AYAN JAIN (23321)

AMAN KR. PATHAK (23308)

ARAADHYE NATRAJAN (23301)
KRIPANSHU SHARMA (23402)
RITIK (23359)
BBA(FIA) 2-B

Great Indian Bustard: India's

Struggle to Save a Critically
Endangered Species
1
Index
Table of Contents
Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 3
1.Introduc1on .................................................................................................................... 3
[Link] landscape ................................................................................................................ 4
Great Indian Bustard .......................................................................................................... 4
Morphology of species ....................................................................................................... 5
Major threats to GIB .......................................................................................................... 6
1. Habitat Loss and Fragmenta3on ..............................................................................................6
2. Poaching and Hun3ng .............................................................................................................6
3. Collision with Infrastructure: Power lines, wind turbines, and other infrastructure in or near
the bustard's ...............................................................................................................................6
4. Human Disturbance: Human ac3vi3es such as ........................................................................6
5. Preda3on: ...............................................................................................................................6
6. Climate Change: ......................................................................................................................6
Conserva1on Measures:..................................................................................................... 6
1. Research and Monitoring ........................................................................................................6
2. Cap3ve Breeding and Reintroduc3on ......................................................................................7
3. Community Engagement: ........................................................................................................7
4. Mi3ga3on of Threats: .............................................................................................................7
5. Habitat Restora3on .................................................................................................................7
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 7
1. Park Boundary Ra3onaliza3on: ...............................................................................................7
• Northern Expansion..................................................................................................................................7
• Community/Conserva7on Reserves: ........................................................................................................7
• New Protected Areas: ...............................................................................................................................7
• Enclosure Consolida7on ...........................................................................................................................7
• Predator Control .......................................................................................................................................7
• Land Transfer ............................................................................................................................................7
• Mi7gate Infrastructure Impact .................................................................................................................8
• Enhanced Patrolling: .................................................................................................................................8
• Research and Monitoring: ........................................................................................................................8
• Local Involvement:....................................................................................................................................8
• Balanced Approach...................................................................................................................................8
Reference ........................................................................................................................... 8

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Abstract
The Great India Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), an iconic bird species endemic to the Indian
subcontinent, is facing severe threats to its survival. It is classified as "Critically Endangered"
by the IUCN Red List. The Great Indian Bustard is among the most threatened bird species in
the world. As of the latest available data, the population of Great Indian Bustard in the wild in
India is estimated to be fewer than 150 individuals. This majestic bird is renowned for its
striking appearance and graceful demeanour. It has a distinctive appearance with a black crown,
a white patch on its neck, and brown
plumage with intricate patterns. As a sizeable ground-dwelling bird, the Great Indian Bustard
plays a
crucial role in its ecosystem. The Great Indian Bustard faces many threats to its survival,
including
habitat loss and fragmentation, power line collisions, poaching and hunting, disturbance and
human
encroachment, pesticide use and climate change. Various conservation initiatives are underway
to
save the Great Indian Bustard from extinction, including habitat restoration, captive breeding
programs, community-based conservation initiatives, and efforts to mitigate threats.
Keywords: Great Indian Bustard, habitat fragmentation, endangered, conservation measures.

