Re-introduction successes of Asian houbara bustard in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Summary

The Asian houbara bustard, globally Vulnerable after a 35% decline over three generations from unsustainable hunting, has been the focus of a long-running Saudi Arabian program launched in 1986 by the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), which grew its captive breeding output from an initial 100-150 chicks annually to over 300 by 2008 before shifting emphasis to refining release techniques. Reintroductions began in 1990 at the fenced, 219,000-hectare Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area and expanded in 2001 to the neighboring Saja Umm Ar-Rimth Protected Area, using techniques including acclimatization in predator-free enclosures, releasing chicks alongside a pinioned surrogate mother to teach foraging and predator avoidance, and staged transfer through tunnel cages before full release, alongside active trapping of foxes and wild cats to protect naive juveniles. Between 1991 and 2010, 970 houbara (493 males, 477 females) were released into Mahazat, where breeding has been confirmed since 1992, with detailed reproductive studies documenting territorial courtship displays, nest spacing of 300-2,000 meters between females, clutches of three to four eggs, and 22-24 day incubation; however, only 62 of the released birds could still be located by 2010, with most others lost to unreliable tracking equipment rather than confirmed mortality. Early releases in 1990-1991 failed outright due to poor habitat-behavior compatibility, with predation remaining the leading cause of death throughout. The project rates the Mahazat population Successful, citing a self-sustaining population after 20 years, and the newer Saja Umm Ar-Rimth population Partially Successful after nine years of reintroduction effort.