However, a recent study suggests that great bustards have an additional intriguing behavior – they actively seek out two plants containing compounds that can combat pathogens. This phenomenon may make them a unique example of birds utilizing plants for disease prevention, essentially engaging in self-medication.
Dr. Luis M Bautista-Sopelana, the lead author of the study and a scientist at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid, explained, “Here we show that great bustards prefer to eat plants with chemical compounds with antiparasitic effects in vitro.”
Co-author Dr. Azucena Gonzalez-Coloma, a researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences in Madrid, added, “Great bustards seek out two species of weeds that are also used by humans in traditional medicine. We show that both contain antiprotozoal and nematocidal (worm-killing) compounds, while the second also contains antifungal agents.”
The phenomenon of self-medication in animals is suspected to occur in various species, including primates, bears, deer, elk, macaws, honeybees, and fruit flies. However, confirming this behavior in wild animals is a challenging task.
Great bustards, classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, breed across grasslands from western Europe and northwest Africa to central and eastern Asia. Around 70% of the global population resides in the Iberian Peninsula.
Gonzalez-Coloma remarked, “In theory, both sexes of great bustards might benefit from seeking out medicinal plants in the mating season when sexually transmitted diseases are common. Males that use plants with compounds active against diseases might appear more healthy, vigorous, and attractive to females.”
The researchers involved in this study have been studying great bustards since the early 1980s, primarily in the regions of Madrid and Castille-Leon, Spain. They collected 623 droppings from female and male great bustards, including 178 during the mating season in April. Microscopic analysis allowed them to count the remains of 90 plant species from local menus present in these droppings.
Results indicated that two species, corn poppies (Papaver rhoeas) and purple viper’s bugloss (Echium plantagineum), were consumed more frequently by great bustards than anticipated based on their availability. This preference was especially noticeable during the mating season in April when energy expenditure is high.
The behavior of great bustards selecting specific plants for potential self-medication adds a fascinating layer to their natural history. It highlights the intricate relationships between birds and plants in the wild and underscores the complexity of the natural world’s interactions.
