Why the Bustard

The blog is called the Bustard after the majestic Great Bustard found, increasingly rarely, on the great plains of Hungary. A victim of intensive farming and development, the Bustard is as good a symbol as any of nature’s struggle against man’s relentless expansion.

The word “bustard” is derived from latin “avis tarda”, meaning a “slow bird.” “Avis tarda” became “avutarda” in Spanish, “ottarda” in Italian, and “bistarde” in Old French. This was the basis of the English version, “bustard“.

To see a bustard, the best person to speak to is Gerard Gorman at www.birdinghungary.com