Asian Houbara Bustards in Mongolian Gobi
Since 2009, WSCC is involved in surveying, estimating population size, and asessing status of Asian houbara bustards in Mongolia. Our findings were critical to make recommendations to safeguard their habitats in southern Mongolia where mining related development projects and unregulated off-road activities threaten the houbara bustard habitat and population.
In 2017, an MoU on research and protection of Asian Houbara Bustards in Mongolia was signed between the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) and WSCC. Through this MoU, WSCC and IFHC agreed to undertake collaborative work which aimed at studying, protecting and restoring, when necessary, Houbara population in Mongolia. The primary objective is to continue the effort to assess the current distribution and status of Houbara population in Mongolia, estimate the demographic trends, and provide required scientific data on Houbara movements and ecological needs, in order to lay good foundations for the development of future conservation plans.
The project site Galba Gobi is characterized by a vast open semidesert steppe with rolling hills and dry riverbeds with patches of saxaul, elm and poplar trees. In addtion to its importance for houbara bustards, the Galba Gobi is an area rich in Gobi biological biodiversity. Elevation of the area is below 1300 meters, but much of the area is below 1100 meters. Higher mountains are located in the southwest, north, and southeast of the Galba Gobi.
IFHC is one of the world's largest conservation organizations, overseeing an international network of bustard experts and specialized Houbara breeding centers to support and increase wild populations of the bird in its natural habitats across entire species range. In central and east Asia, the IFHC undertakes studies on Asian Houbara populations in several sites in collaboration with local scientists.
Additional information
International Fund for Houbara Conservation, click here
Review of the Global Conservation Status of the Asian Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii), click here