Australian bustard

Australian bustard
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Otidiformes
Family: Otididae
Genus: Ardeotis
Species:
A. australis
Binomial name
Ardeotis australis
(Gray, JE, 1829)

The Australian bustard (Ardeotis australis) is a large ground-dwelling bird that is common in grassland, woodland and open agricultural country across northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It stands at about one metre (3 ft 3 in) high, and its wingspan is around twice that length. The species is nomadic, flying to areas when food becomes plentiful, and capable of travelling long distances. They were once widespread and common to the open plains of Australia, but became rare in regions that have been used for farming. The bustard is omnivorous, mostly consuming the fruit or seed of plants, but also eating invertebrates such as crickets, grasshoppers, smaller mammals, birds and reptiles.

The species is also commonly referred to as the plains turkey,[3] and in Central Australia as the bush turkey,[4] particularly by Aboriginal people, who hunt it, although the latter name may also be used for the Australian brushturkey, as well as the orange-footed scrubfowl.

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Ardeotis australis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22691940A93330335. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22691940A93330335.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference ACT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference bushtucker was invoked but never defined (see the help page).