Supreme Court’s steps to protect Great Indian Bustard

The Supreme Court swooped-in to intervene on behalf of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustards over the birds falling dead after colliding with power lines running through their dwindling natural habitats in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

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Scientific Name: Ardeotis nigriceps

Physical description: 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.

Diet: They feed on grass seeds, insects like grasshoppers and beetles, and sometimes even small rodents and reptiles.

Distribution: India, effectively the only home of the bustards, now harbours less than 150 individuals in five States. Today, its population is confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat. Small population also occur in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is the State bird of Rajasthan.

Habitat: Bustards generally favour flat open landscapes with minimal visual obstruction and disturbance, therefore adapt well in grasslands. They avoid grasses taller than themselves and dense scrub like thickets.

Conservation status: Listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972, Listed in Appendix I of CITES, Listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.