Great Indian Bustard and Species Recovery Programmes: Conservation Status One-Pager for Exam Revision
Quick Answer: Great Indian Bustard at a Glance
The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List — India’s most threatened large bird. It survives mainly in the Thar Desert and grasslands of Rajasthan (around the Desert National Park, Jaisalmer) with small populations in Gujarat’s Kutch. It is the state bird of Rajasthan, protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and is the focus of Project GIB (Rajasthan, 2018) and the National Bustard Recovery Programme of the MoEFCC.
- Quick Answer: Great Indian Bustard at a Glance
- Great Indian Bustard: Basic Profile
- IUCN Status and Legal Protection
- Habitat and Current Distribution
- Major Threats to the Great Indian Bustard
- Project Great Indian Bustard and Recovery Measures
- Supreme Court Intervention on Power Lines
- Table: Critically Endangered Indian Species and Recovery Programmes
- Other Flagship Species Programmes
- Conservation Bodies and Conventions
- Previous Year Questions and Exam Framing
- Memory Hooks and Revision Pointers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Is the Great Indian Bustard the state bird of any Indian state?
- Q: Why are power transmission lines a major threat to the Great Indian Bustard?
- Q: What is the National Bustard Recovery Programme?
- Q: Which vulture species in India are Critically Endangered?
- Q: How should aspirants revise IUCN statuses quickly for prelims?
Related: Fundamental Rights: Landmark Judgements Simplified — One-Page UPSC Daily Revision Notes
Great Indian Bustard: Basic Profile
- Scientific name: Ardeotis nigriceps
- Size: The heaviest flying bird in India; males can weigh 8–14 kg and stand about 1 metre tall.
- Diet: Omnivorous — grass seeds, insects (especially grasshoppers and beetles), lizards, rodents.
- Habitat: Dry grasslands and semi-arid scrub — often called the “flagship species” of India’s grassland ecosystem.
- Behaviour: Males display at traditional lekking sites; the species is polygynous, and females alone incubate eggs and rear chicks — a matriarchal breeding system.
- Breeding: Very slow reproductive rate — females typically lay one egg per year, making population recovery extremely slow.
IUCN Status and Legal Protection
| Protection Layer | Status of GIB |
|---|---|
| IUCN Red List | Critically Endangered (CR) — uplisted from Endangered in 2011 |
| Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 | Schedule I — highest degree of protection |
| CITES | Appendix I — international commercial trade prohibited |
| MoEFCC | Covered under the Species Recovery Programme of the National Wildlife Action Plan (2017–2031) |
| International conventions | Listed on CMS (Bonn Convention) Appendix I |
Wild population estimates hover around 100–150 individuals, with the vast majority in Rajasthan — among the reasons it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
Habitat and Current Distribution
- Rajasthan: The core surviving range — the Thar Desert, especially around the Desert National Park (Jaisalmer/Barmer).
- Gujarat: Small residual populations in the Kutch grasslands, anchored by the Kutch Bustard Sanctuary (Naliya, Kutch district).
- Historic range: Once widespread across the dry plains of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh — now locally extinct in most of these states. Occasional stray sightings persist in Maharashtra (Solapur region).
Exam pointer: GIB habitat loss is a classic example of grassland neglect — India’s grasslands are often classified as “wasteland,” encouraging diversion to agriculture and industry.
Major Threats to the Great Indian Bustard
- Power transmission lines: The single biggest current cause of adult mortality. GIBs have poor frontal (binocular) vision and heavy bodies, so they cannot manoeuvre quickly — collisions with low-hanging wires, especially in the Thar’s rapidly expanding renewable-energy corridor, kill birds at alarming rates. WII studies attribute a large share of GIB deaths to power-line collisions.
- Habitat loss and fragmentation: Agricultural expansion, irrigation projects (Indira Gandhi Canal changing Thar land use), roads, and solar/wind energy infrastructure.
- Hunting (historical): Historically hunted for meat; still a threat in parts of Pakistan where the species crosses over.
- Grazing pressure and grassland degradation: Overgrazing and invasive species (such as Prosopis juliflora) degrade nesting habitat.
- Low breeding rate: One egg per clutch, high nest predation (by dogs, pigs, monitor lizards, foxes) — populations cannot bounce back quickly.
