World's heaviest flying bird thrives once more on Britain's shores after absence of 170 years

By Daily Mail Reporter


Lucky bustard: This great bustard is full of the joys of spring after the glorious weather has provided perfect conditions for the enormous birds to thrive after their re-introduction to the grasslands of Salisbury plain


With his chest puffed out and plumage proudly on display, this fine specimen of a bird once wiped off the British Isles appears to prove the species is thriving on our shores again.

The great bustard - the heaviest flying bird in the world - has been gradually re-introduced to Britain using chicks from Russia.

Over the last two years the first baby bustards have successfully hatched for the first time in this country in 170 years, helping the species to re-establish itself.


Looking fit and healthy ahead of their breeding season, this young male specimen was captured on camera on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.

David Waters, of the Great Bustard Project, said: 'Seeing these birds showing off in all their finery is an unforgettable experience.

'The males have to be about four-years-old before they are fertile and can start breeding with females, so this is probably the first year of breeding for this one.

'At this time of year they want to look their best to the females because it is they who chose the males and they want to fittest and healthiest.

'It is great to see these birds are surviving through to breeding age and that has got to be a good thing for the future status of the great bustard in this country.'

The birds, which can grow to 3.5ft tall and have an eight-foot wingspan, used to be widely distributed across lowland Europe, but went into decline in the 18th century.

They were finally eliminated from Britain in 1832.

Shake your tail feathers: The male bird puts on an elaborate display of feather shaking in an attempt to attract a mate to increase the handful of breeding birds in the 6 year Great Bustard project


In 2004 the Great Bustard Group formed and set about re-introducing them to Salisbury Plain.

Chicks hatched in Saratov, Russia, have been brought to Britain every year, tagged and released onto the plain.

The first nesting occurred in 2007 but the eggs from these clutches were infertile. It wasn't until 2009 that they successfully bred and the first chicks were hatched.

Experts believe there are up to 20 great bustards in the wild now. They hope the birds will be able to form self-sustaining population again by the middle the decade.


Conservation effort: The great bustard - Otis tardais in Latin - is a globally threatened species that is listed in the highest category for endangered species of the European Commission Birds Directive


Mr Waters said: 'Spring is the busiest time of year for us. I've recently been in Saratov to work with Russian ornithologists to bring this year's batch of young bustards to Wiltshire.

'Meanwhile we are working hard to monitor the bustards that have previously released on Salisbury Plain.

'Those birds that are already out on the plain will be on eggs soon and we hope to see the first wild youngsters by the end of the month.'

Male bustards can weigh up to 44lbs - making it the heaviest flying bird in the world - and live into their 20s.

The great bustard - Otis tardais in Latin - is a globally threatened species that is listed in the highest category for endangered species of the European Commission Birds Directive.

The photos of the young male were taken by Dave Kjaer, the official photographer for the Great Bustard Project, which is made up of the RSPB, Natural England and Bath University.


source:dailymail