Traditional Farmland Provides Overwintering Habitat For Spanish Great Bustards

We humans may be tempted to think that one farm is like any other, but at least one species of bird--the great bustard, Otis tarda--shows clear preferences for some agricultural areas over others. Specifically, overwintering female bustards seem to prefer traditional farmland habitat characterized by a mosaic of vineyards and olive groves, low human population densities, and minimal anthropogenic infrastructure. This preference differs from that shown during the breeding season, indicating that conservation plans drafted to protect this species--which is classified as "vulnerable" at national, European, and global levels--need to be more comprehensive than previously realized. read more

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