Houbara – Houbara Foundation International Pakistan

Welcome!

Ernest Shams — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 15:46:02 +0000

Houbara Foundation was established in 1995 for conservation of the Houbara Bustard, a shy and beautiful wild bird which migrates from the Central Asian States to Pakistan every year in the winters and returns to its breeding grounds after the wintering season.

The Foundation works in collaboration with reputed conservation organizations and law-enforcement authorities to curb the trends of over-hunted, illegal trapping and loss of habitats due to over-grazing which contribute to the decline. For conservation of the species, the Foundation places strong emphasis on welfare and poverty alleviation of habitat communities with which the houbara co-exists. These communities live harsh lives without basic amenities, like health-care, potable water, education, skills, communication infra-structure and employment. Betterment of their lives contributes to greater protection of the Houbara.

Houbara Chicks Hatched in Cholistan

Ernest Shams — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 19:53:32 +0000

A Breakthrough in Release of Captive-bred Birds

For several years Houbara Foundation International Pakistan and the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) Abu Dhabi have been collaborating to release thousands of captive-bred houbara in the Cholistan Desert to augment the population of wild houbara in Pakistan’s habitats.

Having been initiated by the UAE’s founding father Sheikh Zayed, in 1976, the Houbara project, celebrated several key milestones in the UAE in preserving the houbara bustard. In 1982, the first houbara chick was hatched in captivity strengthening the breeding and release programme of IFHC.

In 1995 Houbara Foundation International Pakistan was established to bring an end to an increasingly serious decline in the populations of houbara occurring in Pakistan; this species being the flagship species indicating the health of the desert. The Foundation worked in cooperation with IFHC Abu Dhabi in line with a strategy to provide a sustainable future for this species and thereby a stable biological diversity.

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Thousands of captive-bred houbara were released in the Cholistan Desert over the years. Since the birds are of the blood-line of Pakistan’s resident houbara population in Nag Valley (Balochistan), it was hoped that most of the birds will settle there for breeding and reinforce the resident houbara bustard population. Some birds may even stay and breed in the Cholistan Desert if the temperature and food are to their liking.

Interestingly, some birds have chosen to stay and breed in the Cholistan Desert. Consequently, several nests of houbara were located during this year’s spring season with clutches of eggs ready to be hatched, culminating in hatching of chicks in the wild. Our survey teams photographed female houbaras brooding on the eggs and also fluffy chicks broken free from egg shells, bringing the success story of Houbara Foundation International Pakistan and IFHC Abu Dhabi to view.

This success story will be reinforced when these wild born juveniles survive in their natural habitat.

A female houbara tagged with transmitter is hatching her eggs in the wild

Pipped eggs ready for hatching of chicks

Fresh brood of houbara chicks

Release of 500 captive-bred Houbara bustard in Pakistan

Ernest Shams — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 19:32:14 +0000

International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) Abu Dhabi and Houbara Foundation International Pakistan jointly released 500 Houbara Bustard in Pakistan early this month of March 2017. These birds were bred in captivity by the National Avian Research Centre in Sweihan (Abu Dhabi) and released in Lal Sohanra National Park near Bahawalpur and other places of the Cholistan Desert.

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In the past several years also, IFHC released hundreds of birds in Pakistan, amongst which the largest numbers were 600 Houbara in March 2015 and 200 Houbara in February 2016.

Since the birds are of the blood-line of Pakistan’s resident Houbara population, it is hoped that most of the birds will settle in their breeding ground in Balochistan, to repopulate the area and reinforce Pakistan’s current population of the species in the wild.

A recent report published by IFHC reveals a revolutionary success in their breeding programme by producing over 50,000 Houbara Bustard across their breeding centres; releasing hundreds of captive-bred birds to help sustain existing wild populations; and expanding the number of countries, including Pakistan, where the Houbara are being released.

Ever since the breeding programme began, over 206,000 Houbara have been bred. Of these, around 137,831 birds have been released into the wild.

Having been under highly specialized care, the birds brought to Pakistan were well-prepared to manage themselves in the wild. All the birds were individually tagged with identification rings, while selected birds were also tagged with satellite transmitters, for scientists to carry out monitoring of the birds after release and record their movements, habitat preferences and ability to breed.

Satellite data will be generated bi-weekly and locations of the birds will be communicated to Houbara Foundation International Pakistan for field validation and further investigations.

Before being moved from Abu Dhabi to Pakistan by air, the birds were closely examined and certified fit for release in nature.

All local cooperation was provided by Houbara Foundation and the Punjab Wildlife Department for receiving the birds and for their scientific release, under CITES Export and Import Permits along with necessary NOC which were exchanged between the two establishments in Abu Dhabi and Pakistan prior to transfer.

Brig (Retd) Mukhtar Ahmed, President Houbara Foundation International Pakistan releases a Houbara Bustard

Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii).

Ernest Shams — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 19:01:00 +0000

600 Houbara Bustard bred in captivity by the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (Abu Dhabi) were released in a 16 km x 4 km fenced enclosure established by Houbara Foundation International Pakistan in the desert area of Lal Sohanra National Park on 18 March this year 2015.

Houbara sighted in the lush green habitat appear to have chosen to stay in the protected enclosure, without the threat of illegal hunting, poaching and loss of habitat.

Houbara Foundation has implemented suitable conservation measures for this species, restoration of the ecological balance of the desert biome and uplift of communities with which this bird co-exists.

Photo Credits: Azmatullah (Houbara Foundation International Pakistan)