It is a houbara bustard subspecies which is endemic to the eastern Canary archipelago, in Macaronesia in the North Atlantic Ocean, where it is a scarce and threatened non-migratory resident.

[4] The Canarian houbara is distinguished from the other two subspecies by its smaller size, less sandy colouring, and darker and more extensive markings on the back.

Courtship takes place from December to March with the male displaying his head and throat plumage while strutting in a line or circle.

[5] The birds are omnivorous, feeding on the ground and consuming a variety of arthropods, molluscs and smaller vertebrates as well as plant material.

[5] The Action Plan published in 1995 estimated the total population of Canarian houbaras at about 700–750 birds, comprising 300–350 on Fuerteventura and Lobos, and 400 on Lanzarote and Graciosa.