Tetrax tetrax - Little Bustard
Feather characters. Barbules are extremely long (1.8-3.5 mm) and barbules may contain lightly stippled pigment. Slightly thickened nodes (10-13 per mm) are present on proximal end of barbules, gradually decreasing towards distal end. Villi are absent and internodes are straight. Short prongs are mostly located on distal end of the barbules, and on both sides of the pennulum. Their length varies; the longest prongs can reach a length between 0.01 mm and half the length of the adjacent internode.
Field characters. Size 40-45 cm. Weight 600-900 g (Dunning, 1993). Much smaller than Great Bustard (Otis tarda, not included in BRIS), but with similarly mottled sandy-brown mantle and white underparts. A shy and wary bird which is difficult to observe until it flies. Male in breeding plumage with thick, black neck outlined by white bands; face and throat blue-grey; upperparts and crown sandy, vermiculated and speckled grey and black. In flight it shows broad white wing panel, interrupted by black tips on primary coverts and inner primaries and black outer primaries. Female has upperparts paler and more coarsely blotched and streaked with black; underparts whitish, closely barred on breast and flanks; without black-and-white neck. Adult male non-breeding and juvenile resemble female. Rises with a rattle of wings and flies with neck extended.
Voice. Display note of male is a far-carrying snort: "prrrit"; when flushed it utters a short "dahg".
Distribution. Locally fairly common resident, especially in Spain. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Frequents grass plains and cultivated fields with cereals.
Food. Feeds on plant material (shoots, leaves, flowers, grasses, clover, turnip) and invertebrates (beetles, grasshoppers, field-crickets, snails, worms), also small frogs and field voles.