Population of rare birds- Indian Bustards, set to rise

There is some hope for the Great India Bustard, which is believed to be on the verge of extinction. The bird population, which was around 48, is likely to cross 50 mark and record an increase of around 15-20%.


In 1998, only 29 bustards were found in Gujarat and after that there was no sighting. Finally, nearly after eight years, the bird was again sighted in 2005-06 in Abdasa, Gujarat, India. It was then that a study was taken up by the Gujarat Ecological Education Research, and the findings were heartening. The bird population was spread across Abdasa Taluka. The study reveals that a total of 35 Indian Bustards were counted in the winter population survey. The umber in the post-monsoon period hit 48, of which 21 were females.

Forest officials said an internal survey by department afforded some encouragement. The official’s said that they spotted chicks, which was a sign of healthy breeding in the area. The majestic bird is locally known as Ghorad. The population is likely to be around 55.

Officials said that the sanctuary is just 202 hectares in size, which was not enough. They said hat during the internal survey, more birds were spotted outside in open areas rather than in the sanctuary. The shy bird, resembling the ostrich, is a good flier but prefers to walk in open spaces. The bird even roosts and breeds tin the open.

The official’s census will be conducted in Abdasa and Naila Taluka where the birds have been spotted. “The census will be taken up in the last week of September or first week of October,” said the conservator of Forest D.K. Sharma.

Courtesy:- Times of India.

Taking up the cause of the endangered Great Indian Bustard

Taking up the cause of the endangered great Indian Bustard,
Indian Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh has written to Gujarat Chief Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, requesting him to conserve one of the last remaining habitats of the golden birds – The Adbassa Grasslands in Kutch, Gujarat - India.

Hon. Minister has expressed concern at the dwindling population of the birds and sought steps to prevent diversions of revenue land for agriculture purposes in the grassland in Naliya area in Kutch.

Promising all the possible help in this direction, he has urged Chief Minister - Mr.Modi to personally intervene to save the habit ant of the golden birds whose number has reduced to 500 in the world.

“I am writing to request you to immediately intervene and prevent the diversion of revenue gauchar land to agriculture and to ensure that the district officials support the Naliya conservation initiatives”.

“If we do not intervene the possibility of the birds going extinct in Gujarat is very real and high,” the Union Minister said in the letter to Mr. Modi.

Though covering an area of only about 20sq. km, Adbassa Grassland is considered very important for bird conservation as three species of bustard are found there. The endangered Great Indian Bustard is a resident, the endangered Lesser Florican breeds here during Monsoon and the near- threatened Macqueen’s Bustard is a winter visitor.

Minister Mr.Ramesh also drew the attention of Chief Minister Mr.Modi to the fact that the bird was once proposed to be adopted as the India’s national bird and hence “its conservation is equally important as that of Lions and tigers”.

Listed in Schedule-1 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the bird is classified as “endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red List 2002.
IUCN has warned that the Great Indian Bustard could become extinct within a decade. Listed in appendix- 1 of the Contention on international trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flore, international trade and killing of the bird is prohibited.

COURTESY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT - The Times of India, Ahmedabad - Monday, June, 28, 2010

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