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Chlamydotis undulata
– Vulnerable
Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
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ANIMALIA
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Phylum:
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CHORDATA
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Class:
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AVES
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Order:
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GRUIFORMES
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Family:
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OTIDIDAE
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Scientific Name:
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Chlamydotis undulata
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Species Authority:
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(Jacquin, 1784)
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Common Name/s:
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| English | — | HOUBARA BUSTARD |
| French | — | HOUBARA ONDULÉ, OUTARDE HOUBARA |
| Spanish | — | AVUTARDA HUBARA, HUBARA |
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Assessment Information
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Red List Category & Criteria:
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VU A2bcd+3bcd ver 3.1 (2001)
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Year Assessed:
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2004
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Assessor/s:
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BirdLife International
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Evaluator/s:
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Collar, N. & Butchart, S. (BirdLife International Red List Authority)
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Justification:
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This species is classified as Vulnerable because it has undergone rapid population declines estimated to be 35% over three generations, owing largely to unsustainable hunting levels.
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History:
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| 1988 | - | Threatened (Collar and Andrew 1988) |
| 1994 | - | Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2004) |
| 2000 | - | Lower Risk/near threatened (BirdLife International 2000) |
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Geographic Range
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Range Description:
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Chlamydotis undulata occurs in a wide range across North Africa, the Middle East and western Asia, in three subspecies. Race fuertaventurae is confined to the Eastern Canary Islands, Spain. Race undulata occupies North African countries as follows: northernmost Mauritania, Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt west of the Nile with old records from Sudan. Race macqueenii extends from Egypt east of the Nile through Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation and Mongolia to China, with unconfirmed reports from Azerbaijan and Turkey1,5. The population of race fuertaventurae in the mid-1990s was 527, with 18 on La Graciosa, 268 on Lanzarote and 241 on Fuerteventura, but some decline since then, measured as disappearance from known localities and therefore not quantified, is believed to have occurred; an apparently independent assessment put the total population at 700-750 but also indicated a probable decline7,8,9. The population of nominate undulata in the mid-1990s was estimated to be at least 9,800 individuals, of which over 50% were in Algeria, 30% in Morocco and 10% in Libya5. In recent discussions, however, a reliable estimate for the number of Houbara in North Africa has not been considered achievable (without huge confidence limits). Instead, it has been roughly estimated that the region holds around 30% of all Houbaras on earth, and that the decline in the past 20 years has been in the order of 25%6. The population of race macqueenii in the mid-1990s was estimated to be in the range 39,000-52,000, of which over 75% were in Kazakhstan and 15% in Uzbekistan5. In recent discussions, however, a reliable estimate for the number of Houbara in the Middle East and Central Asia has not been considered achievable (without huge confidence limits). Instead, the region has been broken into two, "West Asia"-Arabian Peninsula to Pakistan and Uzbekistan-with around 20% and "East Asia"-Kazakhstan to China)-with around 50% of all Houbaras on earth, and that the decline in the past 20 years has been in the order of 25% in "West Asia" and 40-50% in East Asia6. If 50% (30% North Africa + 20% West Asia) of the species has declined by 25%, and the remaining 50% by 40-50%, the global population has declined by c.35% over the last 20 years.
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Countries:
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Native:
Afghanistan; Algeria; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bhutan; China; Egypt; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kuwait; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Mauritania; Mongolia; Morocco; Nepal; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Qatar; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Spain (Canary Is.); Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Tunisia; Turkmenistan; United Arab Emirates; Uzbekistan; Yemen
Vagrant:
Belgium; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Italy; Latvia; Lebanon; Malta; Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Slovakia; Slovenia; Sudan; Sweden; Switzerland; Ukraine; United Kingdom
Regionally extinct:
Turkey
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Population
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Population Trend:
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Habitat and Ecology
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Habitat and Ecology:
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All subspecies inhabit sandy and stony semi-desert and are specialised to existence in arid conditions where trees are absent and both shrub cover and herb layer are sparse1,5,7,10. It is not known what habitat preferences exist within the spectrum of arid environments used by the species, but birds are stimulated to breed by grass growth where local rains have fallen, and therefore probably actively select more rather than less vegetated areas10. They feed on invertebrates, small vertebrates and green shoots, and typically lay 2-4 eggs in a scrape on the ground10. Eggs and young are vulnerable to ground predators, but breeding success is unquantified10. North African and Arabian populations may be sedentary or partially migratory, moving relatively short distances to find recent plant growth; populations from Turkmenistan east to China are migratory, and winter in large numbers in India, Pakistan, Iran and parts of the Middle East10.
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System:
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Terrestrial
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Threats
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Threats:
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The principal threat is from overhunting by Middle East falconers, largely but not exclusively on the species's wintering grounds, Habitat loss and degradation compound this problem2,3,5,10. The race fuertaventurae is threatened by habitat degradation caused by tourist facilities, off-road vehicles, military exercises, overgrazing, sand extraction, powerlines and road development, and possibly also nest predation by introduced mammals and illegal hunting7,8,9.
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Conservation Actions
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Conservation Actions:
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Conservation measures underway:
For the race fuertaventurae: improved protection from poaching, reduction of grazing (agricultural decline) and habitat management within protected areas7,8,9. For the race undulata: no specific measures directly conserving the species are known. For the race macqueenii: studies of the status, ecology and migration of the species in various parts of its range, notably Kazakhstan2,3,4,6,11. Captive breeding schemes have been established which are intended in part as quarry substitutes for wild birds, and also for certain restocking initiatives in Arabia6.
Conservation measures proposed:
Produce a range-wide action and recovery plan, based on agreement under the Convention on Migratory Species. Monitor and reduce hunting pressure throughout range. Establish robust, workable systems for the sustainability of hunting throughout range. Create hunting preserves and other types of managed protected areas. Reduce grazing and other farming pressures2,4,5,6. For the race fuertaventurae: Designate new and expand existing Special Protected Areas under European law. Increase wardening of key areas. Ensure safe powerline positions; Conduct rigorous census every five years. Continue conservation-related biological research. Undertake local awareness campaigns7,8,9.
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