Autumn Habitat Selection by Houbara Bustards (Chlamydotis undulata) in Eastern Jungar Basin,Xinjiang

Autumn habitat selection by Houbara bustards in eastern Jungar Basin,Xinjiang was studied in September 2000.It was found that the birds preferred sites were the flat and open places,where were dominated by sparse short xero-halophytic plants with randomly interspersed bushy patches.Vegetative density,plant species richness and phenology were the most important factors that determined the autumn habitat selection of Houbara bustard.Vegetative density,herb species richness,Petrosimonia sp.density,and fruiting plant density and species richness at the autumn habitat sites were all higher than those at the control sites,and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01);shooting plant,Anabasis sp.and Reaumuria sp.density at the habitats differed significantly from those at the controls (P<0.05),and shooting plant density relatively were high,Anabasis sp.and Reaumuria sp.density low at the habitats respectively.