An

ABOUT US Ic o n i c B i r d
The Eurasian Bustard Alliance is a
o f Mo n g o li a n S t ep p e
non-profit group of researchers devoted
to the conservation of bustard species
in northern Eurasia. We have worked
with the Great Bustard in Mongolia
since 2006. For more information
about our work and team, see www.
asiangreatbustard.org
The Wildlife Science and Conservation
Center of Mongolia (WSCC) is a
non-government organization dedicated
to preserving Mongolia’s wildlife and
their habitat through research,
conservation, and public education.
WSCC is based in Ulaanbaatar, and
is one of Mongolia’s premier wildlife
conservation organizations.
The mission of the organization is to
make a clear contribution into the
understanding and preservation of
national and regional wildlife species
and their habitat resources through im-
plementing science-based conservation
activities.

ADDRESS

Let’s Conserve
Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of
Mongolia, Union Building, B-802, UNESCO Street,
Ulaanbaatar 14210, Mongolia
Tel: +976 70157886

G R E AT B U S TA R D !
info@wscc.org.mn

Eurasian Bustard Alliance

Евро-Азийн Тоодог Судлалын Холбоо
Альянс по изучению и сохранению дрофиных птиц Евразии
 Photo by Nyambayar Batbayar c

HOW TO IDENTIFY A GREAT BUSTARD (Otis tarda)

G reat Bustard is the world’s heaviest bird capable of flight, and is 75-110 cm tall. These birds are seen
walking in grasslands or near edges of wheat fields, where they feed on insects and weeds. They are
unable to perch on trees, and they do not prefer to be near water.
Males are much larger than females; in fact, this bird displays the largest sexual size dimorphism among
birds. As a result, some people mistake a group of male and female Great Bustards for a female with
young. Males have square heads, a bright grey stripe on the wing, and thick necks with attractive beard
feathers. In spring and summer males often stand at attention with their tail cocked vertically and proudly. MONGOLIA IS THE HEARTLAND OF THE ASIAN GREAT BUSTARD
In spring, male Great Bustards perform a display in which they expose previously hidden bright white
feathers. From a distance, these males may look like a sheep.
Female Great Bustards are less brightly colored and behave secretively. Chicks are able to walk as soon
H istoric rock drawings tell us that Mongolia has been an important location for Great Bustards from early
times. Populations of the Great Bustard dropped catastrophically in the second half of this century due
to hunting and agricultural intensification.
as they hatch, but they are difficult to observe because of their camouflage.
Even with these low numbers, Mongolia is still the most important breeding site for the endangered Asian
subspecies of Great Bustard. In spring, approximately 1500 Great Bustards breed in the steppe and
forest-steppe of Mongolia, from Uvs to Dornod Aimag. Approximately 500 Asian Great Bustards breed in
Siberia and Manchuria.
In recognition of the important role Mongolia plays in conservation of this bird, in 2014 the Mongolian
Ministry of Nature led an initiative to increase protection for this species, under the Convention on Migratory
Species. This proposal was unanimously accepted by the signatories of the Convention, and these birds
are now protected globally at the highest level.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Photo by Jargalsaikhan Lamjav c
G reat Bustard has shared the steppe with Mongolian people for hundreds of years. It is an iconic part of
the landscape, and helps farmers by consuming large numbers of insect pests from wheat fields. Let’s
work together to continue to conserve this incredible bird for Mongolia’s future.
If you see a Great Bustard, you may observe quietly from a distance but do not approach or disturb this
wary bird. Your approach may cause the birds to leave the breeding site, abandon their young, or stop
feeding when they need to strengthen their bodies for their long migration.

THE LIFE OF THE GREAT BUSTARD Hunting of Great Bustards is illegal. The reproductive rate of this bird is naturally very low, and this rate
is further depressed by human activities. This means that all hunting is unsustainable and contributes to

I n March and April, male Great Bustards gather at traditional spots in Mongolia and begin to perform their further declines of the endangered population.
breeding display in mornings and evenings. Females arrive a bit later and choose a mate, usually an older
We need help learning about the breeding and migratory staging areas important to Great Bustards. We
and larger male.
also need to gather information about places where Great Bustards suffer from collisions with power lines.
Females select a spot to lay 2-3 eggs on the ground, in steppe or wheat agriculture. Females incubate You can share your observations with us at mail@asiangreatbustard.org
these eggs for 25 days, leaving the nest only one time per day to eat.
If the nest is successful, the eggs hatch in late June. Chicks accompany their mother for one year as she
teaches them to forage for insects and guards them from predators such as crows and foxes. Unfortunately,
loss of eggs and chicks to predators, poor weather, and destruction by farm machinery is high.
In fall, Great Bustards begin to gather for migration, and they depart in October. Females teach their chicks
the migratory pathway, while some larger males may stay near breeding grounds, if there is not too much
snow. Through telemetry, we know that Great Bustards breeding in Khovsgol Aimag travel 2000 km to
overwinter in Shaanxi Province of China. We have recorded flight speeds of over 100 km/hour.

Photo by Jargalsaikhan Lamjav c