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Houbara bustards face risk from falcon hunting

ABU DHABI — If hunting and poaching of houbara bustards continues at the current pace, this bird could become extinct, Mark Laurance, a conservation scientist at the National Avian Research Centre (NARC), has warned.

The population of this species has been on the decline since 1970 and the UAE has been making efforts to save the houbara bustards from extinction.

Laurance said, “If it comes to the bird disappearing completely, we would recommend prohibiting falcon hunting altogether.” Falcon hunting, it may be noted, involves hunting of houbara bustards by falcons.

The NARC, which was founded 15 years ago, aims at protection, conservation and studying of the houbara bustards in the wild. The Centre is affiliated to the Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi, and is located in Swaihan, in the Eastern region of Abu Dhabi emirate.

Over the years, NARC has worked closely with countries like Kazakhstan, China, Iran, Oman and Yemen to save the houbara bustards. Now, it is trying to convince the United Nations to design an international programme for protection and conservation of this endangered species.

“Houbara has a great social and cultural significance in the UAE,” pointed out Laurance. In the wild, it is mostly hunted by foxes, and at times by falcons.

To study houbara’s behaviour, NARC has fitted satellite trackers in the bodies of more then 100 birds. The trackers have revealed that the houbara bustards travel up to 7,000km during migration. In the spring time, the bird leaves the Gulf Peninsula and Pakistan to travel up to Central Asia and even further beyond to China, while coming back on the same route in the winter time.

Currently, NARC holds 360 houbara in its quarantine section, most of them being caught on the UAE borders.

“The decline of houbara is mostly attributed to habitat degradation, poaching and excessive hunting,” revealed Laurance. “The largest numbers of poachers of the bird are in Pakistan and Iran,” he said.

In 2000, NARC study found that 8,000 houbara birds are hunted annually by local falconers. Up to 20 per cent of the houbara population is lost every year in falcon hunting. “If falconers are content with only seven per cent, hunting of houbara will become sustainable,” revealed Laurance.

In order to boost the houbara population, NARC started a breeding programme six years ago. “This year we have 800 birds in captivity and we have kept more than 300 chicks for breeding,” said Dr Olivier Combreau, NARC director. Nearly 500 houbara birds will be released back in the wild. “Giving that they are born in captivity from captive parents, only 50 per cent of the freed birds survive in the wild,” explained Dr Combreau.

He also revealed that by 2010, the Centre is planning to produce 2,000 houbara chicks. “We can control the breeding time, which normally starts in February, by creating the right conditions,” mentioned Dr Combreau.

The Centre has also been experimenting with twice a year breeding of houbara birds, which has proved to be successful. “All breeding here is done through artificial insemination because we cannot create the same conditions for houbara birds as to what they require in the wild,” he added.

The male birds need a distance of around 1km between them, Dr Combreau added. In order to keep the birds healthy, the feed for the houbara bustards is being produced and grown at the Centre itself.