Hope for Great Indian Bustard: First Chick in 10 Years

A Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chick has been sighted in Gujarat for the first time in a decade, signaling a major conservation achievement. This event is attributed to an innovative "jump-start" approach, a key component of Project GIB initiated in 2011. The initiative involves replacing infertile wild eggs with fertile captive-bred ones in the nests of wild females. This method aims to circumvent high egg predation rates in the wild.

A captive-bred fertile GIB egg was transported 770 km from Rajasthan to Gujarat on March 22, 2026. It was placed in the nest of a wild female GIB in Kutch, which had previously laid an infertile egg. The female successfully incubated the egg, and the chick hatched on March 26, 2026, and is now being cared for by its foster mother. This is the first inter-state jump-start initiative for the GIB in India.

The conservation breeding centers in Rajasthan now house 73 birds, with five new chicks this season, progressing towards future re-wilding efforts. The jump-start technique differs from captive rearing and release, as the chick grows entirely in the wild under natural care. This successful hatching in Gujarat's Kutch region, known for its bustard habitats, provides a hopeful future for this critically endangered species.