara, also known as MacQueen's bustard, is a large bird in the bustard family.
About the Asian Houbara
The Asian houbara, also known as MacQueen's bustard, is a large bird in the bustard family. It is native to the desert and steppe regions of Asia, east from the Sinai Peninsula extending across Iran and further north toward Kazakhstan and Mongolia. In the 19th century, vagrants were found as far west of their range as Great Britain. Populations have decreased by 20–50% between 1984 and 2004 mainly due to hunting and changes in land-use. The Asian houbara is a partial latitudinal migrant while the African houbara is more sedentary. These two species are the only members of the genus Chlamydotis. The Asian houbara used to be regarded as a subspecies of the African houbara.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This medium-sized bustard is about 65 cm (26 in) long with a 140 cm (55 in) wingspan. It is brown above and white below, with black stripes down the sides of the neck. In flight, the long wings show large areas of black and brown on the flight feathers and a white patch at the base of the primaries. From below the wing is mostly white with a black trailing edge. Sexes are similar, but the female is smaller and paler above. Males and females are nearly identical in plumage but males are slightly larger than females.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Sweden, Azerbaijan, Qatar.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November, December, with peak activity in December. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Asian Houbara?
- This medium-sized bustard is about 65 cm (26 in) long with a 140 cm (55 in) wingspan. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Asian Houbara?
- The Asian Houbara is a huge sized bird weighing about 1.5 kg.
- Where can you see an Asian Houbara?
- The Asian Houbara occurs in 16 countries, including India, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Iran.
- What birds look similar to an Asian Houbara?
- The Asian Houbara is most easily confused with the African Houbara.
- Is the Asian Houbara endangered?
- The Asian Houbara is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Asian Houbara for real
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