- Chlamydotis undulata
Identification
60 cm long, 140 cm wingspan
- Brown upperparts
- White underparts
- Black stripe down the sides of neck
In flight, the long wings show large areas of black and brown on the flight feathers
Sexes are similar, the female being smaller and greyer above.
Similar Species
It is slightly smaller and darker than Macqueen's Bustard.
Distribution
Canary Islands and northern Africa.
Taxonomy
Macqueen's Bustard (C. macqueenii) is now split from Houbara Bustard.
Subspecies1
- C. u. fuertaventurae - Eastern Canary Islands (Fuerteventura and Lanzarote)
- C. u. undulata - North Africa (Morocco to western Nile Valley)
Habitat
Arid plains and steppes; deserts and other very arid sandy areas.
Behaviour
Breeding
Ground-nesters, the clutch consisting of 2-4 eggs.
Diet
Diet includes seeds, insects and other small creatures.
Vocalisation
It is almost silent.
References
- Clements James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2008. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
- Wikipedia
External Links
