bustard

noun bus·tard \ ˈbəs-tərd \

|Updated on: 5 Jul 2018

Definition of bustard

: any of a family (Otididae) of large chiefly terrestrial Old World and Australian game birds

Recent Examples of bustard from the Web

The largest great bustard recorded tipped the scales at more than 46 pounds—that’s slightly heavier than a full-size border collie.

— National Geographic, "The Biggest Bird That Ever Lived and 5 More Bird Superstars," 15 May 2018
Her own research has found that, on weekends in Spain, birds like little bustards and pin-tailed sandgrouse change their behavior in response to more people flocking to the countryside.

— joshua rapp learn, Smithsonian, "Fear of Humans Is Forcing Daytime Animals Into Night Mode," 14 June 2018
Great bustards make their habitats in open, flat grasslands and steppes of Europe and southern Russia.

— National Geographic, "The Biggest Bird That Ever Lived and 5 More Bird Superstars," 15 May 2018
The Arabian Desert abounded with the houbara bustard, a migratory, partridge-like fowl found in arid habitats across Asia and northern Africa.

— New York Times, "In Dubai, Flying With the Falcons," 17 Jan. 2018
There is a bird community of some 200 species, including steppe birds such as the great bustard and endemic species such as the Iberian Imperial eagle, one of the most endangered birds of prey in the world.

— National Geographic, "UN Announces 23 New Nature Reserves While U.S. Removes 17," 14 June 2017
There is a bird community of some 200 species, including steppe birds such as the great bustard and endemic species such as the Iberian Imperial eagle, one of the most endangered birds of prey in the world.

— alex treadway, National Geographic, "UN Announces 23 New Nature Reserves While U.S. Removes 17," 14 June 2017
Like the great Indian bustard, one of the heaviest flying birds, down to a couple of hundred of its kind. The issue is larger than the number of collections of poetry sold each year.

— daniel halpern, New York Times, "A Few Questions for Poetry," 30 Dec. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bustard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.