On the status of the Great Bustard, Otis tarda Linnaeus, 1758 (Aves: Otididae) in Kurdistan Province, Iran

The relative density and population fluctuations of Great Bustards, Otis tarda, were assessed during breeding and non-breeding seasons in Kurdistan province, western Iran, during 1975-2005. The survey was based on field studies (1992-2005) and data collected by the Department of the Environment of Iran, Kurdistan office (1975-1991), in five areas. At two of these sites (Chehar douli and Dashte-Ghaz), Great Bastards became extinct, while numbers in the other areas are declining rapidly due to a decrease of the size of suitable habitats. In 2005 only 10 Great Bustards were recorded in the whole province. Without effective conservation measures, it seems inevitable that the species will become extinct in this region and may face extinction in Iran.