Asian Great Bustard (Otis tarda dybowskii)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 0925616

The Great Bustard (Otis tarda), the heaviest bird capable of flight, was once found across the grassland zone of Eurasia. Today its range is highly fragmented and the species is considered vulnereable worldwide. The Asian subspecies (O. t. dybowskii) is under more severe threat, and we estimate that only 2000 individuals remain.

Our team’s conservation research and public outreach program, begun in 2006, is the largest effort focused on the Great Bustard in Central Asia thus far. The objectives of this project are to locate remnant populations of Great Bustard, quantify habitat use, trace migratory patterns, and identify sources of mortality, while building local capacity and engaging local people in the research and conservation of this charismatic species.

Please visit our webpage for more information and photographs.  

Project documents

• Scientific manuscript incorporating data produced during our grant period
• Scientific manuscript incorporating data from our research grant




Project 0925616 location - Mongolia, Asia