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Great Indian bustard

The great Indian bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) or Indian bustard, is a bustard found on the Indian subcontinent, or in Rajasthan, in the Thar Desert. A large bird with a horizontal body and long bare legs, giving it an ostrich like appearance, this bird is among the heaviest of the flying birds. Once common on the dry plains of the Indian subcontinent, as few as 150 individuals were estimated to survive in 2018 (reduced from an estimated 250 individuals in 2011)[3] and the species is critically endangered by hunting and loss of its habitat, which consists of large expanses of dry grassland and scrub. These birds are often found associated in the same habitat as blackbuck. It is protected under the Wild life Protection Act, 1972 of the Parliament of India.

Great Indian bustard
At Naliya grasslands, Kutch, India
Breeding call recorded in Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary at Nanaj in Solapur district of Maharashtra, India
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Otidiformes
Family: Otididae
Genus: Ardeotis
Species:
A. nigriceps
Binomial name
Ardeotis nigriceps
(Vigors, 1831)
Points where the species has been recorded. Once widespread, the species is today found mainly in central and western India.
Synonyms

Choriotis nigriceps
Eupodotis edwardsi
Otis nigriceps

Description Edit

The great Indian bustard is a large ground bird with a height of about one metre. It is unmistakable with its black cap contrasting with the pale head and neck. The body is brownish with a black patch spotted in white. The male is deep sandy buff coloured and during the breeding season has a black breast band. The crown of the head is black and crested and is puffed up by displaying males. In the female which is smaller than the male, the head and neck are not pure white and the breast band is either rudimentary, broken or absent.[4]

Measurements
All populations[4][5]
Length   1,000–1,070 mm (39.4–42.1 in)
  760–830 mm (29.9–32.7 in)
Culmen 85–95 mm (3.3–3.7 in)
Wing   614–762 mm (24.2–30.0 in)
  460–540 mm (18.1–21.3 in)
Tail   330–380 mm (13.0–15.0 in)
  245–270 mm (9.6–10.6 in)
Head   170–180 mm (6.7–7.1 in)
  145–155 mm (5.7–6.1 in)
Weight   8–14.5 kg (17.6–32.0 lb)
  2.5–6.75 kg (5.5–14.9 lb)
Foot   275–300 mm (10.8–11.8 in)
  225–245 mm (8.9–9.6 in)

Among bustards, this species is smaller only than the Kori bustard and the great bustard in size. It is also the largest land bird in its native range. The great Indian bustard stands at about 1 m (3.3 ft) tall, having a somewhat long neck and quite long legs.[5] The female as in most members of the bustard family are typically considerably smaller.[6]

Males have a well-developed gular pouch which is inflated when calling during display and helps produce the deep resonant calls.[5][7]

Abnormally leucistic or near albino birds have been reported.[8]

Distribution and habitat Edit

 
Illustration by Henrik Grönvold from E. C. Stuart Baker's Game-birds of India, Burma and Ceylon

This species was formerly widespread in India and Pakistan.[6] The bustard is critically endangered in Pakistan primarily due to lack of protection and rampant hunting.[9] A few birds were detected in a September 2013 survey of the Cholistan Desert in Pakistan.[10]

In India, the bird was historically found in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Today the bustard is restricted to isolated pockets in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan (shared with Pakistan).[11]

Great Indian bustards make local movements but these are not well understood although it is known that populations disperse after the monsoons.[12] Males are said to be solitary during the breeding season but form small flocks in winter. Males may however distribute themselves close together[13] and like other bustards they are believed to use a mating system that has been termed as an "exploded or dispersed lek".[14] The male is polygamous.[15]

The habitat where it is most often found is arid and semi-arid grasslands, open country with thorn scrub, tall grass interspersed with cultivation. It avoids irrigated areas.[4] The major areas where they are known to breed are in central and western India and eastern Pakistan. The dry semi-desert regions where it was found in parts of Rajasthan has been altered by irrigation canals that have transformed the region into an intensively farmed area.[16]

Behaviour and ecology Edit

The great Indian bustard is omnivorous. Apparently, insects, consisting mainly of Orthoptera, but also beetles,( particularly Mylabris sp.[6]) are preferred in the diet. Alternatively, they will take grass seeds, berries (largely of the genera Ziziphus and Eruca), rodents and reptiles (in Rajasthan they are known to take Indian spiny-tailed lizards Uromastyx hardwickii[17]). In cultivated areas, they feed on crops such as exposed groundnut, millets and pods of legumes.[18]

They drink water if it is available and will sometimes sit down to drink or suck water followed by raising up their heads at an angle.[19] When threatened, hens are said to carry young chicks under the wing.[20] Young birds have been recorded to dust-bathe frequently.[21]

