Nubian bustard

The Nubian bustard (Neotis nuba) is a species of bird in the bustard family. This is a medium-large bustard found in the sparsely vegetated interface between the southern margins of the Sahara desert and the northern part of the Sahel. It is found in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Sudan. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.

Nubian bustard
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Otidiformes
Family: Otididae
Genus: Neotis
Species:
N. nuba
Binomial name
Neotis nuba
(Cretzschmar, 1826)
General range: Sahelian Acacia savanna

Description

In this species, males average around 5–7 kg (11–15 lb) and measure around 80 cm (31 in) in length and 180 cm (71 in) in wingspan. Females are much smaller at around 3 kg (6.6 lb) and 60 cm (24 in) in length and 150 cm (59 in) across the wings.[2] It is smaller than the sympatric Arabian bustard, as well as more rufous with a different body shape. Compared to larger bustards the Nubian has a more rounded body, a relatively long, thin neck and a rounded head.

Life history

Observation of breeding has occurred from July to October have been reported across the species' range.

Young birds and eggs are threatened by a wider range of predators, including mammalian carnivores and reptiles.

Conservation

Classified as Near-Threatened by the IUCN, its main threat is habitat loss.

References
  1. BirdLife International (2013). "Neotis nuba". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Beaman & Madge, The Handbook of Bird Identification for Europe and the Western Palearctic. Princeton University Press (1998), ISBN 978-0-691-02726-5
  • "Nubian Bustard". Wildlife Profiles. Sahara Conservation Fund. 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
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