Project Great Indian Bustard and Recovery Measures
- Project GIB (2018): Launched by the Rajasthan government with an outlay of about ₹12.9 crore, focusing on habitat protection, anti-poaching, and community involvement in the Thar landscape.
- Conservation breeding centres: Set up at Sudasari (Jaisalmer) and Ramdevra in Rajasthan in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII); eggs collected from the wild are artificially hatched and chicks reared (“egg collection protocol” approved by the Supreme Court). The first captive-hatched chicks emerged in 2023–24.
- Firefly bee-diverters: Reflective “firefly” devices fitted on power lines in GIB territory to make wires visible and reduce collisions.
- Power line mitigation: Bird diverters, and (per court orders) undergrounding or re-routing of lines in priority areas.
- Funding: The National Bustard Recovery Programme is supported under CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) funds and MoEFCC’s species recovery component.
Sources for verification: PIB releases on GIB conservation, MoEFCC, Wildlife Institute of India, and IUCN Red List.
Supreme Court Intervention on Power Lines
- 2021 order (M.K. Ranjitsinh v. Union of India): The SC directed that all power lines in 13,000 sq km of priority GIB habitat in Rajasthan and Gujarat be laid underground in a phased manner (both low- and high-voltage lines in “potential” habitats).
- 2024 order: The Court modified its 2021 direction after an expert committee reported technical infeasibility of undergrounding high-voltage lines in some stretches; it held that experts, not courts, should decide feasibility, allowing alternatives like diverters and rerouting in certain areas.
Mains angle: This is a classic development vs. conservation case study — the Thar hosts both India’s flagship renewable-energy parks and the GIB’s last viable habitat. Use it for questions on sustainable energy siting, species recovery governance, and judicial environmentalism.
Table: Critically Endangered Indian Species and Recovery Programmes
| Species | IUCN Status | Habitat / Range | Recovery Programme / Scheme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Indian Bustard | Critically Endangered | Thar Desert, Rajasthan; Kutch, Gujarat | Project GIB; National Bustard Recovery Programme (CAMPA-funded) |
| Jerdon’s Courser | Critically Endangered | Scrub forest, Andhra Pradesh (Cuddapah/Sri Satya Sai districts) | Species Recovery Programme; Sri Lankamaleswara Wildlife Sanctuary |
| Himalayan Quail | Critically Endangered (possibly extinct) | Himalayan foothills (Uttarakhand); last seen in 1876 | Search expeditions under MoEFCC recovery programmes |
| Forest Owlet | Endangered (previously Critically Endangered) | Central Indian deciduous forests (Maharashtra, MP, Gujarat) | Species Recovery Programme; WII research projects |
| Red-headed Vulture | Critically Endangered | Open country and forests across peninsular India | Vulture Conservation Action Plan; diclofenac ban (2006) |
| Ganges River Dolphin | Endangered | Ganga–Brahmaputra river system | Project Dolphin; National Aquatic Animal |
| Snow Leopard | Vulnerable | Himalayan high altitudes | Project Snow Leopard; SECURE Himalaya |
Other Flagship Species Programmes
- Project Tiger (1973): India’s oldest flagship programme; now 50+ tiger reserves under NTCA.
- Project Elephant (1992): Elephant reserves and corridors; elephant declared the National Heritage Animal (2010).
- Project Dolphin (announced 2020, launched 2021): Conservation of river and oceanic dolphins, modelled on Project Tiger.
- Project Snow Leopard (2009): Landscape-based conservation in five Himalayan states (“Secure Himalaya” partnership with UNDP).
- Vulture Action Plan 2020–25: Targets removal of toxic veterinary drugs (diclofenac banned for veterinary use in 2006; aceclofenac restricted for animal use in 2023), and eight new vulture conservation breeding centres.
Conservation Bodies and Conventions
- National Board for Wildlife (NBWL): Statutory body under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, chaired by the Prime Minister; clears projects in protected areas.
- Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun: Leads GIB conservation breeding research.
- BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society): Runs vulture breeding centres; historic surveys of bustards.
- CITES (1975): Regulates trade — GIB is on Appendix I.
- CMS / Bonn Convention (1979): Migratory species conservation; India hosted COP-13 (Gandhinagar, 2020) — where the GIB was highlighted.
