Bengal Florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis)

OTHER NAMES: Bengal Bustard
Latin Etymology: Houbaropsis "(Houbara (bustard) appearance") bengalensis ("of Bengal")

Adult male Bengal Florican (subspecies H. b. blandini) at Florican Grasslands, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Houbaropsis bengalensis blandini
Weight: 1.2-1.9kg  /  Length: 66-68cm  /  Wingspan: 72-105cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

As on the time of writing this, the Bengal Florican is the most critically endangered species I've seen in the nearly ten years I've been producing this website.  The bustards as a whole seem to be one of the most vulnerable families of birds to human activity due to their relatively slow reproduction rate and ground-nesting habitat that often has them dwelling within farmland.  Only two population areas of this species remains; one in India and Nepal, the other in Cambodia and there are potentially less than 1000 left worldwide.  They also have a wonderfully comic mating display involving hopping out of long grass and then parachuting down.

Related Species:
Order: Otidiformes
Family: Otididae
Genus: Houbaropsis
SUBSPECIES: H. b. bengalensis, N. b. blandini 

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA -  Khmer: ខ្សឹប ឬ ទ្រមាក់អណ្តើក ("Whisper" or "Turtle tail")

A critically endangered resident

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - One seen at Florican Grassland Reserve

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Tetrax (species specific name) tetrax (species specific name)

                                  Male and Female Little Bustards (Tetrax tetrax) on Madrid Region Farmland, Spain - June 2015

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 830g  /  Length: 43cm  /  Wingspan: 110cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened  

 The Little Bustard is a fairly rare species in Europe, and is declining - we were very lucky to see them at the time of year we did - they ordinarily are hidden among the long grasses and crops of the steppe habitat they inhabit.  Though they are significantly smaller than the great bustard, they are still a decent sized bird - probably about on a scale with a pheasant, and are exceptionally well camouflaged - even without any ground cover these birds would have been very easy to miss.

Related Species:
Order: Otidiformes
Family: Otididae
Genus: Tetrax
Subspecies: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Sisón

Widespread but scarce and local resident

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Pair on farmland North of Madrid 
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Two birds seen near Laguna del Longar 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Great Bustard (Otis tarda)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etmology: Otis ("bustard") tarda ("slow")

Mature adult male Great Bustard (subspecies O. t. tarda) in grasslands in Castille-La-Mancha, Spain - April 2016

Featured Subspecies: Otis tarda tarda

Weight: 10-19kg  /  Length: 90-105cm  /  Wingspan: 2.1-2.7m

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

The Great Bustard is a huge bird - the male in particular is possibly the heaviest living flying animal, rivaled only by other large bustard species.  They are I saw this species near Madrid on a guided tour with Luis Sitges who was familiar with where best to see them, though unfortunately due to disturbance caused by people walking along the fields, this was the only individual we saw of this massive species. It was formerly resident in the UK, but due to hunting became extinct by 1840s, but as of 2002 a reintroduction project has begun to re-establish this spectacular bird as a breeding species in England.

Related Species:
Order: Otidiformes
Family: Otididae
Genus: Otis
Subspecies: O. t. tarda, O. t. dybowskii

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Avutarda

 Scarce but locally common resident of farmland.

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: One male seen at great distance on the farmlands around Madrid 
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Abundant in the surroundings of Laguna del Longar (multiple flocks of around 10 birds, one flock of 90)

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-Canto   .