Great Bustard Group

Great Bustard Group Open Weekend is nearly upon us - 12/13th September! Saturday visits are filling fast, so book soon to avoid missing out. Sunday afternoon still has good availability! Talks are FREE & don’t need booking. Pre-book Bustard visits here: store.greatbustard.org/book-…

We have multiple nests now confirmed, and the first chick hatch of the season on Friday. Our volunteer drone team has been out 6 days a week across Salisbury Plain to help find then protect nesting females and minimise disturbance during this critical period. 🐣 🐣🐣

If it’s not hares chewing through the wires, or inquisitive red deer knocking them over, it’s Great Bustards attacking our monitoring cameras! Absolute vandals, the lot of them 😉

What a beauty!

We’re hiring! Join the Great Bustard Group as an Ecologist (Monitoring & Productivity) and help restore one of the UK’s most iconic bird species. Hands-on conservation and real impact. Apply here: countryside-jobs.com/job/may…

Our busiest season begins here! Our volunteer drone pilots are surveying 250+ sq miles with thermal drones to find nesting female Great Bustards hidden in silage crops. Once found, we work with farmers to protect them. Spot one? Please report it to [email protected] 🐦

Great to welcome conservationist Roy Dennis yesterday, trip to the Plains to see bustards in full display! Fascinating discussion on reintroductions, from eagles and kites to bustards and even lynx. Always inspiring to hear from a leading expert in the field.

Our visits are always very popular all year round, however if you’ve been waiting for the males to start displaying before booking your visit, then consider this your official nudge! Visits can be booked via store.greatbustard.org/book-…

It's a little bit blustery out on the Plain today!

Longleat's 2025 Festival of Light celebrated British Icons, including the Great Bustard, Wiltshire's county bird. We are grateful to @Longleat for donating the lantern to the GBG visitor centre and supporting the restoration of this remarkable species.

A powerful size comparison, male Great Bustards can stand almost as tall as a roe deer. Male Great Bustards are among the heaviest flying birds in the world, and scenes like this highlight just how impressive their size really is. Thanks to Shannon Norris for the picture.

Whiskers looking immaculate, full breeding plumage, and all strutting about like they own the place. The lek is clearly on the horizon… and the males are all ready for it!

The last few weeks have seen our volunteers hard at work preparing the reserve for breeding season. By creating a mosaic of grassland and vegetation, we’re helping Great Bustards nest, supporting wildlife and boosting biodiversity. Huge thanks to our amazing volunteers!

As the days start to lengthen, the males are beginning to develop their breeding plumage. A new set of whiskers are showing on this male and in the coming weeks we will see them develop a band of deep russet coloured feathers around their neck and breast too.

A flying Great Bustard has to be one of the most spectacular sights on Salisbury Plain. We run regular guided visits throughout the year and our booking slots for 2026 are now open. For more information and booking please visit store.greatbustard.org/book-…

Wishing you all a Christmas full of cheer, warmth, and maybe a little festive strutting! Thank you to our fantastic supporters and volunteers for all of your help over the last year.

A special moment caught on the reserve last week, a mother feeding her 5 month old #offspring. We will see this year's youngsters stay with their mothers until around mid January. #TheKidsAreAlright

After weeks on Salisbury Plain,this years head started juveniles are now dispersing. Recent sightings have come from Dorset, Somerset & Wiltshire. Every report helps us track their journeys and guide future conservation. Please send sightings to: [email protected]