FOR the first time in more than 150 years a male Great Bustard has been seen in full display on Salisbury Plain.

The display is one of the most spectacular sights in the bird world and is raising hopes that Great Bustards will start to breed once again in Britain.

David Waters, director of the Great Bustard Group, which re-introduced the species back to its former haunts on Salisbury Plain, said the birds released onto the Plain are still rather young to be breeding and although it is possible this year, he believes another year of waiting is more likely.

However, he said: "A Great Bustard released in 2005 on Salisbury Plain, returned to the release site in 2006 but was too young to breed.

"It returned to the site last week and was seen displaying to a female Great Bustard.

"For me to be able to see the incredible sight of a male Great Bustard displaying on Salisbury Plain 120 years after the Reverend Smith wrote in 1887 that we have seen no more of this bird' is simply fantastic."

The aim of the group's project is to establish a self-sustaining population and the sighting of the breeding display is a milestone in the progress of the project.

Most of the birds spend the winter away from the Plain, some going to Dorset, others to Devon and Somerset and some even to France.