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Great Bustard — printable fact sheet
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Great Bustard
Otis tarda
Otis tarda is arguably the heaviest flying bird on Earth, with exceptional males exceeding 18 kg - some records approach 21 kg - which puts them right at the theoretical ceiling for powered flight. Sexual dimorphism is extreme: males can be more than twice the mass of females, o…
Did you know?
- A male Great Bustard can weigh more than three times as much as a female, making them one of the most sexually dimorphic bird species on Earth.
- The cantharidin in blister beetles is the active compound in "Spanish fly", and male great bustards tolerate doses that would poison most birds. Great bustards have no preen gland, so they keep their plumage clean with powder down instead. Displaying males become so conspicuous that some are killed by eagles mid-display - the cost of a signal designed to be seen from a great distance.
What I learned
Draw the great bustard
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