The Hindu : National : Good signs for an endangered bird

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 26, 2006

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Good signs for an endangered bird

A file photo of the Great Indian Bustard.

Ahmedabad: The sighting of nests of the Great Indian Bustard in the Kutch region has given a ray of hope regarding the endangered birds. These were spotted in the Nalia region of the Great Indian Bustard sanctuary, State Forest Department officials said.

"The nests were sighted in two places. We could not find out how many nests there were as the mother [bird] was close by. However, the important thing is that the nests were spotted after a year and that could do good for the population," Kutch Forest Range Officer R.K. Meena said.

According to official figures, the world over only some 200 of these majestic birds remain, of which 45 are in Gujarat. An official attributed this partially to the fact that the rain has been good this year as compared to last year. No nests were found last year . The Great Indian Bustard is a big and rather shy bird. Though a good flier, it prefers to walk. It loves open spaces, roosting and breeding in the open. It is India's heaviest bird.

The official said each bird lays one egg at a time and it takes 45 days to hatch. "We hope that their population rises from 45 to at least 50," he added. — PTI

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