An investigation carried out with artificial nests distributed in Lanzarote by the area where the Canarian houbara (Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae), an endemic species of the islands that is in danger of extinction, warns that Canary ravens (Corvus corax canariensis) could be the main predators of their nests.
The study, published in Ecological Research, was carried out in Lanzarote because it is the island that concentrates 80% of the entire Canarian houbara population. The island of volcanoes has the largest population of this species in the world.
Within the framework of the research carried out by the Department of Evolutionary Ecology of the National Museum of Natural Sciences (CSIC), together with the Department of Experimental Sciences of the University of Granada, 229 artificial nests have been distributed in various points of Lanzarote to detect the main risks for the survival of Canarian houbara chicks.
The researchers explain that artificial studies do not exactly reproduce natural conditions, but it is usually a common way to investigate chick predation in species with few specimens since using real ones could be dangerous for the species itself.
Of the total nests distributed in the study, 57% of the artificial houbara chicks were preyed upon by ravens, and the rest, by dogs, domestic animals that roam freely in the breeding areas. The study also states that feral cats and rats also pose a risk to the preservation of the species.
The study indicates the importance of carrying out "detailed monitoring" of the Canarian raven populations in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, to prevent "excessive growth". Thus, it adds that although there does not seem to be a notable increase in the species, it has increased in Fuerteventura.
To which it adds that it may be related to the installation of several feeding areas on the neighboring island for the survival of another endemic species, the Egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus majorensis).
A species in danger of extinction
As it is a species in danger of extinction, the breeding period is fundamental for the Canarian houbara, which has just over 500 specimens in the entire archipelago. The species is classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Once it lays its eggs, it usually covers them with vegetation to prevent them from being intercepted by predators. The success of its survival depends on its ability to hide them.
Meanwhile, remember that the "decline" of adult specimens is attributed to habitat destruction caused by humans, such as the extraction of aggregates in El Jable, as well as mortality from collisions with light poles and being run over on roads or trails.
The importance of vegetation and stones
The study points out the importance of vegetation and stones that Canarian hubaras use to camouflage their nests from potential predators.
Among the recommendations, it proposes "implementing conservation" of the aulaga (Launaea), as well as other patches of vegetation found in the hubara's breeding grounds. At the same time, it proposes the restoration of disused cultivated areas where vegetation is degraded or has disappeared.
Regarding stony areas, it indicates the importance of preserving areas of the island such as Los Ancones, La Mareta, or Rubicón, all Special Protection Areas for Birds (ZEPA) of the Natura 2000 Network.
Thus, the research highlights that "numerous nests" of female hubaras have been detected in these spaces, indicating the importance of these places for the species. At the same time, they recommend avoiding the expansion of urban centers in these areas and ensuring compliance with current regulations to protect the chicks.
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