Causes of morbidity in bustards in the United Arab Emirates

The findings of 1746 clinical examinations of 594 bustards of six different species are presented, and the differences of causes of morbidity between imported adult, captive adult, and captive juvenile bustards are discussed. Wing tip trauma, keel trauma, and other soft tissue-related traumatic injuries were the most commonly diagnosed clinical conditions in captive adult bustards, accounting for 50.7% of the total findings in this category. Soft tissue-related related traumatic injuries accounted for 26.3% and 5.3% of the findings of imported adult and captive juvenile bustards, respectively. Musculoskeletal disorders were the most commonly diagnosed clinical conditions in captive juvenile bustards, accounting for 61.3% of the total findings in this category. Nutritional bone disease was the single most important musculoskeletal disorder in captive juvenile bustards, accounting for 24% of total findings. Musculoskeletal disorders accounted for 22.9% and 4.9% of findings in captive adult and imported adult bustards, respectively. Parasitic observations accounted for 24.7% of the total findings in imported adult bustards. Infectious viral diseases were almost exclusively confined to the imported adult bustards, making up 20.1% of findings in this group. Opthalmologic conditions accounted for 15.1% of findings in imported adult bustards.