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Great Indian Bustards Restricted to 16 Percent of Rajasthan Thar Landscape
M
Moneycontrol•06-10-2026, 14:04
Great Indian Bustards Restricted to 16 Percent of Rajasthan Thar Landscape
- •A 2026 assessment by the Wildlife Institute of India found that critically endangered Great Indian Bustards occupy only about 16 percent of the surveyed Thar landscape.
- •The estimated population in Rajasthan stands at roughly 130 birds, remaining broadly stable since the previous assessment.
- •Two captive-bred male Great Indian Bustards were released into the wild at Desert National Park in Jaisalmer, marking a shift toward rewilding.
- •Growing human activity including roads, agricultural fencing, solar plants, and power lines is fragmenting the open habitats the birds depend on.
- •Power lines increased by 38.1 percent and solar plants by 45 percent between 2017 and 2025, creating severe collision risks for the birds.
Key Questions Answered
A 2026 assessment by the Wildlife Institute of India found that Great Indian Bustards occupy only about 16% of the surveyed Thar landscape at any given time.
The latest survey estimated the Great Indian Bustard population in Rajasthan at about 130 birds, with an uncertainty range of plus or minus 21.
The expansion of roads, agricultural fencing, water infrastructure, solar plants, and overhead power lines has increased habitat fragmentation and posed fatal collision risks to the birds.
