Common name: MacQueen’s Bustard / Asian Houbara
Scientific name: Chlamydotis macqueenii
Family: Otididae

Size:
Body length: 60–70 cm
Wingspan: 130–155 cm
Weight: Approximately 1.5–2.5 kg

Identification:
A large desert bustard with a long neck, long legs, and sandy-buff plumage adapted for camouflage in arid landscapes. The upperparts are pale sandy-brown with fine dark vermiculations, while the underparts are mostly pale. The head is pale with a distinct dark stripe running from the bill through the eye toward the neck. Adult males develop elongated white neck feathers with black tips, especially visible during courtship displays. In flight, the wings show contrasting dark flight feathers and pale coverts.

Habitat:
Open deserts, semi-desert plains, gravel plains, and sparsely vegetated steppe landscapes. It prefers wide open terrain with scattered shrubs and low vegetation that provide feeding opportunities while allowing clear visibility of the surroundings.

Status in the UAE:
Winter visitor and passage migrant. Individuals are occasionally recorded in desert habitats across the UAE, particularly during the cooler months when birds migrate south from breeding grounds in Central Asia.

Diet:
Omnivorous — feeds on insects, beetles, grasshoppers, small reptiles, seeds, berries, and desert vegetation. It forages by walking slowly across open ground while searching for prey or edible plants.

Behavior:
A cautious and mostly solitary species that spends much of its time walking slowly across desert terrain. It relies heavily on camouflage and stillness to avoid detection. During the breeding season males perform elaborate displays involving raised neck feathers and ritualized walking movements.

Historical Status in the UAE:
Historically, MacQueen’s Bustard occurred more widely across the Arabian Peninsula, including the territory that is now the United Arab Emirates. Older records and regional accounts suggest it was once more regularly present in desert landscapes of the region. Due to heavy hunting pressure and habitat changes, its numbers declined significantly, and it is now mainly observed in the UAE as a winter visitor.

Conservation status:
Vulnerable (IUCN Red List)