Great Indian Bustard: The Last of India's Iconic Birds

The Great Indian Bustard is a majestic bird that has been a symbol of India's rich cultural heritage for centuries. It's a bird of prey, with a distinctive call that can be heard for miles.

Found in the grasslands and dry forests of central and western India, the Great Indian Bustard is a large bird, standing at an impressive height of up to 1.5 meters. Its wingspan can reach up to 2.3 meters.

Unfortunately, the Great Indian Bustard is now considered a critically endangered species, with a population of less than 100 individuals remaining in the wild.

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The Great Indian Bustard is an impressive bird, standing up to 1.2 metres (4 feet) tall. Its long legs and neck make it a striking sight.

These birds are roughly the same size, with the largest individuals weighing 15 kg (33 pounds).

Males have a distinctive black crown on the top of their head, which sets them apart from females.

The great Indian bustard is found in various parts of India and Pakistan, with its habitat ranging from arid and semi-arid grasslands to open country with thorn scrub.

It specifically inhabits areas with tall grass interspersed with cultivation, avoiding irrigated areas altogether. This means you won't find it in areas with a lot of water, but rather in dry, grassy regions.

The bird can be spotted in states like Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan in India, as well as in the Cholistan Desert in Pakistan.

The great Indian bustard can be found in various parts of India and Pakistan, with its range historically covering a vast area.

In India, it was once widespread, occurring in states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and many others, but today it's restricted to isolated pockets in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

The bustard inhabits arid and semi-arid grasslands, open country with thorn scrub, and tall grass interspersed with cultivation, avoiding irrigated areas.

Some of its known habitats include the Desert National Park near Jaisalmer, coastal grasslands of the Abdasa and Mandvi talukas of Kutch District in Gujarat, and the Ghatigaon and Karera sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh.

The major breeding areas for the great Indian bustard are in central and western India and eastern Pakistan, with the dry semi-desert regions in parts of Rajasthan being a crucial habitat.

In recent years, the population in Maharashtra has been largely extinct, with no recorded breeding males left, while some birds remain in Karnataka and the Thar region of Rajasthan is the last major stronghold of the species in the country.

Desert National Park is situated on the western border of India within the Jaisalmer & Barmer Districts of Rajasthan.

This park is home to a variety of wildlife, including the Great Indian Bustard, which is the Rajasthan State animal, known as the Chinkara.

The Chinkara is a type of gazelle that is well adapted to the desert environment.

The park also features the khejri tree, which is the State tree of Rajasthan.

The khejri tree is a drought-resistant species that is commonly found in the desert regions of India.

A visit to Desert National Park would be a great opportunity to see the Rohida flower, which is the State flower of Rajasthan.

Rohida is a type of flowering plant that is known for its vibrant red color and unique shape.

Here are some key facts about Desert National Park:

The Kutch Sanctuary is a unique gem, located in the Kutch district of Gujarat, India. It's situated near Nalia and is home to three species of Bustards: the Great Indian bustard, lesser floricans, and the Macqueen bustard.

This sanctuary is quite small, covering just two square kilometres. It's also interesting to note that the sanctuary was declared in July 1992 to safeguard the endangered Great Indian bustard.

One of the key features of the Kutch Sanctuary is the absence of human habitation inside the park.

The great Indian bustard is an omnivorous bird that primarily feeds on insects, including Orthoptera and beetles like Mylabris species. They also consume grass seeds, berries from the genera Ziziphus and Eruca, rodents, reptiles, and crops like groundnut and millets.

They drink water when available and have a unique way of doing so, often sitting down to drink or suck water before raising their heads at an angle. Young birds, on the other hand, are often seen dust-bathing frequently.

In Rajasthan, the great Indian bustard has been known to hunt Indian spiny-tailed lizards, Uromastyx hardwickii.

The great Indian bustard is an omnivorous bird that feeds on a variety of food sources, including insects, grass seeds, berries, rodents, and reptiles.

One of its favorite insects is the Orthoptera, which it consumes in large quantities. It also eats beetles, including the Mylabris species.

In cultivated areas, the great Indian bustard feeds on exposed crops such as groundnut, millets, and legume pods.

It drinks water when available, and has a unique way of doing so by sitting down to drink or suck water, followed by raising its head at an angle.

Young birds are known to dust-bathe frequently, which is an important behavior for their health and well-being.

The male great Indian bustard is polygamous, and during the breeding season, it is solitary but congregates in small flocks in winter.

In fact, the male's mating system has been described as an "exploded or dispersed lek", which is a unique way of attracting mates.

The great Indian bustard makes local movements, but these are not well understood, and flocks disperse after the monsoon.

During the breeding season, which occurs between March and September, the male's inflated fluffy white feathers are displayed, and territorial fights may occur between males.

These fights involve strutting next to each other, leaping against each other, and landing to lock the opponent's head under their neck.

