Family OTIDIDAE Rafinesque, 1815

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• Otidia Rafinesque, C.S. 1815. Analyse de la nature, ou tableau de l'univers et des corps organises. Palermo (Italy) : Privately Published 224 pp. [Date published April to July] [70] [original spelling].

  Type genus:

   Otis Linnaeus, 1758.

  Secondary source:

   Bock, W.J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281 [137].
• Otinae Gray, G.R. 1840. A List of the Genera of Birds, with an indication of the typical species of each genus. London : R. & J.E. Taylor viii 80 pp. [Date published Apr 1840: published before Apr.] [64] [emendation].

  Type genus:

   Otis Linnaeus, 1758.

  Secondary source:

   Bock, W.J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281 [173].
• Otidinae Gray, G.R. 1841. A List of the Genera of Birds, with their synonyms and an indication of the typical species of each genus. London : R. & J. Taylor xii 115 pp. [Date published Sep 1841] [83] [replacement name].

  Type genus:

   Otis Linnaeus, 1758.
• Otidae Bonaparte, C.L. 1854. Conspectus systematis ornithologiae. Annales des Sciences Naturelles Zoologie, Paris 4 1: 105-152 [148] [subsequent misspelling].

  Type genus:

   Otis Linnaeus, 1758.

  Secondary source:

   Brodkorb, P. 1967. Catalogue of fossil birds. Part 3 (Ralliformes, Ichthyornithiformes, Charadriiformes). Bulletin of the Florida State Museum 11(3): 99-220 [173].
• Lissotinae Verheyen, R. 1957. Contribution au de'membrement de l'ordo artificiel des Gruiformes (Peters 1934). I. Les Ralliformes. Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique 33(21): 1-44.

  Type genus:

   Lissotis Reichenbach, H.G.L., 1848.

  Secondary source:

   Brodkorb, P. 1967. Catalogue of fossil birds. Part 3 (Ralliformes, Ichthyornithiformes, Charadriiformes). Bulletin of the Florida State Museum 11(3): 99-220 [173]; Bock, W.J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281 [137].
• Neotinae Verheyen, R. 1957. Contribution au de'membrement de l'ordo artificiel des Gruiformes (Peters 1934). I. Les Ralliformes. Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique 33(21): 1-44.

  Type genus:

   Neotis Sharpe, R.B., 1893.

  Secondary source:

   Brodkorb, P. 1967. Catalogue of fossil birds. Part 3 (Ralliformes, Ichthyornithiformes, Charadriiformes). Bulletin of the Florida State Museum 11(3): 99-220 [173]; Bock, W.J. 1994. History and nomenclature of avian family-group names. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 222: 1-281 [137].

Introduction

This homogeneous Old World family has an Afro-Asian distribution with 26 species in nine genera; only one genus, Ardeotis, occurs in Australia. Otidids are mostly large bodied, terrestrial and highly cursorial species with a predominantly cryptic plumage pattern. The upper body is basically buff or grey with fine black vermiculating or barring; the underparts are variable from white or buff to black. Some species have a brightly patterned neck or head, or in flight show white wing patches, and in some species there are ornamental plumes on the head and neck. The broad head, associated with a short but stout bill, long neck and legs, are all extended when in flight.

Other characteristics include the possession of large eyes adapted for nocturnal activity. Their anisodactyl feet lack a hallux and are short and broad in comparison to the length of the long and strong legs. Each species is sexually dimorphic with males tending to be much larger and more brightly coloured and patterned than females. Although all are strong fliers using their broad wings, they prefer to either walk or run to avoid detection; an alternative is to crouch on the ground in the grass.

Otidids are basically sedentary or in pairs and may be either solitary or gregarious, numbers often associating in areas of large insect infestations. All inhabit grasslands or more arid regions although Ardeotis australis may be found in ‘thick areas of scrub’. The species are omnivorous or opportunistic, principally feeding on grasshoppers and locusts or other large invertebrates; they also consume small ground vertebrates, young birds and seeds.

The otidids' courtship display includes the male posturing and strutting with his puffed-out head and neck plumage, this includes the inflating of a gular pouch that develops during mating season; they also raise the up-fanned tail over the back while extending their scapulars on drooped wings. Apart from when breeding, the birds rarely utter any vocalisations except for occasional grunts, hisses or whistles if alarmed. During the courtship the males include a drum-like booming.

At the cessation of the courtship, the male leaves the female and she undertakes nesting activities. Males may be polygamous and continue to seek and mate with other females. The nest, constructed by the female, is a shallow, sometimes loosely lined, depression or scrape in the ground. In it the female lays egg clutches that vary from one to five; A. australis regularly lays two. These short-oval to oval eggs have an olive-green or reddish brown base colour and may be marked with brownish speckles or blotches. The female incubates the eggs for about 21 days and then, alone, cares for her young. The young are precocial, their downy covering being buff, finely dotted with black; they leave the nest shortly after hatching and continue to be cared for by the female.

General References

Campbell, B. & Lack, E. (eds) 1985. A Dictionary of Birds. Calton : T. & A.D. Poyser xxx 670 pp.

Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp.

History of changes