1.Introduc0on
The great Indian bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is Critically Endangered (IUCN 2011)
with less than 300 birds left. Rajasthan State in India holds the largest population and
prime hope for saving the species (Dutta et al. 2011). As the range States across the
country are developing species’ recovery plans (Dutta et al. 2013), baseline information
on current distribution, abundance and habitat relationships are scanty. Such
information are essential for conservation planning and subsequently assessing the
effectiveness of management actions. Great Indian bustard inhabit open, semiarid agro-
grass habitats that support many other species like chinkara Gazella bennettii, desert
fox Vulpes vulpes pusilla, Indian fox Vulpes bengalensis and spiny-tailed lizard Saara
hardwickii that are data deficient and threatened. This study was aimed at generating
information on population and habitat status of these species for the crucial bustard
landscape of western Rajasthan.
Great Indian Bustard are cryptic and vagile birds occupying large landscapes without
distinct boundaries that make complete enumeration of population impractical and
unreliable. Their population status has to be estimated using robust sampling and
analytical methods that can be replicated, incorporate imperfect detection, and allow
statistical extrapolation of estimates to non-sampled areas. However, the extreme rarity
of bustards makes precise estimation of population abundance difficult and logistically
demanding. Through repeated surveys during March 2014 and 2015, we have attempted
to develop a protocol for monitoring the population status of great Indian bustard and
associated wildlife in Thar and other bustard landscapes across the country.
Our survey covered the potential great Indian bustard habitat in Jaisalmer and Jodhpur
districts, Rajasthan (hereafter, Thar landscape). Ground data collection was carried out
by researchers, qualified volunteers and Forest Department staff who were trained
through workshops and field exercises prior to the survey. This report provides the first
robust abundance estimates of the aforementioned species along with spatially explicit
information on key ecological parameters to guide managers in implementing in-situ
management actions as prescribed by the bustard recovery plans (Dutta et al. 2013).

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[Link] landscape
The potential great Indian bustard landscape in Thar was identified in a stepwise
manner. Past records (post 1950s) of great Indian bustard in western Rajasthan were
collated (Rahmani 1986; Rahmani and Manakadan 1990) and mapped. The broad
distribution area was delineated by joining the outermost locations, and streamlined
using recent information on species’ absence from some historically occupied sites
(sources: Rajasthan Forest Department, Ranjitsinh and Jhala 2010). Herein, extensive
sand dunes, built-up and intensive agriculture areas were considered unsuitable based
on prior knowledge (Dutta 2012). These areas were identified from the combination of
land-cover maps procured from NRSC (ISRO), Digital Elevation Model and night-light
layers in GIS domain, Google Earth imageries, and extensive ground validation surveys
during 2014-2015. The remaining landscape, an area of 20,000 km2
, was considered
potentially habitable for great Indian bustard and subjected to sampling (figure 1).
The study area falls in Desert Biogeographic Zone (Rodgers et al. 2002) with arid
(Jodhpur) to superarid (Jaisalmer and Bikaner) conditions. Rainfall is scarce and
erratic, at mean annual quanta of 100-500 mm that decreases from east to west
(Pandeya et al. 1977). The climate is characterized by very hot summer (temperature
rising up to 50oC), relatively cold winter (temperature dropping below 0oC), and large
diurnal temperature range (Sikka 1997). Broad topographical features are gravel plains,
rocky hillocks, sand-soil mix, and sand dunes (Ramesh and Ishwar 2008). The
vegetation is Thorny Scrub, characterized by open woodlot dominated by Prosopis
cineraria, Salvadora persica and exotic Acacia tortilis trees, scrubland dominated by
Capparis decidua, Zizyphus mauritiana, Salvadora oleoidis, Calligonum polygonoides,
Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Aerva pseudotomentosa, Haloxylon salicornicum and
Crotolaria bhuria shrubs, and grasslands dominated by Lasiurus sindicus and
Dactyloctenium sindicum. Notable fauna, apart from the ones mentioned before,
include mammals like desert cat Felis silvestris, birds like Macqueen’s bustard
Chlamydotis macqueenii, cream-coloured courser Cursorius cursor, sandgrouses
Pterocles spp., larks, and several raptors. Thar is the most populated desert, inhabited
by 85 persons/km2 that largely stay in small villages and dhanis (clusters of 2-8 huts),
and depend on pastoralism and dry farming for livelihoods. A fraction of this landscape6
(3,162 km2) has been declared as Desert National Park (Wildlife Sanctuary), which is
not inviolate and includes 37 villages (Rahmani 1989)

