General Description
Tall ground-dwelling bird. Neck and face appears grey with black stripe at base across breast. Black cap on head, bill pale. Upperparts of body brown, lowerparts creamy white with black and white patterning between. Juveniles lack the black breast stripe. Legs pale. Up to 1 m tall.
Biology
Australian Bustards used to be common across the country but are now uncommon in southern Australia and are mostly restricted to inland areas in the north of the country. They are usually seen alone or in pairs, occasionally in small groups. They eat seeds and fruit as well as small animals. Eggs are laig on the ground, one or two in a clutch.
Distribution
Mainland Australia.
Habitat
Grassland and open woodland.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
Tall, brown, long-legged ground-dwelling bird.
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Colours
Black, White, Brown, Light
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Maximum Size
105 cm
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Habitats
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Diet
Omnivore
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Diet Categories
Seeds, Fruit, Leaves, Small animals
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Endemicity
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Commercial
No
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Conservation Statuses
CITES: Trade restrictions (Appendix II), FFG Threatened List: Critically Endangered, EPBC Act 1999: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Least Concern
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Taxon Name
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Common Name
Australian Bustard
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Kingdom
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Class
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Order
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Family
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Genus
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Species Name
australis