- Convention on Biological Diversity (1992): Broader framework; India’s National Biodiversity Action Plan feeds into species recovery targets.
- IUCN Red List categories: Extinct → Extinct in the Wild → Critically Endangered → Endangered → Vulnerable → Near Threatened → Least Concern (plus Data Deficient/Not Evaluated).
Previous Year Questions and Exam Framing
UPSC Prelims has repeatedly tested IUCN statuses of Indian species (e.g., questions on the Great Indian Bustard, Red-headed Vulture, and Snow Leopard status mismatches) and flagship programmes. Mains has framed questions on “development versus conservation,” species recovery, and renewable energy siting. SSC and Banking exams ask factual one-liners: state bird, Schedule, heaviest flying bird, Project GIB year.
Sample MCQ: With reference to the Great Indian Bustard, consider the following statements: (1) It is the state bird of Rajasthan. (2) It is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. (3) It is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Which are correct? Answer: 1 and 2 only (its IUCN status is Critically Endangered, not Endangered).
Sample Mains prompt: “The survival of the Great Indian Bustard highlights the conflict between renewable energy expansion and wildlife conservation. Discuss the recovery measures taken and suggest a way forward.” (Use SC 2021/2024 orders, Project GIB, CAMPA funding, firefly diverters.)
Memory Hooks and Revision Pointers
- Mnemonic “GIB-HIT”: GIB threats — Habitat loss, Infra/power lines, Take (hunting) — plus slow breeding.
- Species–Scheme pairs: Bustard → Project GIB (2018); Dolphin → Project Dolphin (2020); Snow Leopard → Project Snow Leopard (2009); Vulture → Action Plan 2020–25; Tiger → 1973; Elephant → 1992.
- GIB = Schedule I + CITES Appendix I + IUCN Critically Endangered — a “triple-one” protected species.
- SC 2021: underground lines; SC 2024: feasibility reconsidered — experts decide.
- Heaviest flying bird in India: GIB; globally among heaviest: the Kori bustard and (in flightless terms) the Ostrich is heavier but flightless.
- Three Critically Endangered Indian vultures: White-rumped, Indian (long-billed), Slender-billed — remember “W-I-S.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the Great Indian Bustard the state bird of any Indian state?
Yes — the GIB is the state bird of Rajasthan. It is also historically associated with the grasslands of Gujarat (Kutch), where a small population survives.
Q: Why are power transmission lines a major threat to the Great Indian Bustard?
GIBs have poor frontal vision and heavy bodies, so they cannot spot or dodge wires in time — collisions are a leading cause of death. The Supreme Court in 2021 ordered undergrounding of power lines in priority GIB habitat, revisited in 2024 on feasibility grounds.
Q: What is the National Bustard Recovery Programme?
A centrally supported species recovery initiative of the MoEFCC covering the GIB and its habitats, implemented with state cooperation (chiefly Rajasthan and Gujarat), backed by CAMPA funds and including conservation breeding at WII-assisted centres in Jaisalmer.
Q: Which vulture species in India are Critically Endangered?
The White-rumped Vulture, Indian (long-billed) Vulture, and Slender-billed Vulture are all Critically Endangered, driven mainly by diclofenac poisoning; the government responded with the diclofenac ban (2006) and the Vulture Action Plan 2020–25.
Q: How should aspirants revise IUCN statuses quickly for prelims?
Build a species–status–habitat–scheme table (like the one above), focus on Critically Endangered Indian species, and pair each with its flagship programme and legal schedule. Revise mnemonics the day before the exam.
Quick revision
- Size: The heaviest flying bird in India; males can weigh 8–14 kg and stand about 1 metre tall.
- Diet: Omnivorous — grass seeds, insects (especially grasshoppers and beetles), lizards, rodents.
- Habitat: Dry grasslands and semi-arid scrub — often called the “flagship species” of India’s grassland ecosystem.
- Behaviour: Males display at traditional lekking sites; the species is polygynous, and females alone incubate eggs and rear chicks — a matriarchal breeding system.
- Breeding: Very slow reproductive rate — females typically lay one egg per year, making population recovery extremely slow.
- Rajasthan: The core surviving range — the Thar Desert, especially around the Desert National Park (Jaisalmer/Barmer).
Have a doubt on this topic?
