The Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax) is a large terrestrial game bird.
The Little Bustard is brown with black flecks. Its underbelly is white. It has a grey head and a black neck.
It grows to 42-45 centimetres (17-18 inches) long, with a wingspan of 90-110 centimetres (35-43 inches).
The Little Bustard is native to western and central Asia, as well as southern Europe. It is usually residential and does not migrate in winter.
It prefers grasslands. It is terrestrial, living on the ground. It tends to run when startled, instead of flying away.
It is omnivorous, eating seeds, insects, mice, rats, and small reptiles, such as lizards.
The female lays 3-5 eggs on the ground, hidden in the grass. The eggs hatch after 23-30 days. The chicks are precocial, because they have some feathers when they are born. Their mothers feed them for a few weeks, until they are ready to fly at about 4-5 weeks old.
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM