The Australian Bustard (Ardeotis australis) is an Australian bird that can be identified most reliably by combining shape, plumage, habitat and behaviour. A very large ground bird with long legs and neck, mottled brown upperparts, pale underparts, black crown and a bold dark breast band. Adults are typically about 80–120 cm long, although sex, age and posture can affect how large an individual appears in the field.
How to identify a Australian Bustard
A very large ground bird with long legs and neck, mottled brown upperparts, pale underparts, black crown and a bold dark breast band. Start with the overall silhouette before focusing on colour. Check the bill, legs, tail, wing shape and any bold head or body pattern. Distance, shade and strong Australian sunlight can change the apparent colour of feathers, so several matching features are more useful than a single mark.
Walks slowly through open country and may freeze or crouch when threatened before taking off with powerful wingbeats. Males perform conspicuous breeding displays. Behaviour can be one of the quickest ways to confirm an identification because closely related birds often feed, fly or perch differently even when their plumage looks similar.
Where is the Australian Bustard found in Australia?
Patchily distributed across northern and inland Australia, with movements influenced by rainfall, fire and food availability.
Typical habitat includes open grassland, spinifex country, savanna, lightly wooded plains and agricultural landscapes. Distribution can shift with rainfall, drought, breeding conditions, migration and local food supply, so an apparently unusual sighting should be checked against season as well as location.
What does the Australian Bustard eat?
Seeds, fruit, insects, small reptiles and other animal prey, making it a flexible omnivore. Watching exactly how a bird feeds can provide another useful clue. Note whether it walks, probes, dives, sweeps its bill, hunts from a perch or catches food in flight. Feeding technique often separates species that share the same habitat.
Wild birds do not need processed human food. Protecting natural habitat, clean water and native food plants is usually a better way to support them than regular feeding.
Behaviour and calls
Walks slowly through open country and may freeze or crouch when threatened before taking off with powerful wingbeats. Males perform conspicuous breeding displays.
Low booming display calls from males and quieter grunts or alarm notes. Voice is particularly useful when vegetation, distance or low light makes visual identification difficult. Try to notice the rhythm and tone as well as a written approximation of the sound.
Nesting and breeding
Females lay eggs in a simple ground scrape with little nest structure, relying on camouflage in open habitat. Breeding timing varies around Australia according to latitude, rainfall and local conditions. If you find a nest or dependent young, observe from a respectful distance and avoid changing the adults’ normal approach route.
Similar birds
Brolga is taller, uniformly grey and associated more strongly with wetlands; Emu is much larger and flightless.
When two species remain difficult to separate, compare photographs against multiple field marks rather than choosing on colour alone. Geographic range, voice and habitat may be more decisive than one feather pattern.
Quick identification tip
Remember three things: its approximate size is 80–120 cm; its key visual clue is a very large ground bird with long legs and neck, mottled brown upperparts, pale underparts, black crown and a bold dark breast band.; and a typical setting is open grassland, spinifex country, savanna, lightly wooded plains and agricultural landscapes. Matching all three gives a much stronger identification than any one clue by itself.
Best places and times to look
For a better chance of finding a Australian Bustard, start with habitat rather than colour alone. In Australia this species is associated with open grassland, spinifex country, savanna, lightly wooded plains and agricultural landscapes. Early morning and late afternoon can be productive because birds are often feeding, moving between roosts and foraging areas, or calling more frequently. At wetlands, scan edges and exposed perches before walking closer; in open country, use binoculars to check distant birds before they move.
Sources and further reading
For additional Australian bird information and conservation guidance, see BirdLife Australia bird profiles and the Australian Museum bird collection. Image licensing and creator information for this page is recorded from the linked Wikimedia Commons file page.
