4 min readNew DelhiJul 10, 2026 01:59 PM IST
First published on: Jul 10, 2026 at 01:57 PM IST
The population of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) has remained stable in the range of 110-150 birds, according to the first official assessment in seven years, but the species continues to survive in only a fraction of its potential habitat in Rajasthan’s Thar desert.
The status report, released Thursday by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and the first since 2017-18, found that the GIB population was estimated as 130 birds with a range of +/- 21.
“The population status of the GIB has remained stable since 2017,” the latest assessment report, by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under the Environment Ministry, stated.
However, the report flagged that the bird is “restricted to only 16%” of the surveyed landscape at any time, despite the availability of a larger area with suitable vegetation.
The assessment was restricted to the GIB range in Rajasthan, and not Gujarat, where only a few females survive in the wild.
“During the 2024-25 surveys, 35 GIB flocks, 1,568 chinkara herds and 79 desert foxes were recorded, along with non-native species including nilgai, pigs, and free-ranging dogs,” the WII assessment, done in collaboration with the Rajasthan Forest Department, also stated.
The population survey was conducted using vehicles across hundreds of grids to assess the prevalence of the birds.
Threats to GIB
The sites where GIB is prevalent are largely flat grasslands, devoid of human settlements and renewable energy infrastructure, in and around the Desert National Park and the Pokhran Range in Jaisalmer district.
GIB has been on the brink of extinction in India for many years now, facing threats ranging from the fragmentation of its arid and semi-arid habitat to poaching and predation of its eggs by wild animals.
More recently, with the rise of solar and wind energy, they have faced mortality risks from collisions with power transmission lines that evacuate electricity generated by renewable energy projects. The collisions occur because the GIB has poor frontal vision and is unable to manoeuvre around power lines.
To address the threat posed by power lines, the Supreme Court last December ordered protection of GIBs in a specified priority area, directed dedicated “power line corridors” to re-route several kilometres of overhead lines, and required burying power lines in specific stretches.
The species favours flat to slightly undulating terrain with grasslands and sparse fallows, the WII report noted, often avoiding agriculture and infrastructure.
“Power lines, agricultural fencing, roads, water sources, and solar plants have expanded substantially, intensifying habitat fragmentation and mortality risks,” the population and habitat status report stated.
Project GIB
The Thar region remains the last viable landscape for population recovery due to its less-modified large open natural ecosystem and contiguous habitats, the report added.
A project GIB is under implementation through the Centre, the Rajasthan Government, and international institutional co-operation to support the long-term recovery of the birds’ population. This includes improving GIB habitat, protecting their eggs, managing GIB predators, and mitigating the impacts of power transmission lines.
Captive breeding centres at Sam and Ramdevra sites in Jaisalmer are also a key component of the project. This involves collecting GIB eggs from the wild to raise them in controlled conditions. These captive-bred birds will be released in the wild in the next phase of the project.
Besides GIB, Thar supports several other high conservation value species, including Chinkara, Desert fox, Indian fox, Desert cat, Spiny-tailed lizard, and several species of raptors or birds of prey.
The assessment was restricted to the GIB range in Rajasthan, and not Gujarat, where only a few females survive in the wild. (File Photo) 
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