The Environmental Atlas of Abu Dhabi Emirate

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The Elusive Houbara Preserving Tradition Through Conservation

Conservation Status Endangered Global Pop. Decline 75%* MaleWeight 1.1 kg

FemaleWeight 840 g Body Length 140 cm Wingspan 114 cm

Captive Lifespan Max 25 years Lifespan inWild 6 years

Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug)

The Asian Houbara ( Chlamydotis macqueenii ), a large bustard that formerly over-wintered in Arabia in great numbers, has long been a topic of fascination for Emirati falconers as it is their key hunting prey. Now its population is in sharp decline across the entire range. Unsustainable levels of hunting, compounded by disturbance and loss of breeding areas, primarily in Central Asia, may best explain this decline. Today, following on from an initiative launched by the late Sheikh Zayed, the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) in Abu Dhabi is working to protect populations in the wild and to breed and release birds so that sustainable hunting may continue. This is happening both in Abu Dhabi and in distant breeding grounds, as the nations within its range work together to protect this truly iconic bird of deserts and steppes.

Houbara conservation research also seeks to reveal the bird’s previously unknown migration patterns. A key question is where do the birds that winter in the deserts of Abu Dhabi and other parts of Arabia spend the summer and breed. Research on this topic and on other aspects of the natural history of the Houbara, including their diet and breeding behaviour, has been under way for over a decade and answers are being found through good science and cutting- edge technology.

Conservation Status Vulnerable Global Pop. Decline 35%* MaleWeight 2.1 kg FemaleWeight 1.5 kg Body Length 60 cm Wingspan 50 cm Captive Lifespan Max 20 years Lifespan inWild 10 years

Breeding Success S In May 2007, NARC announced that a captive-bred female Houbara had been found nesting in Abu Dhabi’s desert with three young chicks. This was the first time the species had bred locally in decades and marked success for a breeding programme launched 25 years ago by the late Sheikh Zayed to protect the species from extinction. In spring 2008 the success continued, with a total of 12 nests being found. The results so far show that, through conservation management, this remarkable bird can be re-established in its former desert habitat, holding out hope for its long-term survival.

Asian Houbara (Chlamydotis macqueenii)

* Over the previous 10 years

Joint-Venture Pursuits X The falconry season traditionally begins in September as wild falcons arrive on their annual migrations. In the past, these would be trapped using various methods, including tethered pigeons as bait or smaller falcons such as kestrels, which attract and are attacked by the larger falcons. Once trained with lures and a bond of mutual trust has developed between falcon and falconer, the partnership can venture in search of quarry. In many respects, the falcon extends the falconer’s ability to read the landscape; the vegetation, the wind, the shades of the desert – all the while evaluating the best locations to hunt the well hidden, camouflaged prey. Once it’s found, the falconer releases his bird and the powerful instincts and natural abilities of the falcon come into play; extraordinary vision, graceful flight, high speed and stunning precision, which rapidly close the distance between the hunter and hunted, culminating – often, but not always, in a successful pursuit.

The Hood Al Burqa

Flight of the Houbara S The flights of the Houbara have epic geographic dimensions. A fascinating example is that of a male Houbara captured in winter in western Abu Dhabi and equipped with a satellite transmitter before it departed across the Strait of Hormuz into Iran. Contrary to assumptions that it would remain in Iran for the breeding season, it took off again, flying across the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, then across northern China to the Gobi Desert. By the time the bird finally reached its breeding ground, it had flown 7,000 kilometres. If fortunate enough to

evade predators and hunters, the bird will make this same perilous journey twice a year for up to 15 years. Migratory routes of Houbara wintering in Abu Dhabi generally traverse north north-east across the Arabian Gulf, to areas located in eastern Iran. They then continue their journey north. Some may stop in northern Afghanistan, others in the Kyzylkum Desert in Central Asia, and a few reach eastern Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia. Houbara from the east and west of Kazakhstan take different migration routes, with the easterly birds favouring wintering grounds in Afghanistan, eastern Iran and Pakistan, and the more westerly birds venturing into Iraq and western Iran. As more tracking data is collected, IFHC is unravelling the mysteries of the Houbara migration and using this information to identify key breeding and wintering grounds and stop- over points for protection.

The Leash As-Sabbug

Saker Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

The Jess Al Mursil

Falconry – An Intimate Partnership S The relationship between falcons and the people of Abu Dhabi dates back over 1,400 years into the pre-Islamic period. Falconry is more than a means of supplementing diet – it is an integral part of the UAE’s cultural heritage. The relationship between the falconer and falcon is intimate and almost spiritual: a true working partnership of mutual understanding and deep respect between man and bird.

Satellites & Habitats X

Wild Houbara are trapped and fitted with small but powerful satellite transmitters. Once released, the signal from the transmitter is relayed by satellite to a receiving station allowing researchers to view and map the birds’ movements. Trapping the birds without harming them is a challenge while the transmitters themselves have to be sufficiently robust to continue working over many months, and thousands of kilometres of travel.This work has shown that the health of the wintering population of Houbara in the UAE is closely related to the viability of its population and the quality of breeding habitat in Central Asia. In consequence, Abu Dhabi, through IFHC, has embarked on a concerted effort to develop an international conservation programme involving all the range states in which Houbara breed, winter or migrate through. Locally, EAD has taken the lead in the establishment of a 769 km 2 Protected Area for Houbara in the Baynunah area of western Abu Dhabi.

The Hand Shield or Gauntlet Al Menjil

Sea to Summit › The Elusive Houbara

The Perch or Block Al Wakr

Bred for Hunting S Favoured falcon species are the Saker ( Falco cherrug ) and the Peregrine ( Falco peregrinus ) though today Emirati falconers increasingly use captive-bred birds, in particular a number of different types of hybrid falcons that are powerful and superbly adapted to hunting Houbara or Hares ( Lepus capensis ). Captive breeding has reduced pressure on diminishing wild falcon populations, particularly in Central Asia, where most birds used in Abu Dhabi breed. Import and ownership of hunting falcons in the UAE are strictly controlled.