Movements

Populations are migratory in east, dispersive or resident elsewhere. Iberian population shows least movement although local movements do occur.

In central Europe mainly resident but will undergo movements of several hundred km in severe winters with heavy snow. Wintering grounds often established in areas with extensive cultivation of crops such as Oil Seed Rape. Degree of cold-weather movements not always directly correlated with depth or duration of snow cover and not every hard winter leads to extensive emigration.

In former USSR often considered truly migratory, except in southern Ukraine where resident. Ukraine population boosted by up to 10,000 birds in the winter, mostly from Russian Federation. However, recent winter observations of birds wintering in Russia at -30C and deep snow cover suggests that even in hard winters not all migrate. Great Bustards have been reported from Syria and Iraq in winter but whether birds still breed in these countries is unknown.

Habitat

Traditionally a bird of expansive grass plains (steppe), they have adapted well to modern agricultural landscapes. They are frequently found in semi-cultivated/managed grasslands, arable farmland and traditional lowland hay meadows. Below are pictures of some real Great Bustard habitats:

Great Bustards most likely evolved in dry tropical grassland plains but since man’s extensive forest clearances and cultivation of land, open habitat has increased and Great Bustards are now found across continental middle latitudes, especially the steppe zone, but penetrate into temperate, Mediterranean, marginal boreal zones, and oceanic climates. They favour lowlands, river valleys, and undulating open country, avoiding steep or rocky terrain, deserts, wetlands, forests, and savannas or parklands with more than isolated or small clumps of trees. Arable fields bearing crops such as Oil Seed Rape, Kale and Lucerne now apparently appear to be more attractive than natural steppe although farmland areas with high agricultural disturbance near human settlements are often avoided.