20/08/2026
This year, Longleat has increased its support for the Great Bustard Group, and we are incredibly grateful. Their additional support has enabled us to employ a full time aviculturist for the entire rearing season, dedicated solely to the care of our Great Bustard chicks.
Although it is something we rarely talk about on social media, rearing chicks is one of the most labour intensive things we do, behind the scenes, there is a huge amount of work going on with them for many months.
The chicks in our care are all rescued as eggs from fields in Wiltshire where they are at serious risk, often because of silage mowing. This is very much a last resort and done under license, Great Bustards will often hunker down rather than fly away when faced with a mower, putting the female at grave risk of being killed.
For the first 10 days or so of their lives, the chicks don't pick food up for themselves. They need to be beak fed by hand every hour, throughout the day, as they grow and develop. Having someone whose sole focus is the chicks means they receive the continuity, attention and very high standard of care they need during this crucial stage. As they grow, they become increasingly independent. We exercise them every day and, as they get older, they begin flying too, before returning to their pen. Eventually, the birds themselves tell us when they are ready to move on, there is no fixed release date. When a chick is ready, it simply decides that it no longer wants to come back to the pen!
Releasing these birds into new areas around Wiltshire is also an important part of our conservation work, helping us establish new sub populations and expand the birds' range far more quickly than would happen naturally.
This extra pair of hands has made a real difference. The chicks are thriving, and we can give them the very best possible start before they take the next step towards life in the wild. A huge thank you to Longleat for their increased support this year. This contribution is directly helping us provide the intensive care these remarkable birds need at one of the most important stages of their lives.
