Scientific name: Ardeotis nigriceps (Vigors)
Order: GRUIFORMES
Family: OTIDIDAE

Status :
ZSI, Red Data Book ( India ) - ENDANGERED

Common names: English - Great Indian Bustard,

Group: Bustard,

Diagnostic characters: A huge, ground bird, with a long neck and long bare legs, looking like a young ostrich. Upper plumage pale buff, finely penciled with black; crown black and crested; neck, long, broad, laterally compressed, white in colour with a black band on lower breast; lower plumage white. Female smaller, lacks black band on breast. In flight, white patches near wing tips are pointers.

Range: Greater parts of dry plains viz., Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Deccan as far south as Karnataka; seasonally nomadic. Also found in Pakistan.

Habitat and ecology: Resident, seasonally nomadic; infrequently met with; keeps singly or in flocks of three or found, sometimes more; affects open desert, semi-desert scrubby country and dry scattered grassland flats; very shy and wary, when alarmed runs at a great sped to hide under a bush cover. Food comprises of insects, other arthropods, lizards, snakes, grass seeds, wild berries, oil seeds and cultivated grains. Breeds from March to September; cock acquires a harem consisting of four to a dozen females; nests on the ground; clutch consists of a single egg, sometimes two; only the female incubates.

Population: Estimated number of the bird in Rajasthan, which is the real home of Great Indian Bustard, is about 1200. Dharma Kumar Singhji (1980), however, has given a figure of 745 for the entire country.

Threats to survival: Greatly endangered, except in protected areas of Wildlife sanctuaries and National Parks. About a century ago it was common in the greater parts of India except the wet regions. But increased activities of hunters, opening of remote areas by improved road communication, growth of new settlements, cultivation in its habitat, hunting for its flesh etc., have adversely affected the population of this large, elegant bird.

Conservation measures taken: This bird is fully protected by inclusion in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, and Appendix I of CITES. This species gets protection in the Desert National Park in Rajasthan.

References:
Ali, S. & Ripley, S. D. 1983. Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan, (Compact Edition). Oxford University Press, Delhi.
Ali, S. M. 1980. The Great Indian Bustard, Choriotis nigriceps. Tigerpaper, 8(4): 9-11.
Ali, S. M. 1983. A note on the Great Indian Bustard. Pp. 122-126. In: Bustards in decline. (Ed.) D. Goriup & Harshvardhan. T. W. S. T. Jaipur.
Baker, E. C. S. 1928. The Fauna of British India, Birds. 2nd ed. Vol. 6. Taylor & Francis, London.
Dharmakumar Singhji, R. S. 1080. Report on the Great Indian Bustard. I. C. B. P. Bustard Group. Memeo. Intn. Symp. On Bustards, Jaipur.
Gupta, P. D. 1986. The Great Indian Bustard, choriotis nigriceps (Vigors). Pp. 309-313. In. Wildlife Wealth of India. (Ed.) T. C. Majupuria. Tecpress Service, Bangkok.
Prakash, I. ad Ghosh, P. K. 1963. The Great Indian Bustard in Rajasthan Desert. Newsletter for Bird watchers, 3: I.
Prakash, I. and Gosh, P. K. 1964. The Great Indian bustard breeding in Rajasthan Desert. Newsletter for Bird-watchers, 4: I.
Ripley, S. D., 1982. A Synopsis of the Birds of India and Pakistan. Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay.
Tikader, B. K. 1983. Threatened Animals of India. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta.