All Rights Reserved. September and October, 1923 



BIRD NOTES. 



THE 



Journal of the Foreign Bird Club. 



My Little Bustard. 



(Otts tetrax). 



By VVeslkv T. Page, F.Z.S., iM.B.O.U. 



Tliis charming bird came into my possession in 1922 as a 

 i^ift from my friend and fellow member. Mr. G. Falkner. " It 

 vas then quite juvenile, though fully grown; time has proved 

 it to be a female, and I hope I may get a mate for it in the near 

 future. Mr. Falkner brought it back with him from a short 

 visit to British East Africa. 



Ever since its arrival it has been a great favourite with 

 me; it is very tame, and could easily be trained to follow one 

 about like a dog. 



It is easily catered for, eats earth worms greedily, and 

 belts a medium-sized mouse whole after killing" it. The menu 

 provided for it consists of moistened biscuit meal, such as is 

 given to poultry, which contains crissel as a morning meal, and 

 in the evening mixed poultry corn, and it thrives thereupon, 

 and is in the pink of condition. 



It has no gaudy colouration, but is a beautiful arrange- 

 ment of sandy-brown and buff, very finely pencilled with darker 

 brown ; the plumage of the back and wings blotched with black ; 

 the throat and a streak enclosing the base of the cheeks pale 

 greyish-buff finely speckled with black; the centre of abdomen 

 and ventral region whitish-buff. Tlie male in breeding plumage 

 is more greyish, upper parts not blotched with black; cheeks 

 and throat dark grey enclosed by a white loop; below^ this a 

 broad black collar, again enclosed by a crescentic band of white 

 and then another of black. In winter he closely resembles 

 his mate. 



Howard Saunders' Manual of British Birds records the 

 following habits and characteristics: — 



