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Although captive breeding programs are valuable for conservation, they have been shown to be associated with genetic changes, such as adaptation to captivity or inbreeding. In addition, reproductive performance is strongly age-dependent in most animal species. These mechanisms that potentially impact reproduction have often been studied separately, while their interactions have rarely been addressed. In this study, using a large dataset of nine male and female reproductive parameters measured for 12,295 captive houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata undulata) over 24 years, we investigated the relative and interactive effects of age, inbreeding and number of generations in captivity on reproduction. We clearly identified (1) senescence patterns in all parameters studied; (2) negative effects of inbreeding on sperm characteristics, display behavior, egg weight, egg volume and hatching probability; and (3) changes in phenotypic values for seven parameters according to number of generations in captivity. However, the effect sizes associated with age were substantially greater than those associated with inbreeding and number of generations in captivity. Beyond the independent effects of these three factors on reproductive parameters, the results highlighted their interactive effects and thus the importance of integrating them in the design of genetic management plans for conservation breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offspring resulting from mating among close relatives can suffer from impaired fitness through the expression of recessive alleles with deleterious effects. Postcopulatory sperm selection (a prezygotic mechanism of cryptic female choice) has been suggested to be an effective way to avoid inbreeding. To investigate whether postcopulatory female choice allows the avoidance of fertilization by close kin, we performed artificial inseminations in a promiscuous bird, the houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata undulata). Females were inseminated with a mix of sperm from triads of males, each constituted of a male genetically unrelated to the female, a first cousin and a half‐sibling. When counting the number of eggs sired by unrelated males, cousins or half‐siblings, we found a significant deviation from the expected random distribution, with more eggs sired by unrelated males. However, offspring sired by cousins, and especially by half‐siblings suffered from high prehatching mortality, suggesting that the observed paternity skew towards unrelated males might reflect differential offspring mortality rather than sperm selection. In agreement with this hypothesis, within‐triad siring success was similar for the three parental relatedness categories, but the relationship between siring and hatching success differed across categories. In clutches with high hatching success, unrelated males had the highest success while in clutches with high failure rate, half‐siblings had the highest success. Offspring sired by half‐siblings also suffered from reduced growth rate during the first three months and higher posthatching mortality. Hence, despite substantial fitness costs associated with fertilization by close relatives, females do not seem to select sperm of unrelated males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To evaluate the potential contribution of captive breeding to the conservation of exploited migratory Asian houbara Chlamydotis macqueenii , we estimated release numbers required to stabilise a population in a hunting concession (14,300 km2), under scenarios of local licensed hunting and flyway-scale protection. We developed a population model, initially 2350 adult females, re-sampling parameters measured through fieldwork and satellite telemetry, over 1000 iterations. With current flyway-scale unregulated harvest, and without any licensed hunting in the concession, populations declined at 9.4% year−1 (95% CI: −18.9 to 0% year−1); in this scenario a precautionary approach (85% probability λ ≥ 1.0) to population stabilisation required releasing 3100 captive-bred females year−1 (131% of initial wild numbers). A precautionary approach to sustainable hunting of 100 females year−1 required releasing 3600 females year−1 (153% of initial wild numbers); but if interventions reduced flyway-scale hunting/trapping mortality by 60% or 80%, sustaining this quota required releasing 900 or 400 females year−1, 38% and 17% of initial wild numbers, respectively. Parameter uncertainty increased precautionary numbers for release, but even with reduced precaution (50% probability λ ≥ 1.0), sustainable hunting of 100 females year−1 required annual releases of 2200 females (94% wild) without other measures, but 300 (13%) or no (0%) females under scenarios of a 60% or 80% reduction in flyway-scale hunting/trapping. Captive breeding cannot alone sustain migrant populations of wild C. macqueenii because it risks replacement and domestication. Trade and exploitation must be restricted to avoid either extinction or domestication. For exploited populations, supplementation by captive breeding should be used with caution. Highlights • Informs international, transboundary management of IUCN Vulnerable species • Evaluates strategy of stabilising exploited population by captive-bred releases • Demographic model parameterised by extensive fieldwork and satellite telemetry • Management solely through captive breeding risks domestication and replacement • Shows stabilisation requires controlling of hunting on flyway [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the