The male's gular sac is inflated during courtship display, creating a large wobbly bag that hangs down from its neck.

The male also raises its tail and folds it on its back, and produces a resonant deep booming call that can be heard for nearly 500m.

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Only the females are involved in incubation and care of the young, and they lay a single egg in an unlined scrape on the ground.

The eggs are at risk of destruction from other animals, particularly ungulates and crows, which is why females may use a distraction display to protect them.

Great Indian bustards are omnivores that feed opportunistically, eating whatever food is available in their surroundings.

They prey on various arthropods, worms, small mammals, and small reptiles. Insects like locusts, crickets, and beetles make up a big part of their diet during the summer monsoon.

Seeds, including wheat and peanuts, are their main food source during the coldest and driest months.

Adult great Indian bustards have few natural enemies, but they get agitated around certain predatory birds like eagles and Egyptian vultures.

Chicks are vulnerable to predators like felines, jackals, and feral dogs, which can attack them.

Eggs are sometimes stolen from nests by foxes, mongooses, monitor lizards, and other birds, but grazing cows pose the greatest threat by trampling them.

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The great Indian bustard's conservation efforts have been ongoing for several years, with the state of Rajasthan taking a significant lead. In 2013, Rajasthan initiated "Project Great Indian Bustard" to protect the species, which has led to some remarkable achievements.

The project has successfully identified and fenced off bustard breeding grounds, and provided secure breeding enclosures outside protected areas. This has resulted in a world record of nine chicks being incubated successfully in 2020.

The species was initially listed as endangered in 1994, but due to severe population decline, it was reclassified as critically endangered in 2011. The most recent population estimate in 2008 reported that only 50 to 250 mature birds remained.

The main causes of the decline are habitat loss and degradation, which have resulted in approximately 90 percent of the species's natural geographic range being lost. This has been caused by road-building, mining, and irrigation activities, as well as the transformation of croplands into fields of sugarcane and cotton or grape orchards.

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Conservation efforts are being doubled in the last couple of years to ensure the remaining population does not die out. In Karnataka, forest officials are protecting the few tens of birds remaining in their state, and the Wildlife Institute of India is studying the habits and lifestyle of the GIB to devise conservation strategies.

Here are some of the conservation efforts being taken to protect the great Indian bustard:

The Indian government has also launched a national conservation program, Project Bustard, to protect the great Indian bustard and its habitats. This program was modeled after Project Tiger, a massive national effort to protect the tigers of India and their habitat.

The great Indian bustard is listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Habitat loss and degradation are the primary causes of the decline, with an estimated 90% of the species's natural geographic range lost, fragmented by road-building and mining activities and transformed by irrigation and mechanized farming.

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The largest concentration of great Indian bustards, perhaps 120 birds, occurs in the state of Rajasthan, where habitat loss and degradation are still significant concerns.

Hunting and poaching have also contributed to the decrease in population, with studies showing that even the removal of one adult bird from a population can significantly affect the population in a negative way.

In 2012, the Indian government launched Project Bustard, a national conservation program to protect the great Indian bustard and its habitats from further declines.

The great Indian bustard is particularly vulnerable to collision with power lines, with at least 9 individuals found dead under power lines since studies began.

The bird's shy habits and lack of defense against human development make it even more susceptible to threats such as habitat loss and hunting.

The great Indian bustard has been a part of Indian culture for centuries, with the Mughal emperor Babur noting that its flesh is delicious, with every part being considered a delicacy.

In fact, British soldiers in India considered it a top game-bird and would often go to great lengths to hunt it, even using covered bullock carts to get within range. William Henry Sykes notes that they were common in the Deccan region, where one "gentleman" had shot a thousand birds.

Interestingly, the great Indian bustard has also been used as a symbol of Rajasthan, and its calls have been used to describe its names in different parts of India, such as "hoom" for its low booming call and "hookna" for its sharp barking alarm call.

The great Indian bustard, a species that's been declining in population for thousands of years. The variability in mitochondrial DNA of the great Indian bustard showed low genetic diversity in 63 samples collected in five Indian states.

This low genetic diversity suggests a historical population reduction. Historical population reduction is estimated to have happened about 20–40,000 years ago.

This significant reduction in population has left the species vulnerable to extinction.

The great Indian bustard has a rich cultural significance in India, dating back to the time of the Mughal emperor Babur, who noted that the bird's flesh was "delicious" and considered a delicacy among British soldiers in India.

In fact, the species was among the top game-birds, and a "gentleman" had reportedly shot a thousand birds in the Deccan region.

The bird's unique calls, such as the low booming call, known as "hoom" in parts of Maharashtra, and the sharp barking alarm call, known as "hookna" in some parts of northern India, have also been documented.

The great Indian bustard was even considered as a potential candidate for the "national bird" of India, but ultimately lost out to the Indian peafowl.

Here's a list of some of the bird's nicknames and their meanings: