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A vulnerable migratory bustard of Asian deserts and semi-deserts, heavily depleted by falconry hunting and now bred in captivity for release.
The Houbara Bustard is a medium-to-large ground-dwelling bird of arid and semi-desert country. The Asian form, also called MacQueen's Bustard, carries the scientific name Chlamydotis macqueenii and is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Its range stretches from Egypt east of the Nile across Central Asia to Mongolia and China, taking in Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and parts of India. Central Asian populations are strongly migratory, leaving their breeding grounds between August and October and reaching wintering areas in the Indian subcontinent and West Asia between September and November.
Type: PhenomenonScientific name of the Asian form: Chlamydotis macqueenii, also called MacQueen's Bustard
IUCN Red List status: Vulnerable
Habitat: arid and semi-desert plains of West, Central and South Asia
A partial latitudinal migrant, with Central Asian populations strongly migratory
Breeding grounds are left between August and October; birds reach wintering areas by November
Principal threats are overhunting for falconry, habitat loss and commercial development
Frequency: Species in the news, with their IUCN status, form a recurring category in UPSC Prelims environment questions
Chlamydotis macqueenii (Asian houbara)
Vulnerable
Arid and semi-desert plains
From Egypt east of the Nile across Central Asia to Mongolia and China
Leaves breeding grounds August-October; arrives on wintering grounds September-November
More than 10,400
672 captive-bred birds in the Aral Sea region
| Aspect | Houbara Bustard | Great Indian Bustard |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Chlamydotis macqueenii | Ardeotis nigriceps |
| IUCN status | Vulnerable | Critically Endangered |
| Range | West and Central Asia, wintering in South Asia | Endemic to the Indian subcontinent, chiefly Rajasthan |
| Movement | Migratory | Largely resident |
| Chief threat | Hunting for falconry and habitat loss | Power line collisions and habitat loss |
The Houbara Bustard is the clearest case in modern conservation of a species declining chiefly because of a cultural practice backed by diplomacy. It is the traditional quarry of Arab falconry, used both to train falcons and as the hunt itself, and although trade is legally banned in Pakistan, special hunting permits are issued there to visiting Gulf royalty as a matter of foreign relations. India banned the hunt, which is why the species' fortunes diverge sharply across the border. The response has been industrial-scale captive breeding: centres in the Gulf and Central Asia now rear and release birds in the tens of thousands, a strategy that keeps numbers up but raises its own questions about whether a wild population sustained by continuous restocking is genuinely recovering.
Houbara Bustard (Asian): Chlamydotis macqueenii, also MacQueen's Bustard
IUCN status: Vulnerable
Habitat: arid and semi-desert plains of West, Central and South Asia
Migratory, wintering in the Indian subcontinent
Main threats: falconry hunting, habitat loss, commercial development
Hunting banned in India; permits issued in Pakistan to Arab falconers
Over 10,400 captive-bred birds released in Uzbekistan since 2015
The Asian houbara, Chlamydotis macqueenii, is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
It is the traditional quarry of Arab falconry, used both for training falcons and as the object of the hunt. Overhunting is a principal cause of its decline.
The Houbara is a Vulnerable migratory species of West and Central Asia that winters in South Asia. The Great Indian Bustard, Ardeotis nigriceps, is a Critically Endangered species largely resident in India, chiefly in Rajasthan.
No. India has banned the hunt, unlike Pakistan, where special permits are issued to visiting Arab falconers despite a formal ban on trade.