A group of morris dancers who base some of their routines on the lifestyle of the Great Bustard bird are coming to Devizes on May Day bank holiday Monday.

The Great Bustard morris group, based in Swindon, is coming to the Devizes Lions May Day Fair on May 7, their third visit to the event.

Among more traditional Cotswold-style morris dances, they will perform their own creations, based on the bird whose name they have adopted.

Founder and leader Andy Barrington said: “One of our dances is Bustard’s Nest, where we mimic the chicks looking round for mum and dad coming back with food.”

Another dance, Flights of Fancy, features dancers flying out in V formation to form a line-up of dancers facing the audience.

Mr Barrington and his wife, Liz, are former members of the Devizes-based Moonraker Morris. Mr Barrington said: “We live in Swindon and we thought, Devizes is a small town but it can support this really strong group. Surely a big place like Swindon can do the same.

“But I was mistaken. We had such a difficult nativity. It was a struggle to get them to stay. But since 2010 we have built up a cracking little side.

“We had to decide on a name and then I saw the Wiltshire county flag designed by Michael Prior from Trowbridge. It has a bustard right in the centre of the design, so we thought, why not the Great Bustard Morris?”

The name has proved popular and both Mr Prior and the Great Bustard Group, which was set up more than ten years ago to reintroduce the world’s heaviest flying bird to Wiltshire, were happy to lend their names and images to the project.

Mr and Mrs Barrington say that, although the group is thriving, they are always on the look-out for more dancers and anyone interested can contact them on (01793) 612409.

The group will be performing in Devizes Market Place from 10.30am–11am on Monday, May 7.

They have other bookings around the county over the summer and a full list of venues is on their website at www.lightunderabushel.co.uk/GreatBustardsMorris