Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata Scientific name definitions

Male 65–75 cm, 1800–3200 g; female 55–65 cm, 1200–1700 g. Upperparts pale sandy buff , mottled and lined with darker brown, clear and paler on folded wing, tail with up to four bluish grey bars; crown buff with sometimes hidden central line of white erectile feathers, rest of head pale greyish buff with black line down side of neck composed of erectile filamentous plumes which turn white (usually hidden) on side of breast ; underparts white ; eye pale yellow; legs olive grey to pale straw yellow. Female similar but smaller, with filamentous neck plumes much reduced. Juvenile similar to female but ornamental plumes on head and neck scarcely present, plumage yellower and white areas of wing duller. Race fuertaventurae darker.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Until recently considered conspecific with C. macqueenii but differs in its all-white vs black-tipped white crown with all-black vs white-based black ornamental neck plumes (3); finely peppered black-and-white vs pale blue-greyforeneck base and breast in mature male (2); position of crown feathers in display, sweeping up and back vs falling forward over bill (1 Scotland, K.M. and Combreau, O. (2012). pers. comm. Close ) (2); vocal differences in display (sequence ends in one single note rather than a series of notes) (1 Scotland, K.M. and Combreau, O. (2012). pers. comm. Close ) (2). Two subspecies recognized.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Arid sandy semi-desert with tussock grass , flat bare stony plains dotted with xerophytic and halophytic scrub, wormwood steppe and sandy grasslands, often visiting marginal cultivation during the non-breeding period. Flat open areas offering good long-range visibility, and more humid flats that are relatively well-vegetated, are selected in Eastern Morocco, where areas subject to heavy use by shepherds and their herds are avoided (2 Le Cuziat, J., F. Lacroix, P. Roche, E. Vidal, F. Médail, N. Orhant, and P. M. Béranger (2005). Landscape and human influences on the distribution of the endangered North African houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata undulata) in eastern Morocco. Animal Conservation 8(2):143–152. Close ).

In the Middle Atlas, Morocco, it has been shown that habitat use differs between sexes in the breeding season, but not in the non-breeding season. In spring, when food resources are abundant and uniformly distributed in space, males preferred ‘temporarily flooded areas’ and females preferred ‘reg with tall perennials’ that offers both food and cover for brooding (3 Hingrat, Y., M. Saint Jalme, F. Ysnel, E. Le Nuz, and F. Lacroix (2007). Habitat use and mating system of the Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulata undulata) in a semi-desertic area of North Africa: implications for conservation. Journal of Ornithology 148(1):39–52. Close ). 

The Fuerteventura population uses cultivated fields (gavias) as feeding sites, year-round. The predictable food resource offered by the gavias makes a significant contribution to the maintenance of this population (4 Medina, F. M. (1999). Foraging use of cultivated fields by the Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae Rothschild and Hartert, 1894 on Fuerteventura (Canary Islands). Bird Conservation International 9(4):373–386. Close ). Habitat selection in the Canary Islands also involves a preference for relatively level areas, with less than 60 % rock cover, a low density of roads and tracks and at least 650m distance from urbanisation (5 Carrascal, L. M., J. Seoane, D. Palomino, and C. L. Alonso (2006). Preferencias de hábitat, estima y tendencias poblacionales de la Avutarda Hubara Chlamydotis undulata en Lanzarote y La Graciosa (Islas Canarias). Ardeola 53(2):251–269. Close )

Sedentary and locally nomadic in Africa and Middle East.

Variable and opportunistic, with no clearly discernible seasonal or geographical pattern. Vegetable matter such as fruits, seeds, shoots, leaves and flowers ; animal material chiefly Orthoptera and Coleoptera, but includes other invertebrates and small snakes and lizards.

Detailed analyses of stomachs of birds killed by falconers in Morocco have identified plants of the families Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Rhamnaceae, Asteraceae and Brassicaceae, the dominant species being Launaea nudicaulis, Scorzonera undulata, Diplotaxis harra and Hordeum vulgare. The animal fraction in the diet was exclusively invertebrates, chiefly Coleoptera and Hymenoptera of four main families, Tenebrionidae, Curculionidae, Chrysomelidae and Formicidae. There were no significant dietary differences between wild birds and those originally raised in captivity (6 Bourass, K., and Y. Hingrat (2015). Diet of released captive-bred North-African houbara bustards. European Journal of Wildlife Research 61(4):563–574. Close ).

The diet of C. u. fuertaventurae in the Canary Islands comprises both animal and plant material. Insects are consumed in greatest quantity and ants Messor maurus and beetles Zophosis plicata are the most important of these. Vegetable food comprises mainly annual plants, flowers of Launaea arborescens and fruits of Lycium intricatum. In agricultural areas, Houbaras eat cultivated peas, chickpeas and trefoils (7 Collins, D. R. (1994). The diet of the Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae in the Canary Islands. Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal 2(Supplemento):57–67. Close ). The Fuerteventura population uses cultivated fields (gavias) as feeding sites, year-round. Field use is correlated with total vegetation cover, as well as with cover by herbaceous plants and by alfalfa Medicago sativa, but not with invertebrate abundance. As well as alfalfa, the birds especially consume the flowers of Launaea arborescens and, in summer, fruits of the Fig Ficus carica. 