 
Male (left) and female in display, Rajasthan

Breeding occurs between March and September, when the inflated fluffy white feathers of the male are inflated and displayed. Territorial fights between males may involve strutting next to each other, leaping against each other with legs against each other and landing down to lock the opponent's head under their neck.[22] During courtship display, the male inflates the gular sac which opens under the tongue, inflating it so that a large wobbly bag appears to hang down from the neck. The tail is held cocked up over the body. The male also raises the tail and folds it on its back. The male periodically produces a resonant deep, booming call that may be heard for nearly 500m.[4][5] The female lays a single egg in an unlined scrape on the ground.[6][23] Only the females are involved in incubation and care of the young. The eggs are at risk of destruction from other animals particularly ungulates and crows.[5] Females may use a distraction display that involves flying zigzag with dangling legs.[5]

Status Edit

 
From Thomas Hardwicke's Illustrations of Indian Zoology (1830–1835)

In 2011 Birdlife International uplisted this species from Endangered to Critically Endangered, mainly because it has been extirpated from 90% of its former range and the population was estimated at perhaps fewer than 250 individuals in 2008.[1] The main threats are hunting and habitat loss. In the past they were heavily hunted for their meat and for sport and, today, poaching of the species may continue. In some places, such as Rajasthan, increased irrigation by the Indira Gandhi canal has led to increased agriculture and the altered habitat has led to the disappearance of the species from these regions.[24] Some populations migrate into Pakistan where hunting pressure is high.[16] The bird is found in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat states of India. Desert National Park, near Jaisalmer and coastal grasslands of the Abdasa and Mandvi talukas of Kutch District of Gujarat support some populations.[25] Ghatigaon and Karera sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh once held sizeable populations.[26] Other sanctuaries with the species include Kutch Bustard Sanctuary of Naliya in Kutch,[27] Karera Wildlife Sanctuary in Shivpuri district;Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary near Nannaj,[28] 18 km from Solapur in Maharashtra, Shrigonda taluka in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, near Nagpur and near Warora in Chandrapur district in Maharashtra and Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary, 45 km from Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.[29] At Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary, habitat changes have affected the populations of blackbuck and bustards. In the 1950s the scrub forest was replaced with Eucalyptus plantations. These helped wildlife when the trees were short but after their extensive growth they made the adjoining grassland less favourable for bustards.[30][31]

A 2011 study of the variability in mitochondrial DNA (hypervariable control region II and cytochrome b) in 63 samples from 5 Indian states found very low genetic diversity suggesting a historical population reduction. The study suggested a population reduction or near extinction estimated about 20–40,000 years ago.[32] Attempts to breed them in captivity in the 1970s failed.[33] The species is considered as "critically endangered" by the IUCN Red data list.[1]

Conservation Edit

The rapid reduction of the population of India's bustards, their endangered status and the decline of grasslands led the Ministry of Environment and Forests to prepare species recovery programs in 2012 for three species of bustard; the great Indian bustard, the Bengal florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis) and the lesser florican (Sypheotides indicus). These programs remain to be finalised and executed by the state wildlife departments.[34] The state of Rajasthan initiated "Project Great Indian Bustard", on World Environment Day 2013, identifying and fencing off bustard breeding grounds in existing protected areas as well as provide secure breeding enclosures in areas outside protected areas.[34]

Current threats to the species include the development of linear infrastructure intrusions such as roads and electric power lines in the desert that lead to collision-related mortality.[35] Proposed expansion of renewable energy infrastructure, which may involve deploying solar panels over large areas of desert and grasslands is another threat to the bird's habitat.[36]

In 2020, nine chicks were incubated successfully creating a world record.[37]

In culture Edit

 
Eggs of the species in comparison to the smaller ones of the lesser florican

The Mughal emperor Babur noted that "[while] the flesh of the leg of some fowls, and of the breast of others is excellent; the flesh of every part of the Kharchal is delicious".[38][39] The great Indian bustard was however a cryptic and wary bird making it a challenge for sportsmen, who had to stalk carefully (sometimes using covered bullock carts[40]) to get within range.[41] British soldiers in India considered it a delicacy and the species was among the top game-birds. William Henry Sykes notes that they were common in the Deccan region where a "gentleman" had shot a thousand birds.[42][43] (E C Stuart Baker however notes that this may have been an exaggeration- ...we must remember that those were the days when tigers averaged twelve feet...)[6] Jerdon noted that subadults and females had tastier flesh than males while Salim Ali notes that feeding on Mylabris (now Hycleus) tainted their flesh.[5][44][45]

Tribal Bhils are claimed to have used a technique for trapping females that involves setting twigs on fire around the nest containing an egg or chick. The female was then said to run to the nest and singe its wings upon which the tribals captured it.[46] Other trapping methods involving the use of nooses are described by Hume in his "Game Birds of India".[7] The invention of the Jeep changed the method of hunting and it became extremely easy for hunters to chase bustards down in their open semi-desert habitats.[5]