effect of habitat characteristics on the distribution of threatened species are fundamental in conservation planning and management. Here, we explore the spatial distribution pattern of display site by the North African Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata undulata males. For this purpose, we examined 81 sites in an area of 255 km2 located in the Jbil National Park. We hypothesised that in such an area, displaying males prefer sites that may ensure maximum survival, to find a mate and reproduce. We showed that the maximum display-sites density did not exceed 0.04 adult males km-2 with significant patterns of non-random distribution. The fact that display sites exhibit significant positive spatial autocorrelation, as indicated by Moran's I, is consistent with a lek mating system. We also found a significant relationship between the selection of display sites and the following environmental variables: perennial species covers, annual species covers, percentage of gravel, percentage of other soil surface, plant height, and elevation. Moreover, simultaneous autoregressive models suggest that the inclusion of spatial autocorrelation globally gives better estimates of the regression coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For migratory species, the success of population reintroduction or reinforcement through captive-bred released individuals depends on survivors undertaking appropriate migrations. We assess whether captive-bred Asian Houbara Chlamydotis macqueenii from a breeding programme established with locally sourced individuals and released into suitable habitat during spring or summer undertake similar migrations to those of wild birds. Using satellite telemetry, we compare the migrations of 29 captive-bred juveniles, 10 wild juveniles and 39 wild adults (including three birds first tracked as juveniles), examining migratory propensity (proportion migrating), timing, direction, stopover duration and frequency, efficiency (route deviation), and wintering and breeding season locations. Captive-bred birds initiated autumn migration an average of 20.6 (±4.6 se) days later and wintered 470.8 km (±76.4) closer to the breeding grounds, mainly in Turkmenistan, northern Iran and Afghanistan, than wild birds, which migrated 1217.8 km (±76.4), predominantly wintering in southern Iran and Pakistan (juveniles and adults were similar). Wintering locations of four surviving captive-bred birds were similar in subsequent years (median distance to first wintering site = 70.8 km, range 6.56-221.6 km), suggesting that individual captive-bred birds (but not necessarily their progeny) remain faithful to their first wintering latitude. The migratory performance of captive-bred birds was otherwise similar to that of wild juveniles. Although the long-term fitness consequences for captive-bred birds establishing wintering sites at the northern edge of those occupied by wild birds remain to be quantified, it is clear that the pattern of wild migrations established by long-term selection is not replicated. If the shorter migration distance of young captive-bred birds has a physiological rather than a genetic basis, then their progeny may still exhibit wild-type migration. However, as there is a considerable genetic component to migration, captive breeding management must respect migratory population structure as well as natal and release-site fidelity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oocysts of a coccidian morphologically matching features of Caryospora megafalconis Klüh, 1994 were found in fecal samples and contents of the large intestines in five wild caught Clamydotis macqueenii (Gray) and 19 captive bred C. undulata (Jaquin). Scrapings of the intestinal mucosa of necropsied birds revealed macrogamonts and unsporulated oocysts. Sporulation in a potassium dichromate solution at 26 °C was completed in 48 h. Intestinal contents and sporulated oocysts obtained from feces of infected bustards as well as sporulated oocysts of C. megafalconis and C. neofalconis Böer, 1982 from two Falco rusticolis Linnaeus and one F. peregrinus Tunstall were used for DNA sequencing of the cox1, 18S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA), and 28S rRNA genes. The phylogenetic trees for all three genes showed that sequences of the material from bustards were identical with C. megafalconis from falcons. C. neofalconis and C. daceloe Yang et al., 2014 were situated in the neighboring clades. Contrary to this, subsequent sequences of C. bigenetica Wacha and Christiansen, 1982 from rattlesakes are at a distinct distance suggesting that despite morphological similarities of the oocysts, there are differences between Caryospora species of birds and reptiles. For this reason, it might be reasonable to transfer avian Caryospora species into a new genus Avispora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To inform population support measures for the unsustainably hunted Asian houbara Chlamydotis macqueenii (IUCN Vulnerable), we examined potential habitat and land-use effects on nest productivity in the Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan. We monitored 177 nests across different semi-arid shrub assemblages (clay-sand and salinity gradients) and a range of livestock densities (0-80 km). Nest success (mean 51.4 %, 95 % CI 42.4-60.4 %) was similar across 4 years; predation caused 85 % of those failures for which the cause was known, and only three nests were trampled by livestock. Nesting begins within a few weeks of arrival when food appears scarce, but later nests were more likely to fail owing to the emergence of