Great Indian Bustards

Table of Contents

Great Indian Bustards- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 3: Environment- Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation.

As per the studies conducted by Wildlife Institute of India, there are around 150 Great Indian Bustards left across the country.
- These includes about 128 birds in Rajasthan and less than 10 birds each in the States of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

About: Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) are the largest among the four bustard species found in India, the other three being MacQueen’s bustard, lesser florican and the Bengal florican.
Habitat: In India, GIBs are confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat. Small populations occur in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Preferred Habitation: Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) prefer grasslands as their habitats.
- Being terrestrial birds, they spend most of their time on the ground with occasional flights to go from one part of their habitat to the other.
Feeding Pattern: Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) feed on insects, lizards, grass seeds etc.
Importance: GIBs are considered the flagship bird species of grassland and hence barometers of the health of grassland ecosystems.

IUCN Status: IUCN has categorised GIBs as critically endangered.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): GIBs are listed under Appendix 1 of the CITES.
Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): GIBs are listed under Appendix I of CMS.
- Great Indian Bustard was also the mascot of the prestigious 13th CMS Conference of Parties held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Great Indian Bustards are listed under Schedule 1 of the WPA Act 1972.

Power Transmission Lines: WII have been pointing out overhead power transmission lines as the biggest threat to the GIBs.
- WII research has concluded that in Rajasthan, 18 GIBs die every year after colliding with overhead powerlines.
- This happens due to their poor frontal vision, as they can’t detect powerlines in time and their weight make in-flight quick manoeuvres difficult.
Development of Renewable energy infrastructure: Kutch and Thar desert are the places which have witnessed creation of huge renewable energy infrastructure over the past two decades.
- These energy infrastructures are leading to installation of windmills and construction of power lines even in core GIB areas, causing deaths of Great Indian Bustards.
Change in Land use pattern: Change in landscape by way of farmers cultivating their land, which otherwise used to remain fallow due to frequent droughts in Kutch.
- Cultivation of cotton and wheat instead of pulses and fodder are also cited as reasons for falling GIB numbers.