About GIB

• Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is one of the heaviest flying birds endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
• Bustards generally favour flat open landscapes with minimal visual obstruction and disturbance, therefore adapt well in grasslands.
• Historically, the great Indian bustard was distributed throughout Western India, spanning 11 states, as well as parts of Pakistan. 
• Today, its population is confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat. Small populations occur in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Protection Status: 

• IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered; CITES: Appendix I; Wildlife Protection Act (2022): Schedule I.

Conservation Issues:

• The biggest threat to this species is hunting, which is still prevalent in Pakistan. This is followed by collisions with high tension electric wires and fast moving vehicles.
• Other threats include habitat loss and alteration as a result of widespread agricultural expansion and mechanized farming, infrastructural development such as irrigation, roads, electric poles, as well as mining and industrialization.