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Great Indian Bustard - Another Salient Bird On

The Verge Of Extinction?
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Posted May 05, 2023 Vertro Open

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ENVIRONMENT
CONSERVATION ECOLOGY
 
Most of us must all have already read about endangered
species, extinct species, isn’t it?
Whenever I used to study about these topics as a kid, I used to
wonder what if the dinosaurs were still alive or suddenly, one
day we come to know that none of the tigers is left.
Did you also have any similar thoughts?
Wildlife provides balance and stability to nature’s processes
and is the backbone of the world’s ecosystems. However, with
growth and development, natural resources are being
consumed faster than ever, thus endangering the habitats and
existence of various types of wildlife around the world.
Considering the importance of wildlife in nature, it becomes
extremely important to preserve our rich biodiversity. Wildlife
conservation ie the practice of protecting plant and animal
species and their habitats, plays a pivotal role in sustainable
development.
 
One such species that needs attention in the Indian context is
the Great Indian Bustard, which is mainly found in Rajasthan
and Gujarat. Great Indian Bustards (GIBs), locally called
Godawan, are the state bird of Rajasthan and are considered
India’s most critically endangered bird species. As per the 2021
report of the International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN), they are on the verge of extinction with hardly 50 to
249 alive.
 
 
Significance of GIB

Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) are the state bird of Rajasthan,

India, and are locally called Godawan. They are the largest
among the four bustard species found in India. The heaviest
flying bird, Bustards, are tall birds with long legs and necks. The
male bustards weigh between 24-42 pounds (11-19 Kg), while
the females are roughly half the size of the males. They feed
on grass seeds, insects like grasshoppers and beetles, and
sometimes even small rodents and reptiles; hence are
important for the ecological food chain.
GIBs are considered the flagship bird species of grassland and
hence barometers of the health of grassland ecosystems. As
per recent statistics, Desert National Park in Rajasthan has
around 122 birds.
 
The Threats
Among the biggest threats to the GIBs are overhead power
transmission lines. Due to their poor frontal vision, the birds
can’t spot the power lines from a distance and are too heavy
to change course when close. Thus, they collide with the
cables and die.
Hunting & habitat degradation are the other immediate threats
to the species’ survival. Ecologists have estimated that
approximately 90 percent of the species’ natural geographic
approximately 90 percent of the species natural geographic
range. These activities, combined with the species’ low
fecundity and the pressure of natural predators, have left the
great Indian bustard in a precarious position.

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As a result of widespread agricultural expansion and

mechanized farming, infrastructural development such as
irrigation, roads, and electric poles, as well as mining and
industrialization.
Moreover, the species’ low fecundity and the pressure of
natural predators, have left the great Indian bustard in a
precarious position.
 
What is Project GIB?
The idea began with a PIL filed by conservationist M K
Ranjitsinh, who had sought SC intervention to stem the
 j , g
dwindling of the population of GIB in their core habitats in
Gujarat & Rajasthan. Interestingly, Rajasthan chief minister
Ashok Gehlot launched ‘Project GIB’ in the state on 5th June
2013, however, the 11-point conservation modalities listed in it
did not mention GIB mortality due to collision with the
transmission. Hence an intervention by SC was requested.
 
Seeing the criticality of the situation, SC suggested "Project
GIB" to save the Great Indian Bustard on the lines of Project
Tiger. Under the project guidelines, state governments have
been instructed to convert overhead electric cables into

underground power cables, wherever feasible, and install bird

diverters in priority areas where the birds live.

 
The top court had also set up a three-member committee
comprising of comprises scientists Rahul Rawat, Sutirtha
Dutta, and Devesh Gadhavi, deputy director of Corbett
Foundation to assess the feasibility of laying high-voltage
underground power cables.
 
 

Other Programmes
Some of the other programmes that are operating for the
purposes are
1. Species Recovery Programme:
The species has been registered under the species recovery
programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife
Habitats of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate
Change (MoEFCC). The MoEFCC has also founded a program
called 'Habitat Improvement and Conservation Breeding of
Great Indian Bustard-An Integrated Approach' with the
objective to create a confined population of Great Indian
Bustards and release the chicks in the wild, thereby causing
their population to increase.
 
2. Conservation Breeding Facility:
MoEF&CC, the Rajasthan government and the Wildlife Institute
of India (WII) have established a conservation breeding facility
in Desert National Park at Jaisalmer in June 2019 with the
objective to build up a captive population of Great Indian
Bustards.
 
3. Eco-Friendly Measures: Task Force for suggesting eco-
friendly measures to mitigate impacts of power transmission
friendly measures to mitigate impacts of power transmission
lines and related infrastructures on the Great Indian Bustard.

 
4. Efforts by WWF-India: The organization has provided inputs
in developing the ‘Guidelines for the State Action Plan for
Resident Bustard Recovery Programme’. It also aims at raising
awareness about the declining populations and highlighting the
importance of implementing a focused bustard conservation
programme at the national level. WWF-India, is undertaking
initiatives toward the conservation of GIB in and around Desert
National Park.
 
 
 Conclusion
Authorities are trying to identify the bustard mating grounds
and fencing them to avoid their poaching, thereby letting their
numbers increase before they go extinct. Also, they have been
offered proper breeding compartments outside the protected
areas. Further actions like intensive patrolling by field staff,
local intelligence network, and consolidating the current
wireless network are sure to help. Habitat conservation by
designating certain bird-exclusive zones impermeable to
human interference, limiting anthropogenic pressures,
Enriching the habitat by introducing plants like Lasiurus
Sindicus (Sewan grass), and adding amenities like water
gazellers, Farmer and local incentive programs for information
sharing and species conservation along with involving locals in
ecotourism and eco-development initiatives if implemented
effectively can deliver the desired results.
 
References
- - https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/wildlife-
conservation
--
https://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/priority_species/threatene
d_species/great_indian_bustard/
- - https://india.wcs.org/Programmes/Great-Indian-Bustard

- - 
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/95899607.cms?
utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campai
gn=cppst
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