Chlamydotis macqueeni

The Houbara Bustard is a large ground-dwelling bird, about 70 cm in length. The forehead, sides of the crown feathers and the entire upper body of the adult bird are sandy yellow with dark brown worm-like fine lines. Some black fine lines on the upper back and shoulders turn into sparse black horizontal stripes. The upper tail coverts are the same color as the back but the brown is darker; the tail feathers are sandy brown with black worm-like spots; the black horizontal stripes on the back of the base of the tail are thinner and gradually widen toward the tip. The primary flight feathers are dark brown with white bases, the base of the outer vanes is yellowish, and the inner vanes are 2/3 white. The outer secondary flight feathers are the same as the primary flight feathers but without yellowish color, and the inner secondary flight feathers are the same as the shoulder feathers. The wing coverlets are the same as the back, the middle wing coverlets are the same as the small coverlets

Distributed in India and the Altai region, wintering in Western Europe, Eastern Egypt and northwestern India. There are also a small number of distributions and breeding in the northern and western Tianshan Mountains of Xinjiang, China (breeding birds, migratory birds), and in Urad Rear Banner, Bayannur League, Inner Mongolia; in addition, it is occasionally seen in Boye, Hebei, and Urad Rear Banner, Inner Mongolia, and may be a stray bird or a summer migratory bird.
In the 19th century, the Houbara Bustard was also found throughout Europe, reaching Sweden and Finland in the north, and was also seen in the UK in the early 1960s. However, due to overhunting and habitat deterioration, the distribution area has shrunk and the number has decreased. It is only found in the Canary Islands, Spain, Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia, Mongolia

Houbara Bustard, also known as Macqueen's Bustard, has no subspecies. A large ground-dwelling bird, once a subspecies of the Ruffed-jawed Bustard, it has been reclassified as an independent species.

Like other bustards, the Houbara Bustard is a bird of open and desert areas. In Xinjiang, it mainly inhabits desert grasslands and is also found in grasslands and deserts. They often gather in small groups of 3-4 or about 12. They are timid and alert. They usually move slowly but are good at running. When in danger, it usually does not take off, but runs away quickly, squats and hides in the grass, and only takes off when it has to. It needs to run on the ground first before taking off. It flies slowly and at a low altitude. It is silent when flying, and its wings flap vigorously. It is slightly similar to an ostrich, but it can fly. The upper body is brown with black insect spots; the wings are grayish white, and the flight feathers are black; the head, neck and chest are dark gray, and the head and neck are covered with long and thin hair-like feathers, which are particularly developed on the throat and protrude like whiskers; the lower body is generally close to white; the legs are long and strong, with only the first three toes, and the toes are flat and claw-shaped like nails; the beak is lead black, and the feet and toes are dark black; it has a throat sac, and the throat sac of the male bird is very developed during the estrus period, and can be inflated to expose the naked skin. When frightened, the head is lowered, the back is arched, the tail feathers are spread upwards in a fan-like shape, the wings are half-opened, the wrist joints are downward, and the mouth emits a "haha" panting sound, the purpose of which is to scare off the intruder and prevent the intruder from approaching.

If the enemy is very strong, the Houbara Bustard will take off immediately, making it difficult to approach. Due to its heavy weight, it usually needs to trot a few steps on the ground when taking off. When running up, the head is raised, the beak is stretched forward and horizontal, the neck is slightly arched and tilted forward and upward, the wings are spread, the center of gravity is tilted forward, and the feet take big steps forward rhythmically. As the running speed increases, the frequency of flapping the wings also increases until the feet leave the ground and fly up. But in an emergency, it can fly directly. When flying, the neck and legs are straight, the wings are flat, and the legs are stretched backward under the tail feathers. The wings flap slowly and powerfully. The flying height is not too high, but the flying ability is very strong. It often soars during migration, so it is also one of the largest flying birds in the world today. If other birds of the same kind enter the territory or compete for a mate, the two sides will fight. First, they will slowly approach each other, hold each other's necks, and push each other with their chests. If one party retreats, the other party will follow closely and continue to drive it out of the territory. If the two parties are evenly matched, they will both lower their heads, close to the ground, half-spread their wings, lower their shoulders, stand up their shoulder feathers and coverts, and raise their tail feathers. They will stand up in a fan shape and reveal their white feathers. After approaching each other, they will peck each other's mouths.

Houbara Bustard is an omnivorous animal, but it mainly feeds on plant food. Direct observations in the wild in Mulei County in the eastern Junggar Basin of Xinjiang revealed that the Houbara Bustard feeds on various plants, such as Plantago sp. and Lepidium ferganense, and also on the tender and juicy leaves of the woody Salsola; the Houbara Bustard runs rapidly to chase and devour sand lizards. It mainly eats tender leaves, buds, grass, seeds of plants, as well as animal food such as insects, grasshoppers, frogs, especially farm pests such as weevils, rapeseed flowerworms, and locusts. Sometimes it also eats grains scattered on the ground in the farmland. When foraging, the back of the head is raised upward, the tip of the beak is downward, and the eyes are fixed on the ground. From time to time, the head is turned to observe insects, other small animals, and plant seeds on the ground. When eating grass, it often bites the grass with its mouth first, retracts its neck, and then raises its head to pull the grass apart and swallow it. Sometimes it is accompanied by pushing the ground with its feet forward, the body retreats backward, and the wings are slightly or half-spread. When drinking water, the body is slightly squatted or kneeled on the ground with the tarsus, the head is lowered, the mouth is inserted into the water, and it is slightly opened. Then the head is raised, the tip of the mouth is tilted upward, about 45 degrees, and the pharynx moves quickly to swallow the water. The whole process is like taking water from the water with a spoon.

The egg-laying period of Houbara Bustard in Mulei begins in mid-April. It builds a shallow dish-shaped nest on the ground without any bedding. The average size of the nest is 21cm in diameter and 2.33cm deep. The eggs are oval, the egg shell is smooth, blue-gray or dark yellow-brown, with irregular brown spots. Each nest lays 3-4 eggs, mostly 4 eggs, and the average size of the eggs is 62.3 mm×45.1 mm. The female bird incubates the eggs and raises the chicks. The chicks are precocial. The hatching rate of eggs is 83.6%, and the survival rate of chicks is 100%; the loss of nests mainly comes from predation by natural enemies, such as sand foxes, buzzards (Buteo hemilasius) and brown-tailed buzzards (Buteo rufinus).

Listed in the 2016 ver3.1 of the World Conservation Union Red List of Endangered Species (IUCN) - Vulnerable (VU).

Listed in Appendix II of the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Listed as a rare species in the China Red List of Endangered Animals·Birds.

Listed in China's "National Key Protected Wildlife List" (February 5, 2021) Level 1.

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