Little Bustard

Tetrax tetrax

Near ThreatenedUncommonOmnivoreGrasslandScrapeLarge · 833 g

About the Little Bustard

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.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

Although the smallest Palearctic bustard, the little bustard is still pheasant-sized at 42–45 cm (17–18 in) long with a 90–110 cm (35–43 in) wingspan and a weight of 830 g (29 oz). In flight, the long wings are extensively white. The breeding male is brown above and white below, with a grey head and a black neck bordered above and below by white. The female and non-breeding male lack the dramatic neck pattern, and the female is marked darker below than the male. Immature bustards resemble females.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

What the Little Bustard sounds like

Recording: Philippe_Grange · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Recording: Philippe_Grange · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Recording: Philippe_Grange · CC0 · via xeno-canto

Where it lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in Netherlands, Germany, Morocco, Finland, Czechia, India, Poland, Austria, Algeria, Cyprus.

When to see it

Peak activity in May · a variable species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Learn the Little Bustard for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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