H2_W2_009

Date: Feb-09

Location: Desert National Park, Rajasthan

Did you know?

The Great Indian Bustard is a large ground bird, measuring 1 metre in height. This species used to be found across India and Pakistan, but rampant hunting has led to a decimation of numbers. The Great Indian Bustard is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN and has also been identified as one of the species for the recovery programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Currently, there are fewer than 200 individuals left in the wild. In India, the population of Great Indian Bustards is confined to Rajasthan and Gujarat. Small populations have been sighted in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.

About the picture

Most Bustard photos typically show the bird on the ground. In fact, the Great Indian Bustard is one of the heaviest flying birds in India. Therefore, when I spotted one flying overhead, I had to get the angle just right to be able to take a photo of him mid-flight.

Fun Fact

When the ‘national bird’ of India was under consideration, the Great Indian Bustard was a proposed candidate (strongly supported by the Indian ornithologist, Salim Ali). Unfortunately, it was dropped in favour of the Indian Peacock because of the potential of the Bustard’s name being misspelled.