- The Supreme Court has made a major step by establishing an expert group to solve the critical issue of saving the endangered Great Indian Bustard.
About the Great Indian Bustard (GIB)
- GIBs are the largest of the four bustard species found in India, the others being MacQueen’s bustard, smaller florican, and Bengal florican.
- It is the state bird of Rajasthan.
- It is regarded as the flagship bird species of grassland.
- Protective Status:
- Birdlife International upgraded its classification from Endangered to Critically Endangered in 2011.
- It is protected under CITES Appendix I, the IUCN status of Critically Endangered, and Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
Threats against GIBs
- Overhead power transmission: Due to their poor frontal vision, they are unable to notice powerlines in time, and their weight makes in-flight manoeuvring difficult.
- Windmills: Coincidentally, the Kutch and Thar deserts have seen the development of significant renewable energy infrastructure.
- Noise pollution influences the GIB’s mating and courting practices.
- Changes in the landscape: farmers cultivate land that was formerly fallow due to Kutch’s regular droughts.
- Cotton and wheat cultivation, rather than pulses and feed, has also been identified as a cause of declining GIB numbers.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-forms-expert-panel-to-balance-bustard-conservation-with-sustainable-energy-goals/article67977617.ece