a key predator, suggesting that foraging conditions on wintering and passage sites may be important for nest productivity. Nest success was similar across three shrub assemblages and was unrelated to landscape rugosity, shrub frequency or livestock density but was greater with taller mean shrub height (range 13-67 cm) within 50 m. Clutch size (mean = 3.2 eggs) and per-egg hatchability in successful nests (87.5 %) did not differ with laying date, shrub assemblage or livestock density. We therefore found no evidence that livestock density reduced nest productivity across the range examined, while differing shrub assemblages appeared to offer similar habitat quality. Asian houbara appear well-adapted to a range of semi-desert habitats and tolerate moderate disturbance by pastoralism. No obvious in situ mitigation measures arise from these findings, leaving regulation and control as the key requirement to render hunting sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape-scale habitat and land use influences on Asian Houbara Chlamydotis macqueenii (IUCN Vulnerable) remain unstudied, while estimating numbers of this cryptic, low-density, over-hunted species is challenging. In spring 2013, male houbara were recorded at 231 point counts, conducted twice, across a gradient of sheep density and shrub assemblages within 14,300 km of the Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan. Four sets of models related male abundance to: (1) vegetation structure (shrub height and substrate); (2) shrub assemblage; (3) shrub species composition (multidimensional scaling); (4) remote-sensed derived land cover (GLOBCOVER, 4 variables). Each set also incorporated measures of landscape rugosity and sheep density. For each set, multi-model inference was applied to generalised linear mixed models of visit-specific counts that included important detectability covariates and point ID as random effects. Vegetation structure received strongest support, followed by shrub species composition and shrub assemblage, with weakest support for the GLOBCOVER model set. Male houbara numbers were greater with lower mean shrub height, more gravel and flatter surfaces, but were unaffected by sheep density. Male density (mean 0.14 km) estimated by distance analysis differed substantially among shrub assemblages, being highest in vegetation dominated by Salsola rigida, high in areas of S. arbuscula and Astragalus, respectively, lower in Artemisia and lowest in Calligonum. The study area was estimated to hold 1824 males (CI 1645-2030). The spatial distribution of relative male houbara abundance, predicted from vegetation structure models, had the strongest correspondence with observed numbers in both model calibration and the subsequent year's data. We found no effect of pastoralism on male distribution, but potential effects on nesting females are unknown. Density differences among shrub communities suggest extrapolation to estimate country- or range-wide population size must take into account vegetation composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian Houbara Chlamydotis macqueenii numbers are declining as a result of unsustainable levels of hunting and poaching, with the main conservation response being population reinforcement through the release of captive-bred birds. We assessed the contribution of captive breeding to the species' conservation by examining the fates of 65 captive-bred birds fitted with satellite transmitters and released during spring (March-May) and autumn (August) into breeding habitat in Uzbekistan. Of the released birds, 58.5% survived to October, the month favoured by Emirati hunters in Uzbekistan, but only 10.8% of those released survived the winter to return as subadults next spring. To mitigate and compensate for the loss of wild adults to hunting, the number of released birds needs to be an order of magnitude higher than hunting quotas (with a release of between 1640 and 1920 required for a hypothetical quota of 200), indicating that releases may be costly and do not remove the need for a biologically determined sustainable hunting quota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lekking is a promiscuous breeding system in which females visit groups of displaying males only for the purpose of mating. The spatial organization of these groups can range from tight aggregations of individuals, or leks, to loose clusters of males displaying on exploded-leks, and it can also include males seemingly displaying alone. As the distance between displaying males increases, it becomes possible for them to hold fixed territories and for females to select mates not for their genetic quality, as on true leks, but for the quality of the resource on their territory, i.e., resource-defense polygyny. Here, in a 2-year study of a breeding population of MacQueen's Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii in southwest Kazakhstan, we used GPS and radio-tracking coupled with observation to understand male territoriality and the spatial distribution of sites, and we followed the breeding behavior of cryptic females using nest locations and genetic paternity analysis. We found that males were faithful throughout the season and across years to a small and exclusive territory centered on their display site. These sites were significantly overdispersed in space and thus we could not delimit any leks in a study area spanning 350 km. Females nested in the vicinity of male territories and sometimes inside them, but based on a sample of six resolved paternities, they did not favor the territory of their mate for nesting. This is inconsistent with the hypothesis of resource-based female choice and implies that the breeding system of MacQueen's Bustard can be treated as a special case of lekking, albeit without male aggregation. Six broods were fathered by at least five different males, which lends support to the hypothesis that overdispersion of male sites is related to variability in female mate choice, and thus low male mating-skew in a lekking system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pteroclidisyringophilus otididussp. nov.