Little bustard

    Tetrax tetrax

Castilian: Sisón común

Catalan: Sisó

Gallego: Sisón

Euskera: Basoilo txikia

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Gruiformes

Family: Otididae

Migratory status: Permanent resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

On the National List of Threatened Species, it appears in the “Vulnerable” category. In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is also listed as “Vulnerable”.

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THREATS

The transformation that medium-scale agriculture is undergoing with the increase in irrigation systems, the planting of early variety grains, the disappearance of fallow land, the increase of olive trees to replace pulses, the elimination of uncultivated land and the use of pesticides have all caused a decrease in food supply, which affects the success of the broods. In addition to all this, illegal hunting, urbanisation and an increase in livestock are also problems.

Length / size: 40-45 cm / 105-115 cm

Identification: A gregarious species with cryptic plumage that differs between males and females during mating season: the male's black neck is separated from his head by a white neckband, and underneath that are two concentric bands, one white and the other black. During the rest of the year both sexes are brown with bars on their back and a white belly. In flight, the large white band on the back of the wings can be noticed.

Song: Silent, except during mating season: the male makes a brief "prret" while jumping at the same time.

Diet: Its diet varies depending on the season: in spring and summer it feeds on insects, while in autumn and winter it consumes large quantities of seeds and buds of leguminous plants.

Reproduction: In late March and April, the cycle begins: the males choose land boundaries or fallow land that is very visible for courtship, and after impregnating the females, their participation in breeding ends. The female lays her eggs in a small depression in the ground, to which she has added some pieces of grass. The chicks already have cryptic down when they hatch, and they are able to move about and feed themselves together with their mother.

HABITAT

It occupies open spaces, principally non-irrigated grain farmland or vast pastureland.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: Exclusively found in the peninsula; the principal populations are found in Castile-La Mancha, Madrid and Extremadura, and to a lesser extent in Castile and León, the Ebro Valley and Andalusia.

In Castile and León: It breeds in all the provinces, with the largest populations located in Tierra de Campos, La Moraña-Peñaranda (Ávila-Salamanca), Barahona (Soria), Los Oteros and La Valduerna (León), and Campo Azálvaro (Ávila).

Movements and migrations: It makes seasonal movements: in winter it moves from the northernmost areas toward the south (Extremadure and Castila-La Mancha).

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 50000-100000 breeding males.

In Castile and León: There is an estimated population of 3310-3760 breeding males (2002 data).