🕊️ Houbara Bustard: A Bird Worth Saving, A Brand With Purpose
At Houbara Outdoors, our domes may be architectural, but the soul of our brand is avian. We’re named after and inspired by a bird few have seen, but all should know — the Houbara Bustard.
This blog is our tribute to this endangered desert wanderer, its fragile ecosystem, and our own role in its story — as builders, as conservation allies, and as Indians.
🏷️ Why the Houbara Bustard?
The Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii), also known locally in Rajasthan as “Tillore”, is a large, elusive bird native to the Thar Desert. It’s a migratory species — flying thousands of kilometers from Central Asia to winter in India, Pakistan, and the Arabian Peninsula.
But in recent decades, their numbers have drastically declined due to habitat loss, poaching, and falconry-based hunting in parts of their migratory range.
We at Houbara Outdoors chose this bird not only as our namesake but also as our conservation focus. Our brand carries its image, and our actions support its survival.
🧭 A Species in Trouble
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Houbara Bustard is classified as Vulnerable. Once found in vast numbers across Central Asia, North Africa, and South Asia, it now faces major threats:
- Loss of habitat due to agriculture and development
- Illegal poaching and falconry, especially along migratory corridors
- Fragmented populations and declining breeding grounds
📚 Scientific Understanding: The Work of Dr. Rahmani & BNHS
Between 1994 and 1998, Dr. Asad R. Rahmani, then Director of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), led detailed surveys of the Houbara Bustard population in Rajasthan. His findings were sobering:
- Bustards were observed in 11 districts, mainly Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer, and Jodhpur
- While sightings were confirmed at 34 sites, illegal hunting was reported in at least 11
- The bird’s population was already declining due to human pressures
Dr. Rahmani’s work laid the foundation for India’s awareness of the Houbara’s plight, and it continues to influence research and policy.
🌍 Three Subspecies of Concern
There are three known subspecies of Houbara Bustard:
- Chlamydotis undulata undulata — North Africa (~10,000 individuals)
- Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae — Canary Islands (only 700–750 birds)
- Chlamydotis macqueenii — MacQueen’s Bustard, found in Asia and the Indian subcontinent
Our focus is on MacQueen’s Bustard, which migrates annually into India.
🧬 Migration & Tracking Research
In 1997, researchers at the National Avifauna Research Centre in Abu Dhabi fitted several birds with satellite transmitters. The data revealed staggering migrations:
- One bird flew 6,600 km from Abu Dhabi to Xinjiang, China in just 54 days
- The route crossed Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan
These findings emphasized the international scope of conservation needed to save this species.
🪶 Physical Characteristics
- Sandy-brown upperparts and white underparts
- White crest and distinctive black neck stripe
- Long tail and eagle-like flight with deep wingbeats
- Females are slightly smaller
- Diet: seeds, berries, grasshoppers, ants, snails, small reptiles
🇮🇳 The Indian Context
While large-scale falconry is not practiced in India, opportunistic poaching and habitat degradation are persistent threats. In the Desert National Park of Jaisalmer, one of India’s last strongholds for this species, efforts are ongoing to protect the bird and its habitat.
The Houbara is listed under Schedule I, Part III of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) — granting it the highest level of protection under Indian law.
🌱 Our Commitment at Houbara Outdoors
At Houbara Outdoors, we are doing our part:
- 5% of our net profit is committed to Houbara Bustard conservation
- We collaborate with desert communities, wildlife experts, and researchers
- Our brand logo features the Houbara — not as a mascot, but as a call to protect
By choosing our domes, you support more than sustainable living — you support the conservation of a rare bird, an ecosystem, and a legacy.
🙌 How You Can Help
- Learn more about the species — share this article
- Support ethical eco-tourism in desert regions
- Partner with conservation organizations and initiatives
- And of course, choose brands with real purpose — like Houbara Outdoors
The Houbara flies silently across deserts. Let’s make sure it never flies for the last time.
🕊️
Visit HoubaraOutdoors.com to explore our domes and discover how your next sustainable project can support real-world conservation.Our brand association with Houbara Bustard.
In India, between 1994 and 1998
Dr. Asad R. Rahmani, Director, BNHS, and a team of researchers that included the first author conducted detailed surveys and found the bustard in eleven districts of Rajasthan, with the major concentration in the Bikaner, Jodhpur, Barmer, and Jaisalmer districts. In Rajasthan, of the thirty-eight sites censused, the population was confirmed at thirty-four sites. But, as per local information, illegal hunting was occurring then and may still occur at at least eleven of these sites. In India, the Houbara Bustard is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) and classified under Schedule I, Part III.
The Houbara bustard is a rare bird and is known as Tillore in the Thar Desert. The Bird population is Declining due to habitat loss and degradation as desert areas are developed for agriculture and infrastructure projects. This decline may be due to habitat loss and fragmentation compounded by high hunting pressure from falconers, as seen today even in the breeding areas in Central Asia. Classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN in 1994 and 2005. In India, too, they are opportunistically hunted by local poachers. But large-scale hunting by falconers, as seen in Pakistan, fortunately, does not occur here.
