Differences in space use and habitat selection between captive‐bred and wild‐born houbara bustards in Saudi Arabia: results from a long‐term reintroduction program

Abstract

In light of widespread declines of houbara bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii populations across its extant range, captive breeding has emerged as a viable option for regenerating viable populations of houbaras in addition to limiting hunting pressure, habitat management and amelioration of predation pressure. Although reintroductions of captive‐bred houbaras have been carried out in many regions in recent years, information on differences in ranging behavior and habitat selection between captive‐bred and wild‐born houbaras is lacking. In this study, we utilized radiotelemetry data spanning 13 years to assess differences in home range use and habitat selection by houbara bustards in the Mahazat as‐Sayd reserve in Saudi Arabia. The mean (±standard error of the estimate) annual home range size, estimated using the Kernel density method, was 307.76 ± 15.91 km2, and did not differ significantly between genders. Annual home ranges of wild‐born houbaras were however larger than those of their captive‐born counterparts (wild‐born: 423.77 ± 62.66 km2, captive‐bred: 299.31 ± 16.39 km2). Rainy season home ranges were the largest (279.29 ± 27.75 km2) followed by winter home ranges (245.79 ± 19.19 km2) and summer home ranges (110.51 ± 8.91 km2) indicating larger‐scale movements of houbaras when forage was available. Seasonal home ranges did not differ significantly between wild‐born or captive‐bred houbaras. Analysis of habitat selection patterns using the distance‐based method revealed consistent patterns of habitat preferences across years and seasons and between genders, ages and whether the bird was captive‐bred or wild‐born. Results indicate that scrub forms the most preferred habitat for houbaras, and should be conserved for the population welfare of the houbara in Saudi Arabia.

Comparing post-release survival and habitat use by captive-bred Cabot’s Tragopan (Tragopan caboti) in an experimental test of soft-release reintroduction strategies

“…Improvements of habitat selection behavior of captive-bred animals by acclimation training have also been documented by other captive-release studies (e.g. Bright and Morris 1994;Islam et al 2013;Blythe et al 2015).…”

Assembly of Optimum Habitats for Asian Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii) in the Arabian Peninsula: The Vegetation Aspects

“…On the other hand, Jabal Khurse is a rounded hill and low in vegetation density that is more suitable for bird display. This result is in line with [18][19][20] as they reported that vegetation heights of less than a meter were found to be the "preferred daytime habitats" for the species in the reserve.…”

“…In contrary, Jabal Khurse and Rumrumiyya were used for male display and foraging sites, respectively. Such sites were called "preferred habitats" [18,20,21].…”

“…Overall, vegetation is a source of food, water and forms a shelter for wildlife species [17]. It is reported that sparse vegetation that is composed of patches of scrub and tall shrubs forms the "most preferred habitat for houbaras" [18][19][20]. Moreover, [21] stated that vegetation with 10-17% coverage is preferable habitats for the species at Harrat alHarrah reserve, in northern Saudi Arabia.…”

Breeding success and juvenile survival in a reintroduced captive-bred population of Asian houbara bustards in the United Arab Emirates

“…Globally, the current status of wild resident houbara populations is poorly known (BirdLife International 2016), with the latest studies on population trends conduc ted in the late 1990s (Seddon & van Heezik 1996). More recent studies have examined nest site selection in Iran (Aghanajafizadeh et al 2012) and reintroduced populations in Saudi Arabia (Islam et al 2013) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Azar et al 2016), focusing on survival, densities or habitat selection, but none have examined population breeding parameters. Available data on the breeding parameters of wild populations are also limited, outdated, based on small samples or mainly concern the migrant populations (Table 1).…”