Hubara presence decreasing

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Radio Sintonia:

Hubara decreases its presence in Fuerteventura by 59% since 1994.

The hubara bustard is a kind of semi-arid environment that occupies the stony plains, sandy jables and steppe thickets of Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and La Graciosa. The arid and gritty jables, malpaíses and stony of the eastern islands of the Canary Islands constitute the habitat of the Canarian hubara, one of the most unique birds of the Spanish fauna, whose population, threatened by multiple problems, has decreased alarmingly in recent years, as confirmed by SEO/BirdLife studies. It is a species perfectly adapted to the dryness and scarcity of resources of the areas where it lives, the hubara is an omnivorous and very terrestrial bird, whose population is being subject to different conservation and management plans.

 

The abundance of the Canarian hubara bustard has been in the last 30 years greater in Lanzarote than in Fuerteventura, having increased that difference from 1994 to 2011. The average density in the same 12 census localities of Lanzarote sampled in November-December since 1994 tripled from that date until 2011, when the species reached the highest density recorded in the last thirty years, and then abruptly decreased to 4.2 hubaras/km2 in November 2020. In Fuerteventura, the density has been gradually decreasing from 1994 to 2020 in the same 18 census localities, having reduced its workforce by 59% since 1994, with an average density of 0.65 hubaras/km2 in 2020.
According to SEO/BirdLife, the main danger to the species lies in the loss of habitat, caused by the installation of wind farms, golf courses, quarries, linear infrastructures, urbanizations and tourist complexes, as well as by the abandonment of agricultural activities. Due to these factors, the 400 square kilometers of potential habitat for the species estimated in the mid-nineties have been reduced to about 162 in recent years. Also cited as threats are the nuisances derived from tourist visits, military maneuvers and truffle collection, collision with power lines, predation by introduced mammals, pressure from a dense goat herd, illegal hunting and egg collection.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Noticias:

International photographic prize for the "bridal dance of the hubara", in Fuerteventura.

The wedding dance of one of the natural symbols of the island, receives an award from the Natural History Museum in London.
The dance of feathers and color of the male of the hubara in a plain of La Oliva during the procession has received an international prize: the Canarian José Juan Hernández Martínez was the winner, in the category of animal portraits, of the 58th photography contest organized by the Natural History Museum in London. The chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae is an endangered bird that survives in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, according to Catalina García in yesterday's edition of Canarias 7.

 

"The rains set in motion the courtship of this steppe bird which, as the ornithologist Joachim Hellmich described, becomes "a ball of white feathers and quickly circles these races by raising its legs forward, turning numerous times, and braking dry. That moment of the wedding procession was captured by the photographer of Tenerife and earned him this international distinction, "he explains.

 

The first prize, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, went this year to American Karine Aigner, for her photograph "The big buzz", which captures "the beauty of a buzzing ball of cactus bees in the Texas arena as they compete to mate." According to Geo magazine, the image reflects a behavior known as balling, in which a group of drones tries to mate with the queen, who is in the center. Karine Aigner is the fifth woman to win the first prize in the 58-year history of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year of the British museum.

 
In the case of the photo of the majorera hubara during the courtship, Geo magazine highlights that José Juan Hernández Martínez captures "the complete and bloated profile of the bird while taking a short break after a frantic performance". Born in Tenerife, he is a professional photographer specialized in nature photography who has received several distinctions in international competitions. His image and that of the other winners of this 58th edition, can be visited in the annual exhibition dedicated to this award opens tomorrow Friday at the Natural History Museum in London. As in previous years, he will also tour the United Kingdom and ten countries around the world.

link to article for pic