The name hoom is used in parts of Maharashtra and is derived from the low booming call. The sharp barking alarm call leads to its name of hookna in some parts of northern India.[6] It is known in some other parts as Gaganbher or Gurayin for the resemblance of other calls to thunder or the roar of a tiger.[47]

When the "national bird" of India was under consideration, the great Indian bustard was a proposed candidate (strongly supported by the Indian ornithologist Salim Ali[48][49]), but dropped in favour of the Indian peafowl with at least one reason being the potential for being misspelt.[50][51]

References Edit

  1. ^ a b c BirdLife International (2018). "Ardeotis nigriceps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22691932A134188105. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22691932A134188105.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^ "Only 150 Great Indian Bustards Left In India | The Weather Channel". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
  4. ^ a b c d Rasmussen PC; JC Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Volume 2. Smithsonian Institution & Lynx Edicions. p. 148.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Ali, S; S Dillon Ripley (1980). Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 188–191. ISBN 0-19-565935-X.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Baker, ECS (1929). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Volume 6 (2nd ed.). pp. 64–66.
  7. ^ a b Hume AO; CHT Marshall (1879). Game birds of India, Burmah and Ceylon. Vol. 1. pp. 7–11.
  8. ^ Vijayarajji (1926). "An albino bustard (Eupoditis edwarsi)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 31 (2): 526.
  9. ^ Khan, Aleem Ahmed; Khaliq, Imran; Choudhry, Muhammad Jamshed Iqbal; Farooq, Amjad & Hussain, Nazim (25 Oct 2008). "Status, threats and conservation of the Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps (Vigors) in Pakistan (1079)" (PDF). Current Science. 95 (8): 1079–1082. Retrieved 13 Jan 2014.
  10. ^ "Houbara Foundation conducts survey for Great Indian Bustard". Pakistan Today. 17 Sep 2013. Retrieved 13 Jan 2014.
  11. ^ Dutta, Sutirtha; Rahmani, A. R.; Jhala, Y. V. (24 Nov 2010). "Running out of time? The great Indian bustard Ardeotis nigriceps — status, viability, and conservation strategies" (PDF). European Journal of Wildlife Research. 57 (3): 615–625. doi:10.1007/s10344-010-0472-z. Retrieved 13 Jan 2014.
  12. ^ Rahmani, A. R.; Manakadan, R. (1986). "Movement and flock composition of the Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps (Vigors) at Nanaj, Solapur district, Maharashtra, India". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 83 (1): 17–31.
  13. ^ Baker, EC Stuart (1921). Game birds of India, Burma and Ceylon. Volume 2. Bombay Natural History Society. pp. 164–185.
  14. ^ Morales MB; F Jiguet; B Arroyo (2001). "Exploded leks: What bustards can teach us" (PDF). Ardeola. 48 (1): 85–98.
  15. ^ Rahmani, A.R. (1991). "Flocking behaviour of a resident population of the great Indian bustard Ardeotis nigriceps (Vigors)" (PDF). Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et la Vie). 46 (1): 53–64. hdl:2042/54637.
  16. ^ a b Khan, AA; I Khaliq; M J I Choudhry; A Farooq & N Hussain (2008). (PDF). Current Science. 95 (8): 1079–1082. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-05.
  17. ^ Gupta, P.D. (1975). "Stomach contents of the Great Indian Bustard Choriotis nigriceps (Vigors)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 71 (2): 303–304.
  18. ^ Bhushan B; AR Rahmani (1992). "Food and feeding behaviour of the Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps (Vigors)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 89 (1): 27–40.
  19. ^ Hallager, SL (1994). "Drinking methods in two species of bustards". Wilson Bull. 106 (4): 763–764. hdl:10088/4338.
  20. ^ Falzone, Celia K. (1992). "First Observations of Chick Carrying Behavior by the Buff-Crested Bustard". The Wilson Bulletin. 104 (1): 190–192. JSTOR 4163135.
  21. ^ Dharmakumarsinhji, K.S. (1963). "Rearing Great Indian Bustards (Choriotis nigriceps)". Avicultural Magazine. 69 (2): 45–48.
  22. ^ Joshua, J.; Gokula, V.; Sunderraj, S. F. W. (2005). "Territorial fighting behaviour of Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 102 (1): 114–115.
  23. ^ Hume, A.O. (1890). The nests and eggs of the birds of India. Vol. 3. R H Porter. pp. 375–378.
  24. ^ Rahmani A.R.; R.G. Soni (1997). "Avifaunal changes in the Indian Thar Desert". Journal of Arid Environments. 36 (4): 687–703. doi:10.1006/jare.1996.0242.
