The houbara bustard is the main quarry in the traditional sport of falconry, an integral part of UAE's heritage.

Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of ERWDA, said the experiment was a step in the right direction for NARC, which had built up expertise in houbara bustard conservation.

This year's initial experiment was conducted on a total of 10 female and 5 male birds, selected from NARC's current breeding flock of several hundred birds, and proved very successful, with birds breeding four months earlier than would naturally be the case.

He said that another important objective was to enhance scientific knowledge on the species, whose biology has yet to be studied further, by carrying out experimental research under strictly defined conditions with regard to the bird's welfare. Since August, 2004, NARC has been investigating the possibility of artificially altering the breeding season of captive houbara. "This experiment is expected to pave the way for increasing the production of houbara in captivity and may lead to birds passing through two breeding seasons in each calendar year," Al Mansouri said.

He said the experiment would optimise the utilisation of the environmentally-controlled breeding facilities where the birds are housed, produce eggs of higher quality as the breeding season length is controlled to avoid birds from getting exhausted, and balance the need for work force throughout the year.