Habitat, Population, Breeding Activities and Threats to Houbara Bustard in Nag Valley (Pakistan) in 1999–2001. - M.S. Nadeem, A.A. Mian, H. Rashid, M. Asif. - Berkut. 13 (2). 2004. - P. 244-257.
Nag Valley is located 270 41’ N and 650 14’ E between Besima and Panjgur in the south-west of the District Kharan. It is a narrow valley having an area about 1500 km2. Its altitude varies between 1100 m and 1600 m. Surveys were carried out to study the Houbara habitat and population density. A total of 118 plant species belonging to 61 families were recorded. Vegetation was very specific according to soil type. The most dominant species on the basis of importance value were Zygophyllum eurypterum, Rhazya stricta, Pennisetum divisum, Convolvulus spinosus, Otostegia aucheri, Astragalus stocksii, Cymbopogon jwarancusa, Haloxylon ammodenderon, Haloxylon griffithi, Fagonia indica and Peganum harmala. Two new species Douepia tortuosa and Cynomorium songaricum were recorded from Nag area. The density of wintering Houbara was 0.141 ± 0.024 ind./km2 in 1999, which gradually decreased to 0.116 ± 0.023 in 2000 and 0.103 ± 0.023 ind./km2in 2001. The decline was 17.92 % in 2000 and 10.92 % in 2001. The density of breeding Houbara in Nag Valley was 0.041 ± 0.021 ind./km2 in 1999, which decreased to 0.038 ± 0.019 in 2000 and 0.034 ± 0.020 ind./km2 in 2001. The decline was 8.06 % in 2000 and 10.53 % in 2001. There were 20–30 pairs of Houbara during breeding season in Nag. Excessive hunting, overgrazing, poaching, deforestation and shrinkage of habitat are the main threats to breeding population. [English].
Key words: Houbara Bustard, Chlamydotis undulata, Pakistan, ecology, conservation.
Address: M.S. Nadeem, Zoology Department, New Campus, Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan;
e-mail: sajidnm@hotmail.com.