Listening Earth Blog

The Australian Bustard, Ardeotis australis, is a majestic bird of open country in the remoter parts of Australia.

Having grown up in the heart of urban Sydney, I thought of these lordly birds as something very exotic, and that I would be lucky to ever see one. My first fleeting sighting then, in outback Queensland, had me excitedly tracking the poor creature through the tropical scrub in the blistering heat of midday for half an hour.

Subsequently we found them to be relatively common, and over time have had many opportunities to photograph them. They call only rarely, and we think it is unlikely they will turn up on one of our nature recordings in the future. So instead, here is a small gallery of images of this magnificent bird.

Here is a male in full breeding display posture, with throat sack extended and tail feathers cocked. Note the breast-sac feathers that trail down to the ground, and are swung conspicuously and slowly from side to side while the bill is pointed skywards.

Bustards have to run heavily to gain airspeed, but once airborne they fly with powerful wingbeats and effortless grace over the grassy plains that are their home.