Asian Houbara bustards Jordan has become the latest country in the region to host the release of Asian Houbara bustards bred in Abu Dhabi. The 500 Houbara were released at eight designated sites in traditional areas for the species. The birds were bred in Abu Dhabi and transported to Jordan for release as part of the International Fund for Houbara Conservation's, IFHC, world-leading programme to restore wild populations across the range of the iconic species.
Mohamed Al Bowardi, Deputy Chairman of the IFHC Board, said, "It is with great joy that we welcome the Kingdom of Jordan as the latest country in the region to join the programme to restore the Houbara to its traditional place at the heart of Arabia. I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to His Majesty King Abdullah II, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and to the people of Jordan for their agreement and commitment to this very important mission." IFHC has worked very closely with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) in Jordan to make the first release in the country happen. Experts from IFHC have previously visited Jordan and carried out field surveys to establish the best areas to release the Houbara. Khalid Irani, Director-General, RSCN, said, "Jordan is committed to preserving its biodiversity and, historically, the Houbara is an important species. Utilising the expertise Abu Dhabi has developed over many years will help us realise our objective of restoring the Houbara to its traditional habitat in our country and I would like to thank H.H. Sheikh Khalifa and IFHC for all they have provided." Jordan becomes the latest county in recent years to release birds bred in Abu Dhabi by IFHC. Captive-bred Houbara have been provided across the region in a coordinated attempt at restoring resident, wild populations of Houbara across the Arabian Peninsula, which were in historical decline as a result of poaching, unregulated hunting and habitat degradation
Source: WAM