In Southwestern Asia there a is a turkey looking bird called the Chlamydotis macqueenii, also known as the Houbara Bustard. It has a long neck and tail, narrow wings.   

 

This bird is a slender, with a tuft of hairs in the center of the crown, and long plumes of feathers drooping over the neck. Most of the birds have a black in the uppermost feathers while the lower ones are white with black tips. The body is a pale sandy buff color, with dark lines and mottling and the underside is white. Most large areas of black and brown occur on the flight feathers and the long, square tail is a sandy chestnut color patterned with blue black bars.  It has a long neck and tail, narrow wings. The head is short, with large eyes.  And the male Chlamydotis macqueenii is more larger than the females. This bird is a small to a mid-sized macqueenii. It measures 55-65cm. And in length and spans to 135-170 cm (53-67in) across the wings.

 

Usually the habitat for breeding that the Chlamydotis macqueenii choose is  where there are short sub shrubby and open areas close to high busy patches. The nesting females prefer low covered areas and avoid densely  covered and highly vegetation sites. The Chlamydotis macqueenii is found in stony and sandy semi-desert region. The ecology of the Chlamydotis macqueenii is poorly due to hunting and habitat loss. They also live where trees are absent.

 

The Chlamydotis macqueenii feeds alone or on small groups of beetles,ants, plants, and even lizards. They also eat seeds. The Chlamydotis macqueenii does not need to drink.  It receives all the water its needs in its food. But the population of this bird is poorly because of all the hunting. This is making their population go down.

 

So this is my bird the Chlamydotis macqueenii. Even though its population is going down because of hunting. We can still try to make the population go up. But they enjoy being in a desert like areas with no trees just, stoney sandy-bluff semi-deserts.

 

Author: Johana G

Published: 02/2014

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