(Syringophilidae: Syringophilinae) is described from the Houbara BustardChlamydotis undulata(Jacquin) (Otididae) from Tunisia. This is the first record of a syringophilid species from Otidiformes. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:615A9B34-6952-417C-B242-3E924A919D4A [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We examined whether pastoralism affected the distribution of Asian Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii (IUCN Vulnerable) or modified its habitat across 14,500 km2 of the Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan. In this landscape, sheep grazing is constrained by access to water, allowing effects to be examined independent of topography and vegetation community. Across a gradient of sheep density (0–10 to 30–80 individuals km−2) we achieved n = 140 10-km driven transects (total driven 3500 km). On all transects Houbara and sheep were surveyed at least once, and 96 were driven three times with vegetation sampled on four 50 m-long transects along each of these (measuring 7493 shrubs). Houbara distribution and abundance was also recorded at 147 point counts. In Generalised Linear Models that controlled for plant community, neither interpolated sheep density (within 1 km buffers) nor topographic variation affected houbara incidence on transects, or incidence and abundance at point counts. Although subtle effects were found for some palatable shrubs, sheep did not strongly modify shrub composition or structure at landscape scales. At landscape-scales, livestock browsing has not widely degraded these rangelands, which appear sustainably managed or even under-utilised. Pastoralism and houbara conservation may therefore be compatible, although impacts on nesting females require investigation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Studies on the influence of Pleistocene climatic fluctuations and associated habitat changes on arid-adapted bird species living in the Holarctic region are comparatively rare. In contrast to temperate species, the populations of arid-adapted avian species might be characterized by low genetic differentiation because periods of population isolation were associated with the short interglacial periods, while population expansion events might have occurred during the longer glacial periods when steppe-like vegetation might have been prevalent. In this study, we tested this hypothesis in a widespread arid-adapted taxon of the Palaearctic desert belt, the Houbara- Macqueen's bustard complex. The later includes the Houbara bustard Chlamydotis undulata, comprising the North African subspecies Chlamydotis u. undulata and Chlamydotis u. fuertaventurae from the Canary Islands, and the Asian Macqueen's bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii. A long fragment (1042 bp) of the Cyt- b gene was investigated in 39 representatives of the two species to assess phylogenetic and phylogeographic patterns, and demographic history and to compute divergence time estimates using a Bayesian relaxed molecular clock approach based on different coalescent priors. While the two species are genetically distinct, we found little intraspecific genetic differentiation. The divergence time of the two species falls within a period of extreme aridity at around 0.9 million years ago, which most likely resulted in an east-west vicariance along the Arabo- Saharan deserts. Differentiation within Houbara and Macqueen's bustard occurred later during the Middle to Upper Pleistocene, and as we have predicted, periods of range expansion were associated to the last glacial period at least in the Macqueen's bustard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avoidance of competition and inbreeding have been invoked as the major ultimate causes of natal dispersal, but proximate factors such as sex, body condition or birth date can also be important. Natal dispersal is expected to be of particular importance to understanding the ecological and evolutionary implications of dispersal strategies, since 1) numerous evidences suggest that individual differences in dispersal strategies are expressed early in life (i.e. at the onset of dispersal movement), 2) ultimate and proximate factors are more likely to act during this stage and 3) this stage is associated with the highest mortality rates in most vertebrates. We analysed the natal dispersal (hereafter, dispersal) behaviour in 100 marked individuals of a lekking species, the North African houbara bustards Chlamydotis undulata undulata, during four years. We investigated the effects of proximate factors on dispersal pattern and distance, as well as the mortality cost associated with movement using multievent models, allowing uncertainty in sex assignment and mixture of live recaptures and dead recoveries. Overall, males exhibited longer dispersal distances than females, contrary to the common pattern in birds. Moreover, males in poorer body condition moved further than those in better condition, whereas distance was independent of body condition in females. Finally, survival rates during dispersal were lower for females than for males and were negatively