  25. ^ Munjpara, S. B.; B. Jethva; C.N.Pandey (2011). "Distribution of the Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps (Gruiformes: Otididae) in Gujarat State, India". Journal of Threatened Taxa. 3 (9): 2090–2094. doi:10.11609/jott.o2756.2090-4.  
  26. ^ Kasambe, R.; Pimplapure, A.; Thosar, G. & Shad, M.S.R. (2007). "Sighting records of Great Indian Bustards Ardeotis nigriceps in Vidarbha". Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 46 (6): 88–90.
  27. ^ Dutta, S; AR Rahmani; YV Jhala (2010). "Running out of time? The great Indian bustard Ardeotis nigriceps—status, viability, and conservation strategies" (PDF). European Journal of Wildlife Research. 57 (3): 615–625. doi:10.1007/s10344-010-0472-z.
  28. ^ Kulkarni BS (1981). "Ecology and behavior of Great Indian Bustard". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 78 (2): 375–377.
  29. ^ Manakadan, Ranjit; Rahmani, Asad R (1989). "Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary, with special reference to the Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps (Vigors)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 86 (3): 369–380.
  30. ^ Neginhal, SG (1980). "Ecological impact of afforestation at the Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 75: 1254–1258.
  31. ^ Kumara HN; VVM Raj (2007). "The Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps" Are they disappearing in Karnataka". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 104 (2): 211–212.
  32. ^ Ishtiaq F, Dutta S, Yumnan B, Jhala Y (2011). "Low genetic diversity in the endangered great Indian bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) across India and implications for conservation". Conservation Genetics. 12 (3): 857–863. doi:10.1007/s10592-011-0206-0.
  33. ^ Sankhala K. S. (1977). "Captive breeding, reintroduction and nature protection : the Indian experience". International Zoo Yearbook. 17: 98–101. doi:10.1111/j.1748-1090.1977.tb00874.x.
  34. ^ a b Kumar Sambhav Shrivastava (6 June 2013). "Rajasthan announces Project Great Indian Bustard". Down To Earth. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  35. ^ Raman, T. R. S.; Madhusudan, M. D. (2015). Goswami, M. N.; Chaudhry, P. (eds.). "Current ecological concerns in the power sector: options to avoid or minimise impacts". ncf-india.org. An Epochal Shift in the Idea of India-Meeting aspirations? IPPAI Knowledge Report, Independent Power Producers Association of India, New Delhi. pp. 89–100. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  36. ^ Dutta, Sutirtha (2016-09-10). "Bijli, sadak, paani and bustard". Indian Express. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  37. ^ "India Succeeds in Breeding the 'Critically Endangered' Great Indian Bustard; Creates World Record". The Weather Channel. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  38. ^ Ali, Salim (1927). "The Moghul emperors of India as naturalists and sportsmen. Part 2". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 32 (1): 34–63.
  39. ^ Beveridge, AS (1922). The Babur-nama in English. Vol. 2. p. 498.
  40. ^ Russell, CEM (1900). Bullet and shot in Indian forest, plain and hill. W. Thacker and Co, London. pp. 381–382.
  41. ^ Brown JM (1887). Shikar sketches. Hurst and Blackett. pp. 33–34.
  42. ^ Frost, John (1854). The Pictorial Family Encyclopaedia of History, Biography and Travels. Miller Orton and Mulligan. pp. 95–96.
  43. ^ Sykes WH (1832). "Catalogue of Birds of the Rasorial, Grallatorial and Natatorial Orders, observed in the Dukhun". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London (Part 2): 149–172.
  44. ^ Jerdon TC (1864). The birds of India. Vol. 3. George Wyman & Co. pp. 607–611.
  45. ^ Oates EW (1898). A manual of the game birds of India. Part 1. A J Combridge & Co. pp. 399–404.
  46. ^ Simcox, AHA (1913). "The Great Indian Bustard Eupodotis edwardsi". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 22 (1): 201.
  47. ^ Elliot, W. (1880). "Notes on the Indian Bustard (Eupodotis edwardsi), with especial reference to its gular pouch". Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond.: 486–489.
  48. ^ Ali, S (1961). "Our national bird". Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 1 (4): 3–4.
  49. ^ Ali, Salim (1962). "National bird". Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 1 (6): 4.
  50. ^ Bindra, PS (2009). . Tehelka Magazine. 6 (16). Archived from the original on 2010-01-31.
  51. ^ Nair, P Thankappan (1974). (PDF). Asian Folklore Studies. 33 (2): 93–170. doi:10.2307/1177550. JSTOR 1177550. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2010-02-20.

