August 20, 2025 • 9 mins
Alice Irizarry and Patrick Woodward talk about a most interesting bird and what was done to keep it from becoming extinct.
https://spotlightenglish.com/science-and-technology/the-great-bustard-returns/
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https://spotlightenglish.com/science-and-technology/the-great-bustard-returns/
Download our app for Android at http://bit.ly/spotlight-android
Download our app for iOS at http://bit.ly/spotlight-apple
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spotlightradio
Are you learning English? Are you looking for a way to practice your English? Listen to Spotlight to learn about people and places all around the world. You can learn English words, and even practice English by writing a comment.
Visit our website to follow along with the script: http://spotlightenglish.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Spotlight Advanced. I'm Alice Irrazari.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
And I am Patrick Woodwood. Spotlight uses a special English
method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand
no matter where in the world they live.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
A young boy walks along a country road in England.
He is pulling a huge bird along the road. The
leg of the bird is broken, but the bird is
still alive. The young boy walks a long way. He
arrives home. His father is at home with some other men.
They have been working in the fields all day. They
(00:50):
take the bird from the boy. It will feed many people.
It is huge. One of the men kills the bird
by breaking its neck. But this bird is the last
of its kind. The Great Bustard is dead.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Henry Blackmore wrote this story in eighteen fifty six. It
speaks of the death of one of the last great
British bustards in England. The Great bustard has a scientific
name Otis Tarda. It is not surprising that this bird disappeared.
English people hunted this bird for its wonderful meat. They
(01:29):
killed large numbers of them. But bird experts ornithologists are
now helping to bring the great bustard back to England.
Today's spotlight is on their efforts.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
The group of ornithologists we are talking about is the
Great Bustard group. They have established a new home for
the birds. It is on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England.
They chose this area of England because it is a
good environment for the birds with a good supply of food.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
The British Army uses a large area of Salisbury Plain
for training. Citizens are not permitted to use this area.
This is good news for the birds. It means protection.
Only soldiers training with the army can use the area.
These soldiers try to stay away from the birds. This
(02:24):
lack of people means less danger for wildlife. Other rare
birds have survived well in this environment.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
So what makes this bird so special? Well, the Great
Bustard is the world's heaviest flying bird. Male birds can
weigh up to twenty kilograms. They can measure over a
meter long. The birds make a noise similar to that
of a dog. They can also live for twenty five years.
This makes them one of nature's longest lived birds. The
(02:57):
Great Bustard is also very rare. Pologists estimate that fewer
than fifty thousand grape bustards exist in the world today.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
The new English Group or Colony will help to protect
the birds for the future. The colony is the result
of an international effort involving experts in Britain and Spain,
so British and Spanish ornithologists are working together. Originally the
project involved ornithologists from Russia as well. The first birds
(03:30):
in the English Colony came from Saratov in southern Russia,
but these birds often left or migrated back to Saratov.
Birds from Spain left less often. The first birds came
to England in two thousand and four. More young birds
have been brought to England every summer since then.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Life is also difficult for the grape bustard in Spain.
Farming and expanding human populations are pushing the grape bustard
out of its naturally environment. Ornithologists estimate that about thirty
thousand grape bustards survive in Spain. The Russian ornithologists work
with the farmers in central Spain. Eggs can easily be
(04:12):
destroyed by farming equipment, so any farmer who finds eggs
in his fields informs the ornithologists. The ornithologists then rescue
the eggs.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
So what happens to the birds after they arrive in England. Well,
first of all, they need to be quarantined, that is,
kept away from other creatures. This makes sure that they
do not carry any diseases into the country. After this,
the job of teaching the young birds begins.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
The experts use a process called isolation rearing. This means
that the young birds do not have any links with humans.
Young birds often form an attachment to anyone who feeds
and looks after them. This is called imprinting. In the wild,
imprinting is very important. It means that a young bird
will always follow its parents. But for the birds in England,
(05:06):
imprinting would mean becoming attached to humans. This would prevent
them from learning to avoid humans later it would prevent
them from becoming truly wild.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
When the birds are about four months old, the project
leaders released the birds into the wild. The area for
the birds is over seven hundred eighty square kilometers. The
grape bustards are slowly making the area their home, but
this is taking a long time. This is because the
birds have not been able to produce their own young.
