Great Indian Bustard
Scientific Name: Ardeotis nigriceps
The great Indian bustard is one of the largest flying bird species found in the world today. Standing a meter above the ground, and weighing up to 15 kg, this Critically Endangered terrestrial bird was once widespread across the grasslands of India and Pakistan, but today is confined to small fragmented patches within India. In the 19th century, flocks of more than 20-30 individuals were a common sight in the Indian grasslands. Sadly today their population is estimated at less than 250 individuals scattered across the grasslands of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. Some birds are found in Pakistan mainly in summer.
The great Indian bustard can easily be distinguished by its black crown on the forehead contrasting with the pale neck and head. The body is brownish and the wings are marked with black, brown and grey. Males and females generally grow to the same height and weight but males have larger black crowns and a black band across the breast. They breed mostly during the monsoon season when females lay a single egg in nests situated on open grounds. Males have a gular pouch right below the tongue, which helps produce a resonant booming mating call to attract females and can be heard up to a distance of 500 meters. Males play no role in incubation and care of the young, which remain with the mother till the next breeding season.
These birds are opportunist eaters, and their diet ranges widely depending on the seasonal availability of food. They feed on grass seeds; insects like grasshoppers and beetles, and sometimes even small rodents and reptiles. Despite being built to survive in harsh weather conditions, they have been exterminated from almost 90% of their former range owing to loss of habitat and poaching. The grasslands they inhabit have been converted into agricultural land and many have been opened up, to construct roads, resulting in fragmentation. They are still hunted for sport and meat though they are protected under Indian law. They are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972, and international trade is prohibited by its listing in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Flora and Fauna. IUCN Redlist recognizes them as Critically Endangered. A number of Protected Areas have also been set up in across its distribution range to implement conservation measures to protect this magnificent bird. Among them are Naliya (Gujarat), Rollapadu (Andhra Pradesh) and Desert National Park (Rajasthan).
References:
1. http://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/europe/?7594/Big-birds-lose-out-in-a-crowded-world
2. http://www.arkive.org/great-indian-bustard/ardeotis-nigriceps/
3. Grimmet R., Inskipp C. and Inskipp T., 1998, Birds of the Indian Subcontinent, Oxford University Press, YMCA Library Building, 1st Floor, Jai Singh Road, Post Box 43, New Delhi 110003.
The great Indian bustard is one of the largest flying bird species found in the world today. Standing a meter above the ground, and weighing up to 15 kg, this Critically Endangered terrestrial bird was once widespread across the grasslands of India and Pakistan, but today is confined to small fragmented patches within India. In the 19th century, flocks of more than 20-30 individuals were a common sight in the Indian grasslands. Sadly today their population is estimated at less than 250 individuals scattered across the grasslands of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. Some birds are found in Pakistan mainly in summer.
The great Indian bustard can easily be distinguished by its black crown on the forehead contrasting with the pale neck and head. The body is brownish and the wings are marked with black, brown and grey. Males and females generally grow to the same height and weight but males have larger black crowns and a black band across the breast. They breed mostly during the monsoon season when females lay a single egg in nests situated on open grounds. Males have a gular pouch right below the tongue, which helps produce a resonant booming mating call to attract females and can be heard up to a distance of 500 meters. Males play no role in incubation and care of the young, which remain with the mother till the next breeding season.
These birds are opportunist eaters, and their diet ranges widely depending on the seasonal availability of food. They feed on grass seeds; insects like grasshoppers and beetles, and sometimes even small rodents and reptiles. Despite being built to survive in harsh weather conditions, they have been exterminated from almost 90% of their former range owing to loss of habitat and poaching. The grasslands they inhabit have been converted into agricultural land and many have been opened up, to construct roads, resulting in fragmentation. They are still hunted for sport and meat though they are protected under Indian law. They are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972, and international trade is prohibited by its listing in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Flora and Fauna. IUCN Redlist recognizes them as Critically Endangered. A number of Protected Areas have also been set up in across its distribution range to implement conservation measures to protect this magnificent bird. Among them are Naliya (Gujarat), Rollapadu (Andhra Pradesh) and Desert National Park (Rajasthan).
References:
1. http://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/europe/?7594/Big-birds-lose-out-in-a-crowded-world
2. http://www.arkive.org/great-indian-bustard/ardeotis-nigriceps/
3. Grimmet R., Inskipp C. and Inskipp T., 1998, Birds of the Indian Subcontinent, Oxford University Press, YMCA Library Building, 1st Floor, Jai Singh Road, Post Box 43, New Delhi 110003.
Great Indian Bustard is one of the largest flying birds found in the world