Conservation of Eurasian Bustards

Programme Coordinator – Pavel Rozhkov, Moscow Zoo, Russia

The main subjects of the programme are all three species of the family of Bustards (Otididae), distributed in Russia and neighbouring states:

• The great bustard (Otis tarda tarda, O. t. dybowskii): both subspecies are globally threatened and included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (category 3 for the western subspecies and 2, for the eastern subspecies), Appendix II of CITES, Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (the Bern Convention), and Appendix I of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

• The little bustard (Tetrax tetrax): globally threatened species included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (category 3), IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (LR/nt), Appendix II of CITES, and Appendix II of the Bern Convention.

• The houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii): globally threatened species included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (category 1), Red Books of a number of countries of Central Asia, Appendix I of CITES, and Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

• developing standardized methods of the management and breeding of bustards in enclosures as one of the strategic areas of the conservation of Eurasian bustards.

• joining and consolidating the efforts and scientific and practical experience of the programme participants (zoos and breeding centres) in optimizing ex situ breeding of bustards.

• establishing ex situ population of the great bustard Otis tarda.

• development of optimal parameters of enclosure complexes (structure, design, equipment, etc.) intended for year-round long-term housing of bustards under various climatic conditions;

• development, optimization and standardization of the regimes of year-round long-term housing of bustards in the artificial environment under various climatic conditions;

• development of standardized food recipes for different programme objects, taking into account species features, age of birds and season of the year; 

• development of the methods and techniques of artificial insemination as the key component of the captive breeding of bustards;

• optimization of the methods of artificial incubation of bustard eggs;

• optimization of the standard methods of raising of bustard chicks in breeding enclosures;

• developing a method for determining the sex of birds at early stages of growth and development;

• establishing and managing Studbook on captive bustards, based on the maintenance of DNA-database and marking of chicks;

• identification of the site area (in nature reserve or strictly protected area) for establishing semi-wild monitored bustard population;

• establishing semi-wild population of the great bustard Otis tarda tarda​.