(05:40):
A male grape bustard is only able to reproduce when
it reaches five years old.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Five years after the first grape bustards came to England,
the birds were finally ready to reproduce. In early June
two thousand and nine, the ornithologists announced success. Two baby
grape bustards had hatched from their eggs. This was the
first time that any Great bustard had hatched in England
since eighteen thirty two. David Waters is the director of
(06:09):
the Great Bustard Group. He said, this.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Is a great step forward for our project. It is
also great news for wildlife in the UK, for the
great bustards and for me. It has been a hard
struggle to get this far, but to see Great bustards
born here for the first time in one hundred and
(06:35):
seventy seven years is wonderful.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
By twenty twenty two, British ornithologists counted twenty nests in
the wild. They estimate that one third of the great
bustards were born and reared by wild parents in Wiltshire.
Ornithologists consider the population to be self sufficient and growing.
Program will continue. The hope is that the number of
(07:03):
Great bustards will grow so that this species will remain
on earth.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Wildlife experts estimate that the world loses about seventy thousand
different plants and animals every year. These creatures become extinct.
They no longer exist anywhere in the world. This is
a serious matter because nature depends on balance. When one
animal disappears, it has an effect on the whole environment.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Many experts believe that individual countries cannot solve this problem.
They believe that the international community needs to act together.
The Great Busted Project is an example of this sort
of action, but this alone will not save the birds.
Including the Colony and the United Kingdom, the Great Bustard's
(07:49):
population is still declining. According to experts at Cambridge University,
there are only about thirty thousand of these special birds
left in the world. War needs to be done, but
projects like the Great Bustard Project do offer hope. People
who enjoy wildlife hope that more such projects will develop
(08:09):
in the future. They hope that the world will become
a safe environment for all creatures, great and small.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Have you seen a Great Bustard in the wild or
in a zoo? How do you respond to vanishing wildlife?
What gives you hope that some species will be able
to recover? What success stories for birds or animals have
happened in your country. What creatures no longer live in
your country because of their extinction. You can leave a
comment on our website at www dot Spotlight English dot com.
(08:45):
You can also find us on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Blue Sky,
and x. You can also get our programs delivered directly
to your Android or Apple device through our free official
Spotlight English app.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
The writer of this program was from the Spotlight team.
The producer was Michyo Osaki. The voices you heard were
from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes
were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You
can listen to this program again and read it on
the internet at www dot Spotlight English dot com. This
(09:24):
program is called The Great Bustard Returns.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
We hope you can join us again for the next
Spotlight program. Goodbye.
Welcome to Spotlight Advanced. I'm Alice Irrazari.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
And I am Patrick Woodwood. Spotlight uses a special English
method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand
no matter where in the world they live.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
A young boy walks along a country road in England.
He is pulling a huge bird along the road. The
leg of the bird is broken, but the bird is
still alive. The young boy walks a long way. He
arrives home. His father is at home with some other men.
They have been working in the fields all day. They
(00:50):
take the bird from the boy. It will feed many people.
It is huge. One of the men kills the bird
by breaking its neck. But this bird is the last
of its kind. The Great Bustard is dead.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Henry Blackmore wrote this story in eighteen fifty six. It
speaks of the death of one of the last great
British bustards in England. The Great bustard has a scientific
name Otis Tarda. It is not surprising that this bird disappeared.
English people hunted this bird for its wonderful meat. They
(01:29):
killed large numbers of them. But bird experts ornithologists are
now helping to bring the great bustard back to England.
Today's spotlight is on their efforts.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
The group of ornithologists we are talking about is the
Great Bustard group. They have established a new home for
the birds. It is on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England.
They chose this area of England because it is a
good environment for the birds with a good supply of food.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
The British Army uses a large area of Salisbury Plain
for training. Citizens are not permitted to use this area.
This is good news for the birds. It means protection.
Only soldiers training with the army can use the area.
These soldiers try to stay away from the birds. This
(02:24):
lack of people means less danger for wildlife. Other rare
birds have survived well in this environment.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
So what makes this bird so special? Well, the Great
Bustard is the world's heaviest flying bird. Male birds can
weigh up to twenty kilograms. They can measure over a
meter long. The birds make a noise similar to that
of a dog. They can also live for twenty five years.
