Habitat use by houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii) in arid shrubland in the United Arab Emirates

In order to define the features that determine habitat suitability for the houbara (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii), a study of habitat use was carried out in Baynunah, United Arab Emirates, during the winter of 1993/94. This study was made by following the houbara and their tracks. The results showed no difference between the tracks, the sidelines and the control lines with respect to the plant species, phenology, substrate and topography, but a higher density of shrubs and higher grass cover were recorded along the track. Furthermore, the behaviour of the birds varied depending on the combination of plant cover, substrate and topography.