Houbara

Houbara

Established in 1989, the National Avian Research Centre (NARC) in Sweihan, Abu Dhabi, was the first ever centre dedicated to studying and captive breeding of the Asian Houbara bustard.

Houbara bustards are large-bodied birds with long legs and a slender neck.

The upper body is speckled, sandy brown and the underside is creamy white. The male has long, black feathers around the back of his neck, and white feathers on the front Houbara, a rare bird breed is one of the most beautiful species in birds. At Houbarafund.org we work for preserving the Houbara bustards. To know more about this visits us today.

Both an avid falconer and conservationist, the late President of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan committed himself to ensuring the future survival of the Houbara, when in the 1970s he noticed numbers in the wild were in decline.

About Us

Abu Dhabi’s Houbara programmed actually started in the 1970s. The decline in numbers of the birds in the wild was recognized by the UAE’s then President, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who initiated a project based on a vision for conservation, underpinned by principles, which remain at the heart of the programme today.

From its beginnings in the UAE in 1977, the programme expanded to reflect the need for global cooperation; the range of the Houbara stretches from North Africa, through the Middle East and into Asia. In 1996, the international operations of the Houbara programme were incorporated into a single management entity: the International Fund for Houbara Conservation.

Programme Centre

Following the establishment of IFHC, two centres (National Avian Research Centre in Abu Dhabi and Emirates Centre for Wildlife Propagation in Morocco) came under the Fund's umbrella. Subsequently, three more breeding centres have been established to breed Houbara. In Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Khalifa Houbara Breeding Centre- Abu Dhabi (SKHBC-AD) began producing Asian Houbara in 2012. While, in the same year, work began on the construction of a permanent breeding facility in Kazakhstan the Sheikh Khalifa Houbara Breeding Centre in Kazakhstan (SKHBC-Kz) replacing temporary structures which had been in place since 2008. In Morocco, a second Houbara breeding centre was opened in the Enjil region

of the kingdom in 2006. As a result, the combined annual production of these centres now exceeds 50,000.

In 2014, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, issued a law to reorganise IFHC under the supervision of a highlevel Board of Directors led by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Under this illustrious patronage, and due to the great success of the Houbara captive breeding and wild release programmer, IFHC continues to build on four decades of progress to ensure the vision for future generations to enjoy the Houbara in the wild remains a reality in the UAE, as well as throughout the species’ international range in the Middle East, Asia and North Africa.

Conducting practical and basic research.

Building a network of projects and centers to conserve species within and outside habitats, and support them through long-term international partnerships.

Comprehensive management of the sustainable use of species while continuing to support social, economic and environmental development in range countries.

For More Get in Touch With Us Our Address: 129555, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Tel: +971 2 693 4455

Fax: +971 2 499 7287

E-mail: info@houbara-fund.ae

www.houbarafund.org