Little Bustard, Kleine Trap, Zwergtrappe, Sisão, Sisón Común
Spotted in the Alentejo region of Portugal. Little Bustard sound
Little Bustard courtship behaviour:
The Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax) is a large bird in the bustard family, the only member of the genus Tetrax. It breeds in southern Europe and in western and central Asia. Southernmost European birds are mainly resident, but other populations migrate further south in winter. The central European population once breeding in the grassland of Hungary went extinct several decades ago.
More photos at the bottom of this page:
This species is declining due to habitat loss throughout its range. It used to breed more widely, for example ranging north to Poland occasionally (Tomek & Boche?ski 2005). It is only a very rare vagrant to Great Britain despite breeding in France.
Although the smallest Palearctic bustard, Little Bustard is still pheasant-sized at 42–45 cm long with a 90–110 cm wingspan and a weight of 830g. In flight, the long wings are extensively white. The breeding male is brown above and white below, with a grey head and a black neck bordered above and below by white.
The female and non-breeding male lack the dramatic neck pattern, and the female is marked darker below than the male. Immature bustards resemble females. Both sexes are usually silent, although the male has a distinctive “raspberry-blowing” call “prrt”.
This species is omnivorous, taking seeds, insects, rodents and reptiles. Like other bustards, the male Little Bustard has a flamboyant display with foot stamping and leaping in the air. Females lay 3 to 5 eggs on the ground.
This bird’s habitat is open grassland and undisturbed cultivation, with plants tall enough for cover. It has a stately slow walk, and tends to run when disturbed rather than fly. It is gregarious, especially in winter.
Little Bustard courtship behaviour:
Other synonyms:
Asturian: Gachepu, Sinsonte
Catalan: Sisó
Catalan (Balears): Sisó
Czech: Drop malý
Welsh: Ceiliog y waun lleiaf
Danish: Dværgtrappe
German: Zwergtrappe
English: Little Bustard
Esperanto: malgranda otido
Spanish: Sison, Sisón, Sisón Común, Sisón Menor
Estonian: Väiketrapp
Basque: Basoilo txikia, Sisó
Finnish: Pikkutrappi
French: Outarde canepetiére, Outarde canepetière
Irish: Bustard Beag
Gaelic: Coileach Frangach Bheag
Galician: Sisó, Sisón
Hungarian: Reznek
Icelandic: Dvergdoðra
Italian: Gallina prataiola, Gauna prataiola, Otarda minore
Japanese: Hime Nogan, himenogan
Cornish: Gwernyar lyha
Latin: Otis tetrax, Tetrax tetrax
Lithuanian: Mažasis einis
Maltese: Pitarra
Dutch: Kleine Trap
Norwegian: Dvergtrappe
Polish: strepet
Portuguese: Sisão
Romansh: Droppa pitschna
Northern Sami: Deaggegoarga
Slovak: drop malý, drop obojkový, malý obojkový
Slovenian: mala droplja
Albanian: Pula e livadheve
Serbian: mala droplja
Swedish: Småtrapp
Turkish: Küçük Toy, Mezgeldek
Travel Birdwatching Holiday Alentejo, Vacation Portugal for birders to see birds on your trip