Other sources Edit

  • Bhushan, B. (1985) The food and feeding behaviour of the Great Indian Bustard Choriotis nigriceps (Vigors). Class Aves: Otididae. M.Sc. dissertation. University of Bombay, Bombay.
  • Dharmakumarsinhji RS (1957) Ecological study of the Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps( Vigors)[ Aves : Otididae] in Kathiawar Peninsula, western India. J. Zool. Soc. India 9:139-52.
  • Dharmakumarsinhji, RS (1962) Display, posturing and behaviour of the Great Indian Bustard Choriotis nigriceps (Vigors). Proc. 2nd All-India Congress. Zoology. Part 2:277-283

External links Edit

  • Videos and photographs
  • BirdLife Species Factsheet

great, indian, bustard, great, indian, bustard, ardeotis, nigriceps, indian, bustard, bustard, found, indian, subcontinent, rajasthan, thar, desert, large, bird, with, horizontal, body, long, bare, legs, giving, ostrich, like, appearance, this, bird, among, he. The great Indian bustard Ardeotis nigriceps or Indian bustard is a bustard found on the Indian subcontinent or in Rajasthan in the Thar Desert A large bird with a horizontal body and long bare legs giving it an ostrich like appearance this bird is among the heaviest of the flying birds Once common on the dry plains of the Indian subcontinent as few as 150 individuals were estimated to survive in 2018 reduced from an estimated 250 individuals in 2011 3 and the species is critically endangered by hunting and loss of its habitat which consists of large expanses of dry grassland and scrub These birds are often found associated in the same habitat as blackbuck It is protected under the Wild life Protection Act 1972 of the Parliament of India Great Indian bustardAt Naliya grasslands Kutch India source source Breeding call recorded in Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary at Nanaj in Solapur district of Maharashtra IndiaConservation statusCritically Endangered IUCN 3 1 1 CITES Appendix I CITES 2 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder OtidiformesFamily OtididaeGenus ArdeotisSpecies A nigricepsBinomial nameArdeotis nigriceps Vigors 1831 Points where the species has been recorded Once widespread the species is today found mainly in central and western India SynonymsChoriotis nigricepsEupodotis edwardsiOtis nigriceps Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution and habitat 3 Behaviour and ecology 4 Status 5 Conservation 6 In culture 7 References 8 Other sources 9 External linksDescription EditThe great Indian bustard is a large ground bird with a height of about one metre It is unmistakable with its black cap contrasting with the pale head and neck The body is brownish with a black patch spotted in white The male is deep sandy buff coloured and during the breeding season has a black breast band The crown of the head is black and crested and is puffed up by displaying males In the female which is smaller than the male the head and neck are not pure white and the breast band is either rudimentary broken or absent 4 MeasurementsAll populations 4 5 Length nbsp 1 000 1 070 mm 39 4 42 1 in nbsp 760 830 mm 29 9 32 7 in Culmen 85 95 mm 3 3 3 7 in Wing nbsp 614 762 mm 24 2 30 0 in nbsp 460 540 mm 18 1 21 3 in Tail nbsp 330 380 mm 13 0 15 0 in nbsp 245 270 mm 9 6 10 6 in Head nbsp 170 180 mm 6 7 7 1 in nbsp 145 155 mm 5 7 6 1 in Weight nbsp 8 14 5 kg 17 6 32 0 lb nbsp 2 5 6 75 kg 5 5 14 9 lb Foot nbsp 275 300 mm 10 8 11 8 in nbsp 225 245 mm 8 9 9 6 in Among bustards this species is smaller only than the Kori bustard and the great bustard in size It is also the largest land bird in its native range The great Indian bustard stands at about 1 m 3 3 ft tall having a somewhat long neck and quite long legs 5 The female as in most members of the bustard family are typically considerably smaller 6 Males have a well developed gular pouch which is inflated when calling during display and helps produce the deep resonant calls 5 7 Abnormally leucistic or near albino birds have been reported 8 Distribution and habitat Edit nbsp Illustration by Henrik Gronvold from E C Stuart Baker s Game birds of India Burma and CeylonThis species was formerly widespread in India and Pakistan 6 The bustard is critically endangered in Pakistan primarily due to lack of protection and rampant hunting 9 A few birds were detected in a September 2013 survey of the Cholistan Desert in Pakistan 10 In India the bird was historically found in Punjab Haryana Uttar Pradesh Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh Odisha Andhra Pradesh Rajasthan Gujarat Maharashtra Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Today the bustard is restricted to isolated pockets in Andhra Pradesh Gujarat Karnataka Maharashtra Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan shared with Pakistan 11 Great Indian bustards make local movements but these are not well understood although it is known that populations disperse after the monsoons 12 Males are said to be solitary during the breeding season but form small flocks in winter Males may however distribute themselves close together 13 and like other bustards they are believed to use a mating system that has been termed as an exploded or dispersed lek 14 The male is polygamous 15 The habitat where it is most often found is arid and semi arid grasslands open country with thorn scrub tall grass interspersed with cultivation It avoids irrigated areas 