Great Indian Bustard

Ardeotis nigriceps

Beak

—

Feet

—

Crest

Has a crest

Resident. India. Very large. Flight action is stiff. with wing-beats slow and heavy; upperwing mainly dark with whitish tips to blackish coverts. Male has black breast-band and almost white neck Female smaller; with greyer neck, whitish supercilium. and breast - band is broken or absent. Medium - sized, short -legged bustard with rather long tail. in all plumages appears crested and shows a dark vertical stripe down neck. Upperparts are sandy, with distinct dark bars. in flight, shows extensive white patch on outer primaries and pale panel across greater coverts. Sexes sim ilar. but female is smaller. crest and dark neck stripe are less pronounced and has less distinct pale panel across greater coverts. Globally threatened. Globally threatened. Formerly treated as conspecific with Houbara Bustard C. undulata. Dry grasslands with bushes; also a djacent open dry deciduous forest. Semi - desert with sand dunes and sparsely scattered shrubs, sandy grasslands; also mustard fields in winter.