The number of Great Indian Bustards, the State Bird of Rajasthan, is down to less than 50 according to the last official census conducted in 2014. The world population of GIB is said to be 150 with India, particularly Rajasthan, comprising 70 per cent of this species.
A couple of birds have been spotted in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh. At some point, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar also had Bustards but have now lost them all.
In a survey conducted by the State Forest Department last year, there were approximately 103 Bustards (plus-minus 69) as compared to 83 in the winter of 2013 and 34 in the summer which the breeding season. Similarly, the year before that 94 were sighted in winter and 60 in summer.
While changing lifestyle in the desert, and unregulated human activities have endangered the species, thousands of windmills around the park are posing a serious threat to the GIB which has been categorised as “critically endangered”.
