What is the news?

• The Supreme Court has taken a decisive step by forming an expert committee to address the pressing issue of conserving the endangered Great Indian Bustard.

About Great Indian Bustard (GIB)

• GIBs are the largest among the four bustard species found in India, the other three being MacQueen’s bustard, lesser florican, and the Bengal florican.
• It is state bird of Rajasthan.
• It is considered the flagship bird species of grassland.
• Protection Status:

1. Birdlife International: Uplisted from Endangered to Critically Endangered (2011)
2. Protection under CITES: Appendix I
3. IUCN status: Critically Endangered
4. Protection under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

Threats to GIBs

• Overhead power transmission: Due to their poor frontal vision, can’t detect powerlines in time and their weight makes in-flight quick maneuvers difficult.
• Windmills: Coincidentally, Kutch and Thar desert are the places that have witnessed the creation of huge renewable energy infrastructure.
• Noise pollution: Noise affects the mating and courtship practices of the GIB.
• Changes in the landscape: by way of farmers cultivating their land, which otherwise used to remain fallow due to frequent droughts in Kutch.
• Cultivation changes: Cultivation of cotton and wheat instead of pulses and fodder are also cited as reasons for falling GIB numbers.

PYQ:

2014: Consider the following pairs:

Protected Area: Well-known for

1. Bhitarkanika, Odisha — Salt Water Crocodile
2. Desert National Park, Rajasthan — Great Indian Bustard
3. Eravikulam, Kerala — Hoolock Gibbon

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1. 1 only
2. 1 and 2
3. 2 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Practice MCQ:

With reference to the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), consider the following statements:

1. It is the largest among the bustard species found in India.
2. It is state bird of Rajasthan as well as Gujarat.
3. It is considered the flagship bird species of deserts.

How many of the given statements is/are correct?

1. One
2. Two
3. Three
4. None

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