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SUPREME COURT INQUIRY ON GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD
Why in the News?
- Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud directs the Centre to disclose its plan by February for saving the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard.
- Focus on mitigating the bird’s main threat—collisions with power lines in Gujarat and Rajasthan, its natural habitat.
Source: India Times
Source: India TimesAbout Great Indian Bustard
- The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), Rajasthan’s State bird, holds the critical status of India’s most endangered bird.
- Recognized as a flagship species for grassland ecology, its well-being mirrors the health of the grassland environment.
- Mainly found in Rajasthan and Gujarat, with smaller populations in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
- Threats: Faces persistent threats like collisions/electrocution with power lines, hunting (still prevalent in Pakistan), and habitat loss due to extensive agricultural expansion.
- Conservation Status:
- Internationally classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List.
- Listed under Appendix I of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
- Designated as Appendix I under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).
- Protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 in India.
