Source: News on Air
Subject: Species in News
Context: After a decade-long hiatus, a Great Indian Bustard (Ghorad) chick has been born in Gujarat’s Kutch district through a pioneering inter-state conservation effort.
About Ghorad (Great Indian Bustard):
What it is?
- The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), locally known as Ghorad in Gujarat and Maharashtra, is one of the heaviest flying birds in the world. It is considered the flagship species of India’s grassland ecosystem and is often called the Guardian of the Grasslands.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.
Population: Estimated to be fewer than 150 individuals globally, with the majority residing in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park.
Legal Protection: Listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, providing it the highest level of legal protection.
Habitat:
- Primary Landscape: Dry, open grasslands and scrublands with scattered bushes.
- Geographic Range: Historically found across the Indian subcontinent, it is now restricted to isolated pockets in Rajasthan (Kutch/Thar), Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
- Nesting: They are ground-nesting birds, making their eggs highly vulnerable to predators like stray dogs and foxes.
Key Characteristics:
- Physical Stature: Large, ostrich-like appearance with a black cap contrasting with a pale neck and brownish body.
- Heavyweight Flyer: Adult males can weigh up to 15 kg and stand about one meter tall.
- Breeding Behavior: During the breeding season, males produce a deep resonant boom that can be heard from nearly a kilometer away to attract females.
- Slow Breeders: Females typically lay only one egg per year, which contributes to their extremely slow population recovery.
- Omnivorous Diet: They feed on a variety of insects (like grasshoppers and beetles), small rodents, reptiles, and seeds, making them natural pest controllers for nearby farms.
About Operation Egg Transfer:
What it is?
- Operation Egg Transfer is a high-tech foster-parenting conservation strategy. It involves replacing an unfertilized egg in a wild nest with a laboratory-fertilized egg to ensure a successful birth in regions where the natural male population has vanished.
Organization Involved: Forest Departments of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Technical Partner: Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
Aim: The primary aim was to revive the GIB population in Kutch, Gujarat, where the lack of male bustards meant that local females were laying unfertilized eggs.
Key Features:
- Cold Chain/Incubation Logistics: The fertilized egg was transported over 19 hours from Rajasthan to Kutch in a specialized portable incubator to maintain precise temperature and humidity.
- Decoy Strategy: The forest team carefully swapped an unfertilized egg in a wild nest in Abdasa with the fertilized one while the female was away.
