The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is a stunning emblem of India’s vanishing grasslands. Today, it is one of the most critically endangered bird species in the world. Hunting, habitat degradation and infrastructure development pose some of the most immediate threats to the species’ survival. Given that the species is a long ranging one implying human use landscapes are of critical importance to the bird, we cannot separate the conservation of the bird from the lives of the people that share the range of the GIB.
An important philosophy of the WCS India work is to ensure community led conservation. WCS-India is partnering with local institutions, local NGOs, and government entities in this project to establish a community-led conservation model with the goal of saving Great Indian Bustards from the brink of extinction.
A GIB in its natural habitat in Desert National Park, Rajasthan
We have worked on the ecology of the bird, in installing bird diverters on important electricity lines, in assisting the Rajasthan Forest Department to strengthen their patrolling and monitoring of enclosure, in working with pastoralists for better veterinary care and working with the schools in the landscape.