4 The major areas where they are known to breed are in central and western India and eastern Pakistan The dry semi desert regions where it was found in parts of Rajasthan has been altered by irrigation canals that have transformed the region into an intensively farmed area 16 Behaviour and ecology EditThe great Indian bustard is omnivorous Apparently insects consisting mainly of Orthoptera but also beetles particularly Mylabris sp 6 are preferred in the diet Alternatively they will take grass seeds berries largely of the genera Ziziphus and Eruca rodents and reptiles in Rajasthan they are known to take Indian spiny tailed lizards Uromastyx hardwickii 17 In cultivated areas they feed on crops such as exposed groundnut millets and pods of legumes 18 They drink water if it is available and will sometimes sit down to drink or suck water followed by raising up their heads at an angle 19 When threatened hens are said to carry young chicks under the wing 20 Young birds have been recorded to dust bathe frequently 21 nbsp Male left and female in display RajasthanBreeding occurs between March and September when the inflated fluffy white feathers of the male are inflated and displayed Territorial fights between males may involve strutting next to each other leaping against each other with legs against each other and landing down to lock the opponent s head under their neck 22 During courtship display the male inflates the gular sac which opens under the tongue inflating it so that a large wobbly bag appears to hang down from the neck The tail is held cocked up over the body The male also raises the tail and folds it on its back The male periodically produces a resonant deep booming call that may be heard for nearly 500m 4 5 The female lays a single egg in an unlined scrape on the ground 6 23 Only the females are involved in incubation and care of the young The eggs are at risk of destruction from other animals particularly ungulates and crows 5 Females may use a distraction display that involves flying zigzag with dangling legs 5 Status Edit nbsp From Thomas Hardwicke s Illustrations of Indian Zoology 1830 1835 In 2011 Birdlife International uplisted this species from Endangered to Critically Endangered mainly because it has been extirpated from 90 of its former range and the population was estimated at perhaps fewer than 250 individuals in 2008 1 The main threats are hunting and habitat loss In the past they were heavily hunted for their meat and for sport and today poaching of the species may continue In some places such as Rajasthan increased irrigation by the Indira Gandhi canal has led to increased agriculture and the altered habitat has led to the disappearance of the species from these regions 24 Some populations migrate into Pakistan where hunting pressure is high 16 The bird is found in Rajasthan Karnataka Maharashtra Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat states of India Desert National Park near Jaisalmer and coastal grasslands of the Abdasa and Mandvi talukas of Kutch District of Gujarat support some populations 25 Ghatigaon and Karera sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh once held sizeable populations 26 Other sanctuaries with the species include Kutch Bustard Sanctuary of Naliya in Kutch 27 Karera Wildlife Sanctuary in Shivpuri district Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary near Nannaj 28 18 km from Solapur in Maharashtra Shrigonda taluka in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra near Nagpur and near Warora in Chandrapur district in Maharashtra and Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary 45 km from Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh 29 At Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary habitat changes have affected the populations of blackbuck and bustards In the 1950s the scrub forest was replaced with Eucalyptus plantations These helped wildlife when the trees were short but after their extensive growth they made the adjoining grassland less favourable for bustards 30 31 A 2011 study of the variability in mitochondrial DNA hypervariable control region II and cytochrome b in 63 samples from 5 Indian states found very low genetic diversity suggesting a historical population reduction The study suggested a population reduction or near extinction estimated about 20 40 000 years ago 32 Attempts to breed them in captivity in the 1970s failed 33 The species is considered as critically endangered by the IUCN Red data list 1 Conservation EditThe rapid reduction of the population of India s bustards their endangered status and the decline of grasslands led the Ministry of Environment and Forests to prepare species recovery programs in 2012 for three species of bustard the great Indian bustard the Bengal florican Houbaropsis bengalensis and the lesser florican Sypheotides indicus These programs remain to be finalised and executed by the state wildlife departments 34 The state of Rajasthan initiated Project Great Indian Bustard on World Environment Day 2013 identifying and fencing off bustard breeding grounds in existing protected areas as well as provide secure breeding enclosures in areas outside protected areas 34 Current threats to the species include the development of linear infrastructure intrusions such as roads and electric power lines in the desert that lead to collision related mortality 