This makes them one of nature's longest lived birds. The
(02:57):
Great Bustard is also very rare. Pologists estimate that fewer
than fifty thousand grape bustards exist in the world today.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
The new English Group or Colony will help to protect
the birds for the future. The colony is the result
of an international effort involving experts in Britain and Spain,
so British and Spanish ornithologists are working together. Originally the
project involved ornithologists from Russia as well. The first birds
(03:30):
in the English Colony came from Saratov in southern Russia,
but these birds often left or migrated back to Saratov.
Birds from Spain left less often. The first birds came
to England in two thousand and four. More young birds
have been brought to England every summer since then.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Life is also difficult for the grape bustard in Spain.
Farming and expanding human populations are pushing the grape bustard
out of its naturally environment. Ornithologists estimate that about thirty
thousand grape bustards survive in Spain. The Russian ornithologists work
with the farmers in central Spain. Eggs can easily be
(04:12):
destroyed by farming equipment, so any farmer who finds eggs
in his fields informs the ornithologists. The ornithologists then rescue
the eggs.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
So what happens to the birds after they arrive in England. Well,
first of all, they need to be quarantined, that is,
kept away from other creatures. This makes sure that they
do not carry any diseases into the country. After this,
the job of teaching the young birds begins.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
The experts use a process called isolation rearing. This means
that the young birds do not have any links with humans.
Young birds often form an attachment to anyone who feeds
and looks after them. This is called imprinting. In the wild,
imprinting is very important. It means that a young bird
will always follow its parents. But for the birds in England,
(05:06):
imprinting would mean becoming attached to humans. This would prevent
them from learning to avoid humans later it would prevent
them from becoming truly wild.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
When the birds are about four months old, the project
leaders released the birds into the wild. The area for
the birds is over seven hundred eighty square kilometers. The
grape bustards are slowly making the area their home, but
this is taking a long time. This is because the
birds have not been able to produce their own young.
(05:40):
A male grape bustard is only able to reproduce when
it reaches five years old.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Five years after the first grape bustards came to England,
the birds were finally ready to reproduce. In early June
two thousand and nine, the ornithologists announced success. Two baby
grape bustards had hatched from their eggs. This was the
first time that any Great bustard had hatched in England
since eighteen thirty two. David Waters is the director of
(06:09):
the Great Bustard Group. He said, this.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Is a great step forward for our project. It is
also great news for wildlife in the UK, for the
great bustards and for me. It has been a hard
struggle to get this far, but to see Great bustards
born here for the first time in one hundred and
(06:35):
seventy seven years is wonderful.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
By twenty twenty two, British ornithologists counted twenty nests in
the wild. They estimate that one third of the great
bustards were born and reared by wild parents in Wiltshire.
Ornithologists consider the population to be self sufficient and growing.
Program will continue. The hope is that the number of
(07:03):
Great bustards will grow so that this species will remain
on earth.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Wildlife experts estimate that the world loses about seventy thousand
different plants and animals every year. These creatures become extinct.
They no longer exist anywhere in the world. This is
a serious matter because nature depends on balance. When one
animal disappears, it has an effect on the whole environment.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Many experts believe that individual countries cannot solve this problem.
They believe that the international community needs to act together.
The Great Busted Project is an example of this sort
of action, but this alone will not save the birds.
Including the Colony and the United Kingdom, the Great Bustard's
(07:49):
population is still declining. According to experts at Cambridge University,
there are only about thirty thousand of these special birds
left in the world. War needs to be done, but
projects like the Great Bustard Project do offer hope. People
who enjoy wildlife hope that more such projects will develop
(08:09):
in the future. They hope that the world will become
a safe environment for all creatures, great and small.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Have you seen a Great Bustard in the wild or
in a zoo? How do you respond to vanishing wildlife?
What gives you hope that some species will be able
to recover? What success stories for birds or animals have
happened in your country. What creatures no longer live in
your country because of their extinction. You can leave a
comment on our website at www dot Spotlight English dot com.
(08:45):
You can also find us on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Blue Sky,
and x. You can also get our programs delivered directly
to your Android or Apple device through our free official
Spotlight English app.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
The writer of this program was from the Spotlight team.
The producer was Michyo Osaki. The voices you heard were
from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes
were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You
can listen to this program again and read it on
the internet at www dot Spotlight English dot com. This
(09:24):
program is called The Great Bustard Returns.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
We hope you can join us again for the next
Spotlight program. Goodbye.
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