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Australian Bustard

(Ardeotis australis)
Alternative name: "Plain Turkey"
Aboriginal names: "mantaba", "murranudda"
Size: 80 cm - 1.3 m; wing span up to 2 m

Habitat
(for details refer to a field guide)

Australian Bustards can be found basically everywhere in the northern half of the Australian continent, while in the southern half their distribution is patchy. They are not found along the south-eastern coastal fringe and Tasmania (see a distribution map for details).

Australian Bustards live mostly in open grassland, including paddocks, and open woodland with grassy undergrowth (in tropical, i.e. wet, but also semi-arid to arid environments).

Sightings

An Australian Bustard was seen 20 km south of Narrabri on several oocasions in November/December 2006, where it roosted on a palm tree. However the photo shown below was taken in captivity.

Photos

Frontal view of an Australian Bustard

These pages are largely based on our own observations. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.