Wintering habitat use by houbara bustards Chlamydotis undulata in Abu Dhabi and implications for management Original Research Article

Houbara bustards Chlamydotis undulata are uncommon winter visitors to Abu Dhabi. People attempting to increase numbers are considering establishing reserves and restoring habitats but they are hampered by poor knowledge of the birdʹs requirements. We studied winter habitat use by recording the locations of three satellite-tagged houbara, verified by the presence of tracks, and detailed habitat assessments at the landscape scale. Our initial results show that houbara used habitat in patches averaging about 40 km2 and spaced 14–34 km apart. Patches were used for up to three weeks before the birds moved on. Habitats were characterised by flat or gently undulating terrain, and a higher than average incidence of vegetation. These results indicate a conflict between rural development and houbara, both of which favour flat, vegetated plains over sand dunes. We suggest that Managed Resource Protected Areas should be established for the houbara and that relatively small changes to forestry practice could provide the birds with suitable wintering habitat within developed areas.