| Arabian Bustard | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Gruiformes |
| Family: | Otididae |
| Genus: | Ardeotis |
| Species: | A. arabs |
| Binomial name | |
| Ardeotis arabs (Linnaeus, 1758) |
|
The Arabian Bustard (Ardeotis arabs) is a species of bird in the bustard family. It is part of the largest-bodied genus (Ardeotis) and, though little known, appears to be a fairly typical species in that group. As in all bustards, the male Arabian bustard is much larger than the female. Males have been found to weigh 5.7–10.9 kg (13–24 lb), while females weigh 4.5–7.7 kg (9.9–17 lb). The record-sized male Arabian bustard weighed 16.8 kg (37 lb). These birds stand from 70 cm (28 in) tall in females to 90 cm (35 in) tall in males.[1][2] These birds mainly live off arthropods and larvae.[3]
It is found in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Due to its wide range, it is not currently considered vulnerable by IUCN, although there is believed to have been a strong decrease in the population. The primary cause of the decrease appears to be habitat destruction, followed by heavy poaching.[4]