Nest-site and brood-rearing habitat selection in Canarian houbara bustards: the importance of concealment and food availability

Abstract

Using two scales, landscape and microhabitat, we analysed the factors determining nest-site and brood-rearing habitat selection in the endangered Canarian Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae. We measured vegetation cover and food abundance, presence of human infrastructure, and visibility using a very high-resolution LiDAR-based digital elevation model of the terrain. Houbara females choose nest-sites with abundant arthropod biomass and high vegetation. To rear their brood, they look for substrates with few stones, high species richness, and low density of human infrastructure. These features allow females to hide the nest, themselves and their chicks from predators, reduce anthropogenic disturbance, and secure access to food during the whole breeding process. The less stony ground during brood-rearing allows female and chicks to walk more easily and safely, something that is important in a ground-dwelling bird. This study represents the first detailed analysis of nesting and breeding site selection for this globally threatened subspecies. To minimise disturbance during such a sensitive phase, and considering the major tourist destination in which this species lives, we recommend to restrict vehicle and human traffic in the breeding areas, prohibit new constructions in houbara habitats, and preserve the vegetation and breeding-habitat quality, avoiding the current indiscriminate ploughing of uncultivated fields and limiting goat grazing areas.