35 Proposed expansion of renewable energy infrastructure which may involve deploying solar panels over large areas of desert and grasslands is another threat to the bird s habitat 36 In 2020 nine chicks were incubated successfully creating a world record 37 In culture Edit nbsp Eggs of the species in comparison to the smaller ones of the lesser floricanThe Mughal emperor Babur noted that while the flesh of the leg of some fowls and of the breast of others is excellent the flesh of every part of the Kharchal is delicious 38 39 The great Indian bustard was however a cryptic and wary bird making it a challenge for sportsmen who had to stalk carefully sometimes using covered bullock carts 40 to get within range 41 British soldiers in India considered it a delicacy and the species was among the top game birds William Henry Sykes notes that they were common in the Deccan region where a gentleman had shot a thousand birds 42 43 E C Stuart Baker however notes that this may have been an exaggeration we must remember that those were the days when tigers averaged twelve feet 6 Jerdon noted that subadults and females had tastier flesh than males while Salim Ali notes that feeding on Mylabris now Hycleus tainted their flesh 5 44 45 Tribal Bhils are claimed to have used a technique for trapping females that involves setting twigs on fire around the nest containing an egg or chick The female was then said to run to the nest and singe its wings upon which the tribals captured it 46 Other trapping methods involving the use of nooses are described by Hume in his Game Birds of India 7 The invention of the Jeep changed the method of hunting and it became extremely easy for hunters to chase bustards down in their open semi desert habitats 5 The name hoom is used in parts of Maharashtra and is derived from the low booming call The sharp barking alarm call leads to its name of hookna in some parts of northern India 6 It is known in some other parts as Gaganbher or Gurayin for the resemblance of other calls to thunder or the roar of a tiger 47 When the national bird of India was under consideration the great Indian bustard was a proposed candidate strongly supported by the Indian ornithologist Salim Ali 48 49 but dropped in favour of the Indian peafowl with at least one reason being the potential for being misspelt 50 51 References Edit a b c BirdLife International 2018 Ardeotis nigriceps IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018 e T22691932A134188105 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2018 2 RLTS T22691932A134188105 en Retrieved 19 November 2021 Appendices CITES cites org Retrieved 2022 01 14 Only 150 Great Indian Bustards Left In India The Weather Channel The Weather Channel Retrieved 2018 10 06 a b c d Rasmussen PC JC Anderton 2005 Birds of South Asia The Ripley Guide Volume 2 Smithsonian Institution amp Lynx Edicions p 148 a b c d e f g h Ali S S Dillon Ripley 1980 Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan 2nd ed Oxford University Press pp 188 191 ISBN 0 19 565935 X a b c d e f Baker ECS 1929 The Fauna of British India Including Ceylon and Burma Volume 6 2nd ed pp 64 66 a b Hume AO CHT Marshall 1879 Game birds of India Burmah and Ceylon Vol 1 pp 7 11 Vijayarajji 1926 An albino bustard Eupoditis edwarsi J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 31 2 526 Khan Aleem Ahmed Khaliq Imran Choudhry Muhammad Jamshed Iqbal Farooq Amjad amp Hussain Nazim 25 Oct 2008 Status threats and conservation of the Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps Vigors in Pakistan 1079 PDF Current Science 95 8 1079 1082 Retrieved 13 Jan 2014 Houbara Foundation conducts survey for Great Indian Bustard Pakistan Today 17 Sep 2013 Retrieved 13 Jan 2014 Dutta Sutirtha Rahmani A R Jhala Y V 24 Nov 2010 Running out of time The great Indian bustard Ardeotis nigriceps status viability and conservation strategies PDF European Journal of Wildlife Research 57 3 615 625 doi 10 1007 s10344 010 0472 z Retrieved 13 Jan 2014 Rahmani A R Manakadan R 1986 Movement and flock composition of the Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps Vigors at Nanaj Solapur district Maharashtra India J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 83 1 17 31 Baker EC Stuart 1921 Game birds of India Burma and Ceylon Volume 2 Bombay Natural History Society pp 164 185 Morales MB F Jiguet B Arroyo 2001 Exploded leks What bustards can teach us PDF Ardeola 48 1 85 98 Rahmani A R 1991 Flocking behaviour of a resident population of the great Indian bustard Ardeotis nigriceps Vigors PDF Revue d Ecologie La Terre et la Vie 46 1 53 64 hdl 2042 54637 a b Khan AA I Khaliq M J I Choudhry A Farooq amp N Hussain 2008 Status threats and conservation of the Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps Vigors in Pakistan PDF Current Science 95 8 1079 1082 Archived from the original PDF on 2011 06 05 Gupta P D 1975 Stomach contents of the Great Indian Bustard Choriotis nigriceps Vigors J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 71 2 303 304 Bhushan B AR Rahmani 1992 Food and feeding behaviour of the Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps Vigors J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 89 1 27 40 Hallager SL 1994 Drinking methods in two species of bustards Wilson Bull 106 4 763 764 hdl 10088 4338 Falzone Celia K 1992 First Observations of Chick Carrying Behavior