Bustards make a comeback



There was a good news wildlife story from the Canaries this week when the region's environment minister announced that an indigenous bird that was on the downward path to extinction has now recovered in sufficient numbers it is now not considered to be eligible for the critically endangered list.

The Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulate fueteventurae) is a distinctive, sand-loving subspecies similar to the better-known and slightly larger Great Bustard.
Entirely confined to the eastern Canary Islands, it is included in the EU Nature Protection list of Europe�s Most Threatened Birds. A census made some years ago put the likely breeding population in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote at around 400 pairs.
The Houbara Bustard's main enemy, as usual is man. Urban expansion has meant the birds� habitat is dwindling. Massive sand extraction has also made a huge impact on its homeland, as have illegal hunters and egg collectors.
But greater vigilance on the part of the authorities, a pro-active protection campaign and an awakening environmental conscience among the general population resulted in an increase of the birds' numbers in the order of 52% in Fuerteventura and 71% in Lanzarote over the decade 1994-2004.
Not everyone is convinced, however, that the desert-living bird is out of the woods. The Houbara has been the subject of questions raised in Parliament in Santa Cruz in recent days when its recuperation was queried in the light of a census carried out last year which allegedly showed a 'considerable drop' in numbers over a four month period.
The regional environment minister dismissed the figures, however, saying such a sudden decline was 'highly unlikely' and was most probably due to the latest census having been carried out, unlike others, during the breeding season when the birds are more scattered and less easily seen.


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