March 17th, 2005. Nizzana, Western Negev.
| Macqueen’s Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii.
| We had more than our fair share of luck when Jamie Hooper of our Birdfinders’ group spotted this foraging Macqueen’s Bustard
on the Nizzana steppes. It’s hard to decribe the quality of views that
our group had of this bird, but in twelve springs of guiding in
Southern Israel I haven’t seen anything quite as approachable as this
beast. Moreover, viewing conditions were superb with a bright,
virtually windless morning in the desert. This form is now widely
recognized as being distinct from Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata (see Birding World Vol 18:02 for a short summary), and as such is much sought after in the West Palearctic region.
| Photo-notes (1:1) from the Birdfinders tour to Southern Israel 2006.
| | Images taken using Canon Powersjot A95 through Swarovski HD telescope. |
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