Great Indian Bustard

Surveys conducted during 22–26 March, 2014 and 21-25 March, 2015 recorded
minimum 34-43 and 38-42 unique great Indian bustards (encompassing errors due to
double counting) respectively, comprising observations along transects and those
enroute or while returning from sampling cells. Twelve flocks were detected on
extensive transects (2014-2015) at encounter rate of 0.41 ± 0.16SE flocks/100km. There
was no statistical difference between the encounter rates of 2014 (0.35, 0-0.8095%CI
flocks/100km) and 2015 (0.50, 0-1.0095%CI flocks/100km). Supplementing this data
with intensive transects in used cells yielded a total of 33 flocks. Flock size estimated
from extensive and intensive transects was 1.97 + 0.19SE individuals. All detection
models tested on distance data pooled from extensive and intensive transects (half-
normal, hazard-rate and uniform functions) obtained similar support (ΔAIC<1). Based
on the least number of model parameters and the highest goodness-of-fit, we selected
the half-normal detection function (χ2=0.92, df=2, p=0.63). It estimated flock detection
probability and effective strip width at 0.48 ± 0.05SE and 476 ± 52SE m, respectively
(figure 2). Our detectability experiment based on dummy birds in 2014 returned a
similar effective strip width of 423 + 120SE m. Incorporation of detection probability in
bustard encounter rates on extensive transects returned density estimate of 0.86 ±
0.35SE birds/100km2 and abundance estimate of 133 ± 55SE in sampled cells (15,552
km2). Extrapolation of this density to the potential landscape area (19,728 km2) yielded

4
estimate of 169 ± 70SE birds*
. Great Indian bustard was detected in 9 cells or 8.3 % of
sites (naïve occupancy). The probability of detecting at least one bustard along 2 km
transect-segment was 0.04 ± 0.01. Detection corrected proportion of sites used by great
* This is statistically similar to the earlier estimate (Dutta et al. 2014) but should be treated as
more robust since it is based on larger sample size considering similar abundance between years13
Indian bustard (asymptotic occupancy) during two years was estimated at 0.18 ± 0.06.
Supplementing this with interviews of local people (bird records in last 3 months) and
our auxiliary surveys (February-June 2014 & 2015) indicated some level of great Indian
bustard usage in 38 (34 %)

Morphology of species
The Great Indian Bustard is a large bird with a distinctive morphology suited for its grassland

5
habitat. The body is robust and stocky, with long legs adapted for grassland walking and running.

Figure1: Adult male; Figure2: Adult Female; Figure3: Adult male in flight (Source: [Link] )
Its long neck enables it to reach for food on the ground. The head is relatively small, adorned with
black crown feathers that give it its distinctive appearance.
• The beak is stout and pointed, adapted for capturing insects, small vertebrates, seeds, and
fruits. The wingspan is substantial, aiding flight over long distances.
• The plumage is predominantly brown and buff-coloured, providing effective camouflage in its
grassland habitat. Males have a distinctive black
breast band and white patches on the wings, while
females are generally paler. The tail is short and
rounded.
• Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger and more
colourful than females, with more prominent black
markings on the breast and white patches on the
wings.
Major threats to GIB: The Great Indian Bustard face many threats, many of which are
anthropogenic. Here are some of the major ones:
1. Habitat Loss and Fragmenta3on: Transformation of grasslands for the agriculture,
urbanization, industrialization, and infrastructure development leads to fragmentation and
destruction of the bird's habitat, limiting its range and breeding grounds (Varghese et al.,
2016).
2. Poaching and Hun3ng: Despite legal protection, it is still targeted for its meat, feathers, and other body
parts, often driven by traditional beliefs or for commercial purposes.

3. Collision with Infrastructure: Power lines, wind turbines, and other infrastructure
in or near the bustard's
habitat pose a significant threat through collision mortality. Bustards are large, heavy birds with poor
manoeuvrability in flight, making them vulnerable to colliding with power lines.

