Macqueen's Bustard

Macqueen's Bustard is very closely related to Houbara Bustard, and only recently it has been recognized as a distinct species. Recent studies on their behavior, their songs, and genetics, have demonstrated considerable differences between Macqueen's Bustard and the Houbara Bustard. Chlamydotis macqueenii, is a medium-sized bustard, relatively pale, and with a slender body. Unlike most bustards, there is sexual dimorphism in this species. The adult male is distinctly larger than female, with longer and more visible erectile feathers at the back of the crown, neck, and chest. It has more black on the sides of the chest. The adult's upper plumage is a rather pale chamois-grey with spots and dark brown points that become less noticeable on the wing coverts. The tail has three visible large blue-grey bands. The chamois crown is sometimes masked by a white band of erectile feathers, the rest of the face being pale chamois-grey. A long blackish band composed of filamentous and erectile feathers descends from each side of the whitish neck to the chest. The underside is light and the legs are green-olive or yellow-straw.