SHRINKING HABITAT - Great Bustard census soon in Bellary

By Shivakumar G Malagi

Bellary, Feb 23: Very first time, a census of Great Indian Bustards, thought to be extinct in Karnataka has been planned in Siruguppa taluk of district.

Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), a majestic bird was declared extinct in Karnataka in the year 1998. Later it was rediscovered in 2006 by naturalist Santosh Martin, president of Sloth Bear Foundation and Mr Abdul Samad, president of the Society for Wildlife and Nature (SWAN), Hospet after a search for 3 years and numerous expeditions amidst a semi- arid tract in Siruguppa taluk.

The arid and semi- arid grasslands in the interior of the taluk, are typical habitats of these birds and also that of Black Bucks. The Indian Bustard is a tall, long legged bird. The under parts and neck are white, there is a black crown on the forehead and the upper body is brown. The wings are marked in black, brown and grey .The birds are as large as 92cms to 122 cms and weigh around 12 kgs. As they are big in size they require substantial wild habitat to survive. These birds can breed at any time of the year, but it is usually initiated by the start of the rains and the annual rains are thus important for maintaining its numbers.


The GIBs are on the endangered 'red' list of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). The Indian Bustard is the most endangered of the Bustard family in the world and the total population in the world may not exceed 700 and of that about 490 birds exist in India.

Poaching and habitat deterioration are the two main causes for the drastic decline of the GIBs. Apart from Siruguppa, the Great Indian Bustards are also found in Gadag, Mundargi and Ranebennur. However, the birds have not been sighted in the past couple of years in these areas. Around 80 percent of the birds are found in the Desert National Park in Rajasthan and a small number of them in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharastra.

While, in Siruguppa, according to Santosh Martin, there are 8-10 birds exist. However, it remains to be seen whether birds that are regularly spotted at semi-arid grassland near Hatcholli and Kudadarhal villages succeeded to survive the recent flash floods or washed away since the entire villages on the bank of river Tungabhadra in Sirguppa taluk had been immersed for a week in flood waters and affected worst in September last year.

Hence, the proposed census of GIBs jointly organized by the Sloth Bear Foundation and Society for Wildlife and Nature (SWAN) assumes a great importance to confirm the presence of endangered species in region even after `fatal floods’.

Mr Martin told Deccan Chronicle that they are looking for about 20 genuine volunteers who are willing to rough it out in the scorching heat of Bellary which may go up to 45 degrees celcius at times of census tentatively fixed for first week of April.

“The idea is to have a minimum of 4 groups who travel in a group of 5 or 6 in a jeep with one local guide who has knowledge of the entire area and a GPS equipment. The entire GIB area which was covered so far will be divided into 4 areas, North, South, East and West and simultaneous survey will be carried out so that any possible overlap will be avoided and get clear picture on the number of GIBs exist in region”, he remarked.