4. Human Disturbance: Human ac3vi3es such as

grazing, recreational activities, and tourism disturb
nesting sites and foraging areas of GIB, leading to stress
abandonment of nests.
5. Preda3on: Increased predation pressure from domestic and feral animals, such as dogs and
cats, and natural predators impacts populations, particularly on eggs and chicks.
6. Climate Change: Climate change alters the bustard's habitat and may lead to shifts in
distribution and availability of food resources. Extreme weather events like droughts and heat
waves can further exacerbate habitat degradation and reduce food availability.
Conserva0on Measures: Efforts to save the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) from extinction have been
multi-faceted, involving various stakeholders and strategies. Here are some of the critical efforts:
1. Research and Monitoring: Research efforts focused on understanding the ecology, behavior,

6
and threats to the GIB have been crucial for informing conservation actions. Monitoring
programs track population trends, reproductive success, and movement patterns to assess the
effectiveness of conservation measures.
2. Cap3ve Breeding and Reintroduc3on: Captive
breeding programs have been established to breed Great
Indian Bustards in captivity to reintroduce individuals
into the wild to bolster wild populations (Dutta et al.,
2011).
3. Community Engagement: Long-term success of GIB
conservation can be achieved by engaging local
communities.
4. Mi3ga3on of Threats: Various measures have been
implemented to mitigate threats to the GIB, including
marking power lines to reduce collisions and enforcing laws against poaching and habitat
destruction.
5. Habitat Restora3on: Initiatives to restore degraded habitats and create corridors between
fragmented habitats have been undertaken to provide suitable environments for the GIB.
Conclusion:
The conservation of the GIB represents a critical endeavour requiring concerted efforts
from multiple stakeholders. Moreover, collaborative efforts at national and international
levels are
essential to tackle the complex conservation challenges and ensure the long-term survival of
the GIB.
Ultimately, the conservation of the GIB is about protecting a single species and preserving
the integrity
of entire ecosystems and the rich biodiversity they support. By investing in conservation
today, we
not only secure the future of this magnificent bird but also contribute to the broader goal of
safeguarding India's natural heritage for generations to come.
1. Park Boundary Ra3onaliza3on:
• Northern Expansion: Notify the northern Sam-Sudasari area (500 km²) as a National Park and
relocate villages as needed.
• Community/Conserva5on Reserves: Declare priority conservation cells as
Community/Conservation Reserves where human activities can be regulated. Key areas include:
o Kanoi-Salkha-Habur
o Nathoosar
o Chanani
o Ugras
o Galar
o Chhayan
o Ajasar-Keroo
o Bhadariya
o Mohangarh
o Dhaleri
• New Protected Areas: Designate an area equal to the denotified Park area (2600 km²) in the Shahgarh
Bulge.
2. Management Ac3vi3es:
• Enclosure Consolida5on: Improve existing enclosures in bustard breeding areas with predator-proof
chain-link fences (e.g., Sam, Sudasari, Gajaimata, Rasla, Ramdeora).
• Predator Control: Remove feral dogs, pigs, and other nest predators from breeding enclosures (~25
km²) to enhance bustard nesting success and chick survival.
• Land Transfer: Transfer lands in priority conservation cells to the Forest Department to create new
protective enclosures.

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 • Mi5gate Infrastructure Impact: Address the impacts of wind turbines and power lines in priority
conservation areas:
o Bury new power lines underground.
o Mark existing power lines with Bird Flappers/Diverters to reduce collision risks.
• Enhanced Patrolling: Increase patrolling efforts to gather management data and prevent poaching.
This involves:
o Recruiting more staff.
o Providing training and performance-based incentives.
• Research and Monitoring: Conduct targeted research on bustard threats and population status using
satellite telemetry and involve research organizations.
• Local Involvement: Engage local communities by addressing livelihood concerns (e.g., regulated
ecotourism) and encouraging bustard monitoring and reporting of illegal activities with rewards.
3. Conserva3on Strategy:
• Balanced Approach: Combine stringent protection measures, scientific habitat management, sensible
land use planning, and provision of basic amenities and livelihood options to local people to effectively
conserve the great Indian bustard’s habitat.

Reference
Great Indian bustard | WWF India 1
Explained: Critically endangered Great Indian Bustards’ recovery program, and what lies ahead | Explained News
- The Indian Express2