Great Indian Bustard conservation efforts struggle as numbers dwindle to 2 in Karnataka

Great Indian Bustard conservation efforts struggle as numbers dwindle to 2 in Karnataka

Sub: Env

Sec: Species in news

Context:

• Despite efforts by the Karnataka government to protect the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) through the establishment of a sanctuary in Siruguppa, Ballari district, the bird’s population has declined from six to just two in 2023.

Details:

• The state declared a 14-square-kilometre area in Siruguppa as a GIB sanctuary, with the Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC) allocating Rs 24 crore for a special conservation project across 24 villages.
• The GIB population has been declining due to habitat loss, with fewer than 150 individuals remaining in the wild, primarily in Rajasthan.
• The species is classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• Emergency actions include geo-tagging the remaining GIBs, artificial incubation of eggs, reintroduction of young birds, and raising awareness among local communities.
• The state government has allocated Rs 6 crore to build a research centre in Siruguppa and to explore GPS-tagging and artificial breeding.

What is the Great Indian Bustard?

• One of the heaviest flying birds endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
• State Bird of Rajasthan.

Habitat: 

• Untamed, Arid grasslands.
• Among the heaviest birds with flight, GIBs prefer grasslands as their habitats
• A Maximum number of GIBs were found in Jaisalmer and the Indian Army-controlled field firing range near Pokhran, Rajasthan.
• Other areas: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Population:

• As per the studies conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India, there are around 150 Great Indian Bustards left across the country which includes about 128 birds in Rajasthan and less than 10 birds each in the States of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
• While the GIBs’ historic range included much of the Indian sub-continent, it has now shrunk to just 10 per cent of that.

Protection Status:

• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.
• Listed in Wildlife Protection Act’s Schedule 1.

Significance of GIBs in the ecosystem-

• Terrestrial birds spend most of their time on the ground, feeding on insects, lizards, grass seeds, etc. GIBs are considered the flagship bird species of grassland and hence barometers of the health of grassland ecosystems.

Why is the Great Indian Bustard endangered?

• 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.
• According to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), in Rajasthan, 18 GIBs die every year after colliding with overhead power lines.