Foster eggs or chicks of bustards with wild conspecifics

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

20%
Certainty

5%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Natural variations in reproductive output can be detrimental when populations are very small, for example if pairs fail to produce fertile eggs or some pairs repeatedly fail to raise offspring successfully. One way to minimise this problem is to foster eggs and chicks between nests. Eggs and chicks from nests with more offspring than they are likely to be able to raise can be moved to those with infertile eggs. Alternatively, if a pair produces fertile eggs or healthy chicks but consistently fails to raise chicks then it may be possible to transfer offspring to a more successful pair.

In other circumstances it may be possible to foster chicks with other species (‘cross-fostering’). Studies describing this intervention are discussed in the following section ‘Foster eggs or chicks with wild non-conspecifics (cross-fostering).’

Study locations

Key messages

A small study in Saudi Arabia found that a captive-bred egg was successfully fostered to a female in the wild.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A small trial in a desert site in desert steppe in southwest Saudi Arabia in 1995 (Gelinaud et al. 1997) found that a released, captive-bred female houbara bustard Chalmydotis undulata macqueenii successfully raised a captive-laid egg fostered into her nest. The chick hatched and fledged at 41 days old. The female had originally laid a single, infertile egg. The release programme is discussed in ‘Release captive-bred individuals’.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Gelinaud G., Combreau O. & Seddon P.J. (1997) First breeding by captive-bred houbara bustards introduced in central Saudi Arabia. Journal of Arid Environments, 35, 527-534.

Please cite as:

Williams, D.R., Child, M.F., Dicks, L.V., Ockendon, N., Pople, R.G., Showler, D.A., Walsh, J.C., zu Ermgassen, E.K.H.J. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Bird Conservation. Pages 137-281 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bird Conservation

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Foster eggs or chicks of raptors with wild conspecifics Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	11	Synopsis Link
Foster eggs or chicks of petrels and shearwaters with wild non-conspecifics (cross-fostering) Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link
Foster eggs or chicks of woodpeckers with wild conspecifics Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	3	Synopsis Link