Male Bustard Chick Hatched in Gujarat: Hope for Critically Endangered Species

A crucial development for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard has emerged in Gujarat with the confirmation of a male chick hatched in Kutch on May 21. This event is particularly significant as it is the first known male bird recorded in the state since December 2018. Gujarat's GIB population has critically diminished from over 50 in the late 1990s to a mere three adult females in the Naliya grasslands, severely impacting natural breeding possibilities.

The hatching is a success of Gujarat's 'jump-start' initiative, which strategically replaces infertile wild eggs with fertile ones from Rajasthan. The wild female GIB then incubates and raises the chick in its natural habitat. While the first chick under this program went missing, the second, born on May 21, has surpassed three months and shows promising growth, including the ability to fly up to 600 meters.

Conservation efforts are further bolstered by a new soft-release center in Naliya, designed to international standards. This facility aims to help chicks from Rajasthan adapt to the local environment before their release into the wild. The center is nearing completion, with hopes of receiving chicks from Rajasthan during the current breeding season. The GIB, listed as critically endangered by the IUCN, faces severe threats from habitat loss, underscoring the importance of these ongoing conservation measures.