The vanishing birds of the grasslands

Until a few decades ago, the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), a wise-looking bird, could be seen fluttering in the western parts of India. Today, its numbers have dwindled to merely 250, which led the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to hasteningly declare the GIB a 'Critically Endangered' species from its previous 'Endangered' category in 2011.

Lost glory

In the past, the GIB was an extremely common bird that was found in the Indian grassy plains and semi-arid landscapes. Endemic to the Indian subcontinent, these birds were spotted in Punjab and Haryana to the north and Tamil Nadu in the south and from Odisha to Kutch in Gujarat. "Their population has declined drastically. Today the birds are restricted to being in and around the Thar desert in Rajasthan, Kutch in Gujarat, Solapur and Chandrapur in Maharashtra, Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh and Bellary in Karnataka," says Kedar Gore, Director of The Corbett Foundation. It is also believed the GIB has become extinct in Madhya Pradesh.

Though reasons like hunting, low breeding rate and predatory threat among others can be attributed to their dwindling numbers, one reason that sticks out is the categorisation of grasslands as wastelands. Destruction of this habitat and semi-arid plains has greatly reduced the number of GIBs throughout the country. "Most of the landscape inhabited by the GIB is categorised as 'wasteland' in the government records and therefore given away for developmental projects or other land uses," says Gore.

Coexistence?

With habitat destruction, feeding and breeding of these birds gets affected, making it all the more difficult for them to survive. These omnivorous birds feed on crops such as millets, groundnuts, insects, reptiles (lizards and snakes), scorpions and mice. With grasslands being taken over by developers, these birds are left to fend for themselves.

GIBs need flat open landscapes, semi-arid grasslands, open scrub and rain-fed agriculture. "They are compatible with traditional agriculture and low-intensity land uses, and thus have the potential to coexist with human beings, as has been the case in the past." says Gore. The female bustard typically lays a single egg (rarely two) and incubates the egg for around 30 days without any involvement from the male. The chick follows its mother for almost a year and matures in about 2–3 years. This makes the conservation effort a tedious job, but if done with the State's support, can lead to an increase in population and coexistence with humans.

Plan of action

While several ways to conserve these birds have been listed on paper, a great deal of support is required by the state governments as well as the central government to get realistic results. Gore says, "A decision has to be taken in favour of the GIB even if it means compromising on the financial feasibility. Whatever habitat of this bird still exists in India, must be protected. There must be a second thought to it."

The Government of India has already initiated a Conservation Breeding Centre project for the GIB in Rajasthan. However, there are delays in establishing this much-needed facility. "It must be realised that the bird has no time for all this red tape. We have all the human and financial resources to save this bird. What we really need is a strong political will to execute the recommendations of conservationists and scientists," informs Gore.

Despite all odds, it is incredible that these birds still survive in India, a proof that with little effort from the governments and the people, the numbers of the GIB can increase. "We can prevent its extinction. However, for that, we cannot delay our actions any further," sums up Gore.

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE GIB

Three decades ago: 1,260 Great Indian Bustards (GIB) were known to be thriving in the western parts of India

1978: Their population dwindled to 745

2001: Then dwindled below 600

2008: Then dwindled below 300

2017: Is now less than 250

SUPPORT AND SAVE THE GIB

#GrasslandsAreNot Wastelands is a campaign initiated by the The Corbett Foundation (TCF), a non-profit organisation that has long been working in the field of wildlife conservation in India. This campaign has been launched to highlight the plight of grasslands across India. Some of these grasslands not only harbour GIB, but also other threatened species such as the Lesser florican, Gray wolf, Chinkara, Blackbuck, Caracal, Striped Hyena, Spiny-tailed lizard, and several other species that depend on the grasslands and semi-arid landscape for their survival. Grasslands are mostly categorised as wastelands in the government records. Very few grasslands remain today and whatever exists must be saved before it is too late.