The Houbabra Bustard is found across North Africa and the Canary Islands, they are not easy to find in part because of their scarcity but also despite their size their plumage is increadibly cryptic and difficult to spot in their preferred desert habitat.
The Canary Island sub-species numbers just 500 birds despite which Fuerteventura has become one of the best places to see this enigmatic species.
After 2 hours of off-road driving and searching I eventually managed to track one down and fire off a few shots with the Olympus 300mm f/4 and MC20 2x converter giving a full frame equivalent of 1,200mm. The bird was very distant (this is 1:4 crop) and the not inconsiderable heat haze has impacted on image sharpness, this being one of biggest challenges of using the 300mm with the MC20.
As always click on the image to see it larger.
A Good Place to Stand 
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