by the Buff Crested Bustard The Wilson Bulletin 104 1 190 192 JSTOR 4163135 Dharmakumarsinhji K S 1963 Rearing Great Indian Bustards Choriotis nigriceps Avicultural Magazine 69 2 45 48 Joshua J Gokula V Sunderraj S F W 2005 Territorial fighting behaviour of Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 102 1 114 115 Hume A O 1890 The nests and eggs of the birds of India Vol 3 R H Porter pp 375 378 Rahmani A R R G Soni 1997 Avifaunal changes in the Indian Thar Desert Journal of Arid Environments 36 4 687 703 doi 10 1006 jare 1996 0242 Munjpara S B B Jethva C N Pandey 2011 Distribution of the Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps Gruiformes Otididae in Gujarat State India Journal of Threatened Taxa 3 9 2090 2094 doi 10 11609 jott o2756 2090 4 nbsp Kasambe R Pimplapure A Thosar G amp Shad M S R 2007 Sighting records of Great Indian Bustards Ardeotis nigriceps in Vidarbha Newsletter for Birdwatchers 46 6 88 90 Dutta S AR Rahmani YV Jhala 2010 Running out of time The great Indian bustard Ardeotis nigriceps status viability and conservation strategies PDF European Journal of Wildlife Research 57 3 615 625 doi 10 1007 s10344 010 0472 z Kulkarni BS 1981 Ecology and behavior of Great Indian Bustard J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 78 2 375 377 Manakadan Ranjit Rahmani Asad R 1989 Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary with special reference to the Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps Vigors J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 86 3 369 380 Neginhal SG 1980 Ecological impact of afforestation at the Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 75 1254 1258 Kumara HN VVM Raj 2007 The Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps Are they disappearing in Karnataka J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 104 2 211 212 Ishtiaq F Dutta S Yumnan B Jhala Y 2011 Low genetic diversity in the endangered great Indian bustard Ardeotis nigriceps across India and implications for conservation Conservation Genetics 12 3 857 863 doi 10 1007 s10592 011 0206 0 Sankhala K S 1977 Captive breeding reintroduction and nature protection the Indian experience International Zoo Yearbook 17 98 101 doi 10 1111 j 1748 1090 1977 tb00874 x a b Kumar Sambhav Shrivastava 6 June 2013 Rajasthan announces Project Great Indian Bustard Down To Earth Retrieved 7 June 2013 Raman T R S Madhusudan M D 2015 Goswami M N Chaudhry P eds Current ecological concerns in the power sector options to avoid or minimise impacts ncf india org An Epochal Shift in the Idea of India Meeting aspirations IPPAI Knowledge Report Independent Power Producers Association of India New Delhi pp 89 100 Retrieved 2016 09 10 Dutta Sutirtha 2016 09 10 Bijli sadak paani and bustard Indian Express Retrieved 2016 09 10 India Succeeds in Breeding the Critically Endangered Great Indian Bustard Creates World Record The Weather Channel 1 January 2020 Retrieved 5 January 2020 Ali Salim 1927 The Moghul emperors of India as naturalists and sportsmen Part 2 J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 32 1 34 63 Beveridge AS 1922 The Babur nama in English Vol 2 p 498 Russell CEM 1900 Bullet and shot in Indian forest plain and hill W Thacker and Co London pp 381 382 Brown JM 1887 Shikar sketches Hurst and Blackett pp 33 34 Frost John 1854 The Pictorial Family Encyclopaedia of History Biography and Travels Miller Orton and Mulligan pp 95 96 Sykes WH 1832 Catalogue of Birds of the Rasorial Grallatorial and Natatorial Orders observed in the Dukhun Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Part 2 149 172 Jerdon TC 1864 The birds of India Vol 3 George Wyman amp Co pp 607 611 Oates EW 1898 A manual of the game birds of India Part 1 A J Combridge amp Co pp 399 404 Simcox AHA 1913 The Great Indian Bustard Eupodotis edwardsi J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 22 1 201 Elliot W 1880 Notes on the Indian Bustard Eupodotis edwardsi with especial reference to its gular pouch Proc Zool Soc Lond 486 489 Ali S 1961 Our national bird Newsletter for Birdwatchers 1 4 3 4 Ali Salim 1962 National bird Newsletter for Birdwatchers 1 6 4 Bindra PS 2009 On the brink Tehelka Magazine 6 16 Archived from the original on 2010 01 31 Nair P Thankappan 1974 The Peacock Cult in Asia PDF Asian Folklore Studies 33 2 93 170 doi 10 2307 1177550 JSTOR 1177550 Archived from the original PDF on 2009 02 05 Retrieved 2010 02 20 Other sources EditBhushan B 1985 The food and feeding behaviour of the Great Indian Bustard Choriotis nigriceps Vigors Class Aves Otididae M Sc dissertation University of Bombay Bombay Dharmakumarsinhji RS 1957 Ecological study of the Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps Vigors Aves Otididae in Kathiawar Peninsula western India J Zool Soc India 9 139 52 Dharmakumarsinhji RS 1962 Display posturing and behaviour of the Great Indian Bustard Choriotis nigriceps Vigors Proc 2nd All India Congress Zoology Part 2 277 283External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ardeotis nigriceps nbsp Wikispecies has information related to Ardeotis nigriceps Videos and photographs Arkive images and movies BirdLife Species Factsheet Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Great Indian bustard amp oldid 1175222102, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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