The Great Indian Bustard is tottering on extinction despite all attempts in the last 25 years saysRatnadeep Banerji
Ever seen the State Bird of Rajasthan? It is a huge flying bird. The great Indian bustard, scientifically called Ardeotis nigriceps has a wingspan of 210-250cm with a weight of 15-18kg and was at a time being considered for the national bird symbol before the Indian peacock was selected.
The daunting black crown on the forehead contrasting with the pale neck and head is its distinguishing feature. The males have agular pouch right below the tongue, which helps produce a resonant booming mating calls.
With a global avian population of about 200, great Indian bustards exist with no known breeding population outside India providing home to the three of the rarest bustard species. India is the ‘custodian country’ of three resident bustard species. If they disappear from India, they will be extinct from the world. The Great Indian Bustard is not only extinct from about 95% of its former range in India, but it has also disappeared from the three wildlife sanctuaries that were declared for its protection 25 years ago.
All the four bustard species found in India are in great trouble. Great Indian bustard is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, in the CMS Convention and in Appendix 1 of CITES. It has also been identified as one of the species for the recovery programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.
Habitat and distribution
Historically, the great Indian bustard was distributed throughout Western India, spanning 11 states as well as parts of Pakistan. Its stronghold was once the Thar Desert in the north-west and the Deccan plateau of the peninsula. Today, its population is confined mostly to Rajasthan, estimated at 89 individuals as per a census in 2012. A small population of 30 individuals is distributed across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, with less than five individuals in Madhya Pradesh. Bustards generally favour flat open landscapes with minimal visual obstruction and disturbance, therefore adapt well in grasslands.
Diwakar Sharma with World Wildlife Federation observes, ‘Breeding takes off during the monsoon season when the female typically lays a single egg in secluded, open ground, and incubates it for 25 days without any cooperation from the male in nest guarding. The chick fledges in about 75 days and follows its mother for almost a year till the next breeding season’.
Conservation Issues
The biggest threat to this species is hunting, which is still prevalent in Pakistan. Harsh Vardhan, the noted wildlife conservationist says, ‘Sadly, falconry continues unabated in Pakistan. I often receive an invitation from Rana of Umarkot to visit the Sindh Desert and photograph the widespread sport during each winter, if not be a falconer myself’. This is followed by occasional poaching outside Protected Areas, collisions with high tension electric wires and free-ranging dogs in villages. In human-dominated landscape, the great Indian bustard can survive only with the support of the local communities.
Samad Kottur , the Honorary Wildlife Warden of Bellary District mentions, ‘In North Karnataka, a wildlife sanctuary at Ranibennur, once a safe haven dedicated to the conservation of the Great Indian Bustard where it was breeding till a decade ago, no longer has any sighting records. The reason is evident. In spite of the declaration of the sanctuary, grasslands were replaced with tree plantations.’
Asad R Ramani with Bombay Natural History Society deplores, ‘India is much too tiger-centric. This single species conservation has played havoc with species that do not live in forests where Project Tiger is totally focused. Nearly 50% of globally threatened bird species found in India are not present in Project Tiger areas and /or forests. …Grasslands, like wetlands, are still considered as “wasteland”. We need a national grazing policy to restore and sustainably use whatever little grassland areas that remain in our country.’
Both the arid and wet grasslands are important livelihood sources of rural communities. 95% of land in the bustard sanctuary of Maharashtra is privately owned and has been distributed to the local community by the revenue department, despite being declared as a sanctuary, now stands a crop land.
So far all conservation efforts have largely fizzled out. We need to get bustard breeding experts from abroad or send eggs on loan to top-class breeding facilities. Morocco and Saudi Arabia have been very successful in this. Recently well-concerted efforts towards conservation of this rara avis have been mooted by Tata Capital Housing Finance and WWF-India. Asad R. Rahmani, director of Bombay Natural History Society has for a long time rendered profound conservation efforts.
http://www.freepressjournal.in/do-not-bust-the-bustards/