Context

The Supreme Court has formed a committee  to address the endangerment of the Great Indian Bustard bird population while considering India’s commitment to renewable energy.

Supreme Court Forms Expert Panel to Balance Great Indian Bustard Conservation

• Committee’s primary task: The committee’s primary task is to assess the feasibility of underground and overhead electric lines in key habitats of the Great Indian Bustard in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
  • It will explore alternative measures to balance sustainable development goals with bird conservation efforts.

About Great Indian Bustard Bird

• Scientific name: Ardeotis nigriceps
• Other name: The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is  also known as Godavan, Godawan, Hoom, and Gaganbher.
• State Bird:  Rajasthan
• Location: Central and western India.
• Conservation Status: 
  • This species is critically endangered by the IUCN Red List.
  • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix1
  • Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): Appendix I
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
• Flagship grassland species: This species is mainly dependent on the grassland. Thus, its presence helps to know the health of grassland. 
• Similarity with ostrich: The Great Indian Bustard is a big bird with a flat body and long legs, making it look like an ostrich.
• Distinctive Features:
  • Black cap on head: This bird is easy to recognize because it has a black cap on its head.
    • It makes it stand out from its light-colored head and neck.
  • Body colour: Its body is brown with a black spot covered in white dots.
  • Male Great Indian Bustard Features: During the mating season, male birds have a sandy-brown color and a black stripe across their chest.
    • Sexual Dimorphism: Males also have black feathers on their head that make a pointy shape, especially when they’re trying to impress females.
  • Distinction between female and male birds: Female birds are smaller than males and have head and neck colors that aren’t pure white. Sometimes, their chest stripe is not complete.
• Special Characteristics:
• • Gular pouch in Male bird: Male Great Indian Bustards have a big pouch in their throat called a gular pouch. 
    • They blow it up when they want to attract a mate.
  • Deep and loud calls: The puffed-up pouch helps them make deep, loud calls to attract females during mating season.

Measures Taken to Protect Great Indian Bustard

• Project Great Indian Bustard: This project was launched by the Rajasthan government in 2013.
  • Objective: The main aim of this project was to build breeding enclosure and improve infrastructure to remove human interference in its habitat. 
• Conservation Breeding Facility: In 2019,  the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Wildlife Institute of India , and Rajasthan government established a breeding facility for conservation of GIB  in Desert National Park at Jaisalmer. 
• Objective: The aim of this project was to build a captive population of GIB and increase their numbers by releasing chicks in the wild. 

Key Challenges faced by the Great Indian Bustard (GIB)

• Endangered Status: The large-winged birds are at the verge of extinction.
• Loss of Habitat: The habitats of Great Indian Bustards are diminishing due to the expansion of agriculture and urban areas.
• Problem of Diclofenac use: The use of  anti-inflammatory agent and painkiller to cure pain, swelling, and  mastitis in birds creates problems for them such as depression, lethargy, somnolence,  and Idle sitting with closed eyes 
• Power Line Collisions: The Great Indian Bustard faces problems due to its poor vision and high body mass as poor frontal vision makes them unable to detect power lines which causes their collision with high-voltage power lines, getting electrocuted.  
• Hunting: Illegal hunting, particularly in neighboring countries like Pakistan is a major problem to the Great Indian Bustard.