Canarian Houbara bustard, Fuerteventura, Spain
Source: H Hinz
The endemic Canarian Houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae) has a population of fewer than 200 birds. The Houbara bustards inhabit arid gravelly plains and areas with low sand dunes where shrubby vegetation can provide cover and food. Within such habitats, abandoned rain-fed fields (gavias) with annual weeds or irrigated crops of alfalfa are often used for feeding (Collar and Goriup, 1983).
A recovery plan for this species was drafted in 1985, but much of it remains to be implemented. However, some 2754 ha of the Matas Blancas (8 per cent of the total available habitat on Fuerteventura) has been designated as a Special Protection Area under the 1979 EC Bird Directive. A census made in 1988 revealed only five areas holding ten or more bustards; it is unlikely that other sites with fewer birds would support breeding groups exhibiting the normal lekking social system and achieving good recruitment to the population (Emmerson, 1989). Maintaining these larger breeding groups is therefore vital for populating less favourable areas in Fuerteventura. Such areas (and other potential sites) can be encouraged to attain higher breeding success by designating Environmentally Sensitive Areas and supporting local farmers to reduce rangeland grazing densities (by erecting stock housing units), and to restore gavias, growing crops like rape and alfalfa (to feed the housed livestock) which are also valuable for Houbara bustards (Dominguez and Diaz,1985). In 1991, the maximum extent of suitable habitat on Fuerteventura was about 34 300 ha, mainly in the north of the island, but with a significant tract of 4560 ha (13 per cent) covering the Matas Blancas (Jandia isthmus) in the south. The extent of habitat available is steadily eroding from desiccation, overgrazing, road building and tourist development (particularly vegetation destruction by off-road recreational vehicles). A few birds are poached each year by determined hunters, and any eggs found by goatherds are generally removed. A plan to erect a wind power-generation farm in the Matas Blancas with EC grant support was partly implemented during 1992, but efforts were being made to halt this development.
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