: any of a family (Otididae) of large chiefly terrestrial Old World and Australian game birds
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Hunters use them to chase the houbara bustard across deserts in the Gulf, Iraq, and Pakistan — not just for sport, but also for meat believed to have aphrodisiac qualities.—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2025 The great bustard, though sometimes larger than the Andean condor, is not nearly as capable a flyer.—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025 Several species of modern birds—which are the descendants of dinosaurs—congregate at leks for the same reason, including greater sage-grouse and great bustards.—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 July 2025 From 2005 to 2022, researchers uncovered 150 bird remains belonging to at least 14 species, including some belonging to great bustards, according to the study.—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025 Still, there has been some debate among biologists about how long great bustards had lived in north Africa.—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2025 Zhou Jinfeng - China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, China
Scientist protecting the population of great bustards, Zhou established a conservation area to protect the great bustard based on its migration and residence conditions.—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Sep. 2024 Kori bustards are the largest flying birds, according to the United Kingdom's Natural History Museum.—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 20 June 2024
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, modification of Middle French bistarde, from Old Italian bistarda, from Latin avis tarda, literally, slow bird
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