correlated with the distances covered with a similar distance-survival slope in the two sexes. Collectively, our results suggest that 1) there is substantial dispersal cost in both sexes, 2) dispersal is strongly male-biased, 3) this bias is unlikely to be explained by differential movement costs of each sex, and 4) dispersal differences found across different categories of individuals are in broad agreement with both the inbreeding avoidance and intraspecific competition mechanisms for dispersal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Populations of Houbara Bustards have dramatically declined in recent years. Captive breeding and reintroduction programs have had limited success in reviving population numbers and thus new technological solutions involving molecular methods are essential for the long term survival of this species. In this study, we sequenced the 694 bp segment of COI gene of the four specimens of Asian Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii). We also compared these sequences with earlier published barcodes of 11 individuals comprising different families of the orders Gruiformes, Ciconiiformes, Podicipediformes and Crocodylia (out group). The pair-wise sequence comparison showed a total of 254 variable sites across all the 15 sequences from different taxa. Three of the four specimens of Houbara Bustard had an identical sequence of COI gene and one individual showed a single nucleotide difference (G > A transition at position 83). Within the bustard family (Otididae), comparison among the three species (Asian Houbara Bustard, Great Bustard (Otis tarda) and the Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax)), representing three different genera, showed 116 variable sites. For another family (Rallidae), the intra-family variable sites among the individuals of four different genera were found to be 146. The COI genetic distances among the 15 individuals varied from 0.000 to 0.431. Phylogenetic analysis using 619 bp nucleotide segment of COI clearly discriminated all the species representing different genera, families and orders. All the four specimens of Houbara Bustard formed a single clade and are clearly separated from other two individuals of the same family (Otis tarda and Tetrax tetrax). The nucleotide sequence of partial segment of COI gene effectively discriminated the closely related species. This is the first study reporting the barcodes of Houbara Bustard and would be helpful in future molecular studies, particularly for the conservation of this threatened bird in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asian houbara bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii is a partial migrant of conservation concern found in deserts of central Asia and the Middle East. In the southern part of the species range, resident populations have been greatly fragmented and reduced by sustained human pressure. In the north, birds migrate from breeding grounds between West Kazakhstan and Mongolia to wintering areas in the Middle East and south central Asia. Extensive satellite tracking has shown substantial partitioning in migration routes and wintering grounds, suggesting a longitudinal barrier to present-day gene flow among migrants. In this context, we explored genetic population structure using 17 microsatellite loci and sampling 108 individuals across the range. We identified limited but significant overall differentiation (FCT = 0.045), which was overwhelmingly due to the differentiation of resident Arabian populations, particularly the one from Yemen, relative to the central Asian populations. Population structure within the central Asian group was not detectable with the exception of subtle differentiation of West Kazakh birds on the western flyway, relative to eastern populations. We interpret these patterns as evidence of recent common ancestry in Asia, coupled with a longitudinal barrier to present-day gene flow along the migratory divide, which has yet to translate into genetic divergence. These results provide key parameters for a coherent conservation strategy aimed at preserving genetic diversity and migration routes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses a research study on the Asian Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii through observations of their phylogeographic structure through genetic analysis. Observed through satellite tracking techniques were 92 adult birds and 21 juvenile Asian Houbara as to their connectivity with other populations, fidelity to breeding sites and natal dispersal. Conclusions indicated the fidelity to breeding sites and strong philopatry cannot ensure genetic separation while breeding en route can help in genetic material dissemination of the birds.

The article discusses the specifics of the "Carl Zeis Awards 2009" for bird photography, including the judges, the methods and the criteria. It also discusses several previous past winners including the photograph of the Bass Rock Black-browned Albatross Thalassarche melanophris from 1967, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker sphyrapicus Varius from 1972 and Macqueen's Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii from 1961.

The article reports on a honey badger, Mellivora capensis that killed 29 Asian Houbara bustards, Chlamydotis macqueenii which are kept at three covered greenhouses in Mahazat as-Sayd in Saudi Arabia on December 12, 2009. The badger was able to tear the net and climb the enclosure leading to the tunnels where the 75 Houbara are kept. There were six animals killed while the rest who died succumbed to injuries caused by panic.