The Perilous Plight of Great Indian Bustard ( Ardeotis nigriceps ) in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan

This paper summarizes the population dynamics and distribution of the Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan from 2018 to 2020. The Scan and focal sampling along with the intensive seasonal survey methodology was adopted to assess the population dynamics and movement pattern of the state bird of Rajasthan. The entire study area is divided into 231 grids consisting of 3 blocks and covered using a transect of 3875.49 km, which helped systematic assessment of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) population. A total of 54 potential grids for GIB has been identified based on the presence and absence of the species and associated habitat of the region. The authors had observed 42 distinct GIB individuals and a record sighting of 11 GIB in a flock at the Thar landscape of Rajasthan. This paper depicts the importance of seasonal migration, and land use utilization for GIB. Authors had also identified two distinct resident populations of GIB i.e. one each from the Khetoloi-Ramdevra belt and Sudashree-Chohani-Sipla belt. The paper had implicated the transboundary movement of this bird towards the Cholistan Desert of Pakistan and raises concern over the same.