Male great bustards seek out two toxic plants during the birds' breeding season, and extracts from these plants have been found to kill common pathogens in the lab
This stunning picture series shows the two birds soaring through the United Arab Emirates skies in a mid-air tussle before the houbara bustard is felled by the falcon and torn apart.
Australian Bustard (Ardeotis australis)
A fairly large and lanky bustard. Males have a mostly black face, females a striped face. Both sexes have a gray neck and white belly. In flight, the wing is pale brown and black above and mostly pale below. A generally scarce species that is found in dry savanna, scrub, and other semi-desert habitats. Often in pairs. Similar to White-bellied Bustard, but the male is distinguished by his dark rather than pinkish bill, and the female by her gray rather than brownish neck.
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Environmental science and conservation news
Stamps showing Denham's Bustard Neotis denhami
From bustards and beached whales - the pick of this week's images from the natural world
A glimpse into the closed world of hunts for houbara bustards, thought by some to be an aphrodisiac.
The Abraham Accords are good news also for houbara bustards, an iconic desert bird and flagship species of dwindling numbers.
Catch a glimpse of Rajasthan's 15 spectacular bird species, from majestic peafowls to endangered bustards, in this visually stunning guide.
A forest department survey conducted in Ajmer district last week concluded that there were no more than two Great Indian Bustards in the area - despite the fact that the zone is a known habitat of the species.
That's Bustard, not buster! A Kori Bustard scans the sky for something flying. It doesn't want to become someone's next meal. Kori Bustards are large birds found across southern Africa, with the exception of woodlands. It has been suggested that they may be the heaviest birds capable of flight in the world. That being said, they spend the overwhelming majority of the time on the ground, and avoid woodlands simply because they need lots of open space to take to the air. On the ground they are generally slow, hesitant, and vigilant. They will run if startled or feel threatened, and take to the air only under extreme provocation. Bustards have only three front toes and no rear toe, that makes is just about impossible for them to perch. During mating season the males will inflate their esophagus to put on a "balloon" display. Kori Bustards let out a bark like call when they are alarmed. In reference to a past post, bustards don't have uropygial glands, but they do have powder down. Lots of interesting Bustard facts can be found at koribustardssp.org/Home_Page.php
This Eld's deer is just one of the remarkable arrivals of 2009 at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. What do 39 black footed ferrets, six Eld’s deer, five red pandas, four chameleon forest dragons, three clouded leopards, two burrowing owls, and one western lowland gorilla add up to at this time of the year? Not a new holiday song! They represent a successful 2009 baby boom at the National Zoo and Conservation and Research Center. All in all, the Zoo has bragging rights to more than 600 babies (400+ were cuttlefish) in the past year including Kibibi, the adorable female gorilla born in January, followed by three equally lovable clouded leopard cubs – two born in March and a singleton born this past summer. Other esteemed births/hatchings for the Zoo in 2009 include endangered species: black and rufous giant elephant shrews (six), elegant crested tinamous chicks (four), wattled cranes (three), Kori bustards (two), and one each of a giant anteater, dama gazelle, maned wolf, przewalski’s horse and Stanley crane. Photo Credit: Mehgan Murphy, National Zoo
