Bustard is the name of many species of game birds that live on the dry, open plains of Europe, Asia, Australia, and, especially, Africa. Bustards vary in size between the length and weight of a chicken and that of a large turkey. The great bustard, which ranges from southern Europe to China, is one of the heaviest of all flying birds. It may weigh as much as 46 pounds (21 kilograms).
Males of some species of bustards perform remarkable displays to attract females. During these displays, the males swell up their necks, raise their feathers, and twist their bodies into odd postures. Bustards feed on insects and plants. The ranges of most bustards have been reduced by the spread of human settlement and by hunting, and the survival of several species is threatened.
