Theats to the species and its habitat
The main threatening factors to this species are the destruction and alteration of its habitat, the inconveniences derived from the passing of people and vehicles and the impact of electricity lines. Predators could be an important negative factor, although there are no data to evaluate its incidence. Other threatening activities like illegal hunting, the poaching of its eggs, military activity, or the collecting of truffles, have been reduced in comparison to the past.
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Alteration of habitat and anthropic disturbance . An important percentage of priority areas for the Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae , must bear a high frequency of visits by tourists who, either by foot or vehicle, cross areas of great importance to this steppic species. Besides fragmentation and degradation of its habitat, these activities mean disturbance to the birds. These actions have an even higher impact when they coincide with breeding periods for the species and when they take place in their nesting areas.
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Loss of habitat. It is the main threat for this species, as an ever growing degradation of its habitat is underway. Actions like the building of wind farms, golf courses, quarries for the extraction of gravel, building of roads and villas complexes are destroying critical areas for the Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae .
These alterations started in the coastal plains but in the last few years some areas of the interior of the islands have suffered the same changes. The estimated 400 square kilometres of habitat of this species in 1994 have been reduced in the last few years and some valuable points have been lost to the habitat of the Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae . A recent piece of research mentions that the habitat of this species today amounts to only 16,5 square kilometres.
Bearing in mind the importance of traditional ways of farming in this archipelago to the Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae , particularly in difficult times, the gradual abandonment of these agricultural activities in the last few decades must have had a negative impact in the population of this species.
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Mortality due to electricity lines . Both in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura deaths of Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae that fly into powerlines have been observed. Due to the mobility of this species according to the available resources in their habitat, some stretches of lines can mean real death traps to them and cause a high mortality rate in its population.
Predation by mammals introduced in the area. Although there are no data to evaluate their impact on the hubbard population, the aboundance of certain species that have been introduced in the area, like cats, rats, hedgehogs and squirrels, the predation of eggs and chicks can be an important negative factor.
Other factors . Illegal hunting, the poaching of eggs (both for consumption and for collecting), military activity and other disturbance related to the collecting of truffles are factors that could be affecting the species in some way or other, although it is not known to which degree and it is very possible that their effect has diminished sensibly in comparison to the past.