Virtually silent. Displaying males may utter 3–5 low, deep, booming notes at 2 second intervals (8 Svensson, L., K. Mullarney, and D. Zetterström (2009). Collins Bird Guide. Second Edition. HarperCollins, London, UK. Close ).

The mating system appears to fulfil the definition of an ‘exploded-lek’, in which males form loose aggregations where they display and are visited and selected by females (3 Hingrat, Y., M. Saint Jalme, F. Ysnel, E. Le Nuz, and F. Lacroix (2007). Habitat use and mating system of the Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulata undulata) in a semi-desertic area of North Africa: implications for conservation. Journal of Ornithology 148(1):39–52. Close ). However, paternity analyses of an eastern Moroccan population have found that it did not fulfil any of the common expectations of a lek mating system: there was no male reproductive skew suggesting no apparent selective female mate choice and no apparent male benefit from lekking. In contrast, a high level of polyandry (60 % of the nests) was recorded suggesting that sperm competition may operate (9 Lesobre, L., F. Lacroix, E. Le Nuz, Y. Hingrat, T. Chalah, and M. Saint Jaime (2010). Absence of male reproductive skew, along with high frequency of polyandry and conspecific brood parasitism in the lekking Houbara bustard Chlamydotis undulata undulata. Journal of Avian Biology 41(2):117–127. Close ). 

Season extends from November–June, but chiefly March–April, in N Africa and Canaries. Nest is a shallow unlined scrape on ground, sometimes in open but usually near some cover. A study of an Algerian population found that nests were usually situated on a rise, affording a long-distance view and protection from flooding by seasonal rains; the great majority were south-facing (10 Gaucher, P. (1995). Breeding biology of the Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata undulata in Algeria. Alauda 63(4):291–298. Close ). Eggs 2–3; incubation usually 24 days, but on occasion up to 28 days. Chicks have golden and buff down, with white, black and sepia markings. Fledging period c. 35 days. Young stay with the female parent into their first autumn. Instances of conspecific brood parasitism have been recorded (9 Lesobre, L., F. Lacroix, E. Le Nuz, Y. Hingrat, T. Chalah, and M. Saint Jaime (2010). Absence of male reproductive skew, along with high frequency of polyandry and conspecific brood parasitism in the lekking Houbara bustard Chlamydotis undulata undulata. Journal of Avian Biology 41(2):117–127. Close ).

VULNERABLE. CITES I. Status everywhere very difficult to gauge owing to birds' highly cryptic coloration, elusive behaviour, and remote and inhospitable habitat. The breeding range of undulata includes northernmost Mauritania, Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia (where now very rare and restricted to the extreme south (11 Chammem, M., T. Khorchani, M. Boukhris, O. Combreau, L. Chniti, and M. Hammadi (2003). L’Outarde Houbara Chlamydotis undulata undulata en Tunisie: statut actuel et distribution géographique. Alauda 71(1):41–47. Close ) ), Libya and Egypt west of the Nile, with old records from Sudan. Population of undulata estimated at at least 9,800, of which over 50% in Algeria, 30% in Morocco and 10% in Libya  (12 Goriup, P. (1997). The world status of the Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata. Bird Conservation International 7(4):373–397. Close ) but available estimates possibly not reliable; undulata is estimated to have declined by 25% prior to 2004 but since thought to be increasing in east Morocco and west Algeria following a successful captive breeding and release programme. In addition to hunting: especially by visiting arab falconers, threats include intensive agricultural practices, human disturbance and habitat degradation through livestock overgrazing.  An action plan for undulata in North Africa was published in 2005 (13 Azafzaf, H., E. Sande, S. W. Evans, M. Smart, and N. J. Collar (2005). International Action Plan for North African Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata undulata. BirdLife International African Partnership, Nairobi, Kenya. Close ).

Population of fuertaventurae , in the Canary Islands estimated at  c. 1,000 birds: 384–459 on Fuerteventura , 383–806 on Lanzarote  and 11–17 on La Graciosa (14 Lorenzo, J. A., C. González, M. A. Hernández, and J. D. Delgado (2007). La Avutarda Hubara en España: población en 2004–2006 y método de censo. SEO/BirdLife, Madrid, Spain. Close ). This race has been affected by collisions with powerlines as well as by habitat loss and disturbance. SEO/BirdLife purchased a 209 ha reserve to protect the species on Fuerteventura in 2005 and fuertaventurae has also benefited from improved protection from poaching, reduction of grazing and habitat management within protected areas (15 Martí, R., and J. C. del Moral (2003). Atlas de las Aves Reproductoras de España. Dirección General de Conservación de la Naturaleza & SEO/BirdLife, Madrid, Spain. Close ).