Great Indian Bustard Conservation Push

Why the Great Indian Bustard matters

Great Indian Bustard Conservation Push: The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is one of India’s most endangered bird species. It represents the fragile grassland ecosystem, which often receives less conservation attention compared to forests. The rapid decline of GIB populations highlights the conflict between development priorities and biodiversity protection.

Recent judicial intervention has brought the species back into the national conservation focus.

Supreme Court intervention on GIB protection

The Supreme Court of India has tightened safeguards to protect the Great Indian Bustard by revising conservation areas in regions affected by Green Energy Corridor (GEC) projects. These directions primarily impact Rajasthan and Gujarat, where both renewable energy infrastructure and GIB habitats overlap.

The Court emphasized that power transmission lines pose a major threat to GIB mortality due to bird collisions. It directed authorities to reassess project alignments and adopt bird-safe measures without halting renewable energy expansion entirely.

This approach reflects a balancing act between clean energy goals and species conservation.

Habitat and ecological features

The Great Indian Bustard is a ground-dwelling bird adapted to grasslands and semi-arid landscapes. These habitats are open, flat, and sparsely vegetated, allowing the bird to spot predators from a distance.

The species feeds on grass seeds, insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, and occasionally small rodents and reptiles. Its diet links grassland health with insect populations, making GIB an important ecological indicator.

Static GK fact: Grasslands are among the most threatened ecosystems in India due to their frequent misclassification as “wastelands.”

Distribution and population status

The GIB is endemic to the Indian subcontinent. Today, its core population survives mainly in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Small, fragmented populations exist in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.

The fragmented distribution reduces genetic diversity and increases extinction risk. Conservationists estimate that only a few dozen individuals survive in the wild, making every habitat decision critical.

Threats from infrastructure development

The most serious threat to the Great Indian Bustard is habitat loss and fragmentation. Infrastructure such as overhead electricity transmission lines, roads, and renewable energy installations disrupt open grasslands.

GIBs have poor frontal vision, which makes them highly vulnerable to collisions with power lines. Studies have shown that such collisions are a leading cause of adult mortality in the species.

The Green Energy Corridor projects, while essential for renewable power evacuation, intersect with core bustard habitats.

Legal and conservation status

The IUCN lists the Great Indian Bustard as Critically Endangered, reflecting an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. In India, it is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, offering the highest legal protection.

Internationally, it is included in Appendix I of CITES, which prohibits international commercial trade.

Static GK Tip: Species listed in Schedule I receive the same level of protection as the tiger under Indian law.

Ongoing recovery efforts

The Great Indian Bustard is part of the species recovery programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats. Conservation measures include habitat protection, breeding programs, and mitigation of infrastructure risks.

The Supreme Court’s revised safeguards strengthen these efforts by ensuring development projects account for species survival.

Static Usthadian Current Affairs Table

Great Indian Bustard Conservation Push: