31-01-2024, 08:09 PM
Noticicas:
The extinction of the Canarian houbara accelerates.
Power and telephone lines, roadkills and feral cats accelerate the extinction of the Canary Islands houbara
Researchers from the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) show in a study that power and telephone lines, road accidents, wire fences and feral cats are accelerating the demographic decline of the Canary Island houbara, Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae.
The researchers have been analysing the populations of this bird for 8 years, marking specimens with GPS tracking devices, which has allowed them to know in detail the problems faced by this threatened species, endemic to the Canary Islands and an emblem of the fauna of the archipelago.
"Most of the fatal accidents on power lines and telephone lines occur at night, because houbaras are nocturnal migrants. The authorities must take urgent measures if they want to prevent the species from disappearing in a few decades," explains MNCN researcher Juan Carlos Alonso, who directs the Houbara Project.
"Another important factor is the number of people being run over by vehicles, which circulate in very high numbers on the islands' roads and paths. In the houbara breeding areas, it would be necessary to regulate the traffic of tourists, which has increased exponentially in recent decades, as well as to establish speed limits for vehicles. Finally, predation by feral cats is also contributing to many houbara deaths on the islands," Alonso adds.
According to the research, published in the journal Scientific Reports and promoted by the Government of the Canary Islands, as a whole, mortality due to anthropogenic causes affects 6.2% of the Canary Islands houbaras annually, a value that, added to that of natural mortality, reaches 12.5% of individuals. Given that the average annual productivity of chickens is only 7.15%, the current mortality rate is demographically unsustainable.
By eliminating human-caused mortality, the population could recover, although the species would still require management actions to improve habitat quality and promote reproduction. "It is essential to adopt urgent conservation measures such as burying the most dangerous power lines, signalling the remaining ones with effective devices at night, and regulating traffic, including speed limits, to reduce anthropogenic mortality.
Likewise, it is necessary to improve the quality of the habitat and reduce the human impact in the areas where the houbaras breed, to try to increase their reproduction rate," Alonso proposes. The situation of the species is very delicate and has been aggravated in recent years due to the lack of rainfall. In Fuerteventura, the species is on the verge of extinction.
link to article for pic
Tamara: I'll add my own comment here about the decline of the Houbara in the Tindaya area. There are 3 main culprits that I have seen over the 8 years I have lived in Tindaya.
For the first few years I lived here there were 2 houbara that came to feed on the plants along our lane every teatime. They walked up the field, along the lane for about 50m and then back down again. I was privileged to witness the courtship ritual several times although I never saw any young.
Then the problems started:
1. The Cabildo decided to clear the plants (weeds?) along the side of the lane. Why? Who knows? They didn't just cut back a few plants, they brought in a bulldozer and scraped 2m of ground alongside the length of the lane. All plants removed including some beautiful and rare stuff. (orange flowered Spanish bluebells and Dune Crocus were just 2) I saw them starting and rushed out to try to stop them but they were just like 'we have orders to clear the vegetation!' An email to the Cabildo to complain after the event got no response.
2. 2 different German families moved in near me. They both believe that all animals and children should be 'free'. They have numerous cats and large dogs that do as they please. A couple of months ago one families' dogs went to a local finca and killed a young goat - a denuncia later and they have got their dogs inside a fenced garden now. The cats all still roam free. The 2nd family have recently got a young podenco cross that is allowed to roam, it's friendly enough but a right nuisance. I often see it down in the wild fields.
3. General dog walkers. Loads of people arrive with their dogs in cars and let them out to run free for an hour or two across the countryside while they wander off track.
The extinction of the Canarian houbara accelerates.
Power and telephone lines, roadkills and feral cats accelerate the extinction of the Canary Islands houbara
Researchers from the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) show in a study that power and telephone lines, road accidents, wire fences and feral cats are accelerating the demographic decline of the Canary Island houbara, Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae.
The researchers have been analysing the populations of this bird for 8 years, marking specimens with GPS tracking devices, which has allowed them to know in detail the problems faced by this threatened species, endemic to the Canary Islands and an emblem of the fauna of the archipelago.
"Most of the fatal accidents on power lines and telephone lines occur at night, because houbaras are nocturnal migrants. The authorities must take urgent measures if they want to prevent the species from disappearing in a few decades," explains MNCN researcher Juan Carlos Alonso, who directs the Houbara Project.
"Another important factor is the number of people being run over by vehicles, which circulate in very high numbers on the islands' roads and paths. In the houbara breeding areas, it would be necessary to regulate the traffic of tourists, which has increased exponentially in recent decades, as well as to establish speed limits for vehicles. Finally, predation by feral cats is also contributing to many houbara deaths on the islands," Alonso adds.
According to the research, published in the journal Scientific Reports and promoted by the Government of the Canary Islands, as a whole, mortality due to anthropogenic causes affects 6.2% of the Canary Islands houbaras annually, a value that, added to that of natural mortality, reaches 12.5% of individuals. Given that the average annual productivity of chickens is only 7.15%, the current mortality rate is demographically unsustainable.
By eliminating human-caused mortality, the population could recover, although the species would still require management actions to improve habitat quality and promote reproduction. "It is essential to adopt urgent conservation measures such as burying the most dangerous power lines, signalling the remaining ones with effective devices at night, and regulating traffic, including speed limits, to reduce anthropogenic mortality.
Likewise, it is necessary to improve the quality of the habitat and reduce the human impact in the areas where the houbaras breed, to try to increase their reproduction rate," Alonso proposes. The situation of the species is very delicate and has been aggravated in recent years due to the lack of rainfall. In Fuerteventura, the species is on the verge of extinction.
link to article for pic
Tamara: I'll add my own comment here about the decline of the Houbara in the Tindaya area. There are 3 main culprits that I have seen over the 8 years I have lived in Tindaya.
For the first few years I lived here there were 2 houbara that came to feed on the plants along our lane every teatime. They walked up the field, along the lane for about 50m and then back down again. I was privileged to witness the courtship ritual several times although I never saw any young.
Then the problems started:
1. The Cabildo decided to clear the plants (weeds?) along the side of the lane. Why? Who knows? They didn't just cut back a few plants, they brought in a bulldozer and scraped 2m of ground alongside the length of the lane. All plants removed including some beautiful and rare stuff. (orange flowered Spanish bluebells and Dune Crocus were just 2) I saw them starting and rushed out to try to stop them but they were just like 'we have orders to clear the vegetation!' An email to the Cabildo to complain after the event got no response.
2. 2 different German families moved in near me. They both believe that all animals and children should be 'free'. They have numerous cats and large dogs that do as they please. A couple of months ago one families' dogs went to a local finca and killed a young goat - a denuncia later and they have got their dogs inside a fenced garden now. The cats all still roam free. The 2nd family have recently got a young podenco cross that is allowed to roam, it's friendly enough but a right nuisance. I often see it down in the wild fields.
3. General dog walkers. Loads of people arrive with their dogs in cars and let them out to run free for an hour or two across the countryside while they wander off track.