The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) study (2025) estimates the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) population at just 150–200 individuals, with only 19 males sighted during the 2025 breeding season across Rajasthan and Gujarat. The population has declined by over 80% from 4,374 in 1982. Rajasthan's Desert National Park (Jaisalmer) remains the last stronghold with 90–128 birds; Gujarat has fewer than 15. A WII survey found power transmission lines kill approximately 84,000 birds annually in Rajasthan's Thar region. The conservation breeding programme at Sam and Ramdevra centres (Rajasthan) has reared over 60 chicks in captivity since 2019; 73 birds are currently held. In a historic first, the inter-state 'jumpstart' approach in 2025 successfully produced a GIB chick in Gujarat's Kutch.
Great Indian Bustard Population Falls Below 200 — Conservation Breeding and Power Line Threat Remain Critical
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) study (2025) estimates the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) population at just 150–200 individuals, with only 19 males sighted during the 2025 breeding season across Rajasthan and Gujarat. The population has declined by over 80% from 4,374 in 1982. Rajasthan's Desert National Park (Jaisalmer) remains the last stronghold with 90–128 birds; Gujarat has fewer than 15. A WII survey found power transmission lines kill approximately 84,000 birds annually in Rajasthan's Thar region. The conservation breeding programme at Sam and Ramdevra centres (Rajasthan) has reared over 60 chicks in captivity since 2019; 73 birds are currently held. In a historic first, the inter-state 'jumpstart' approach in 2025 successfully produced a GIB chick in Gujarat's Kutch.
Key facts
- The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) population has fallen to just 150-200, with only 19 males sighted in 2025.
- Population declined over 80% from 4,374 in 1982 to current critical levels.
- Desert National Park, Jaisalmer remains the last stronghold with 90-128 birds.
- Power transmission lines kill approximately 84,000 birds annually in Rajasthan's Thar region.
- Conservation breeding at Sam and Ramdevra centres has reared over 60 chicks since 2019.
- The first inter-state 'jumpstart' approach in 2025 successfully produced a GIB chick in Gujarat's Kutch.
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Which Rajasthan location remains the key stronghold of the Great Indian Bustard?
Desert National Park in the Jaisalmer-Barmer landscape is the most important remaining stronghold of the Great Indian Bustard in Rajasthan. Recent census reporting continues to place the main wild population in and around Desert National Park and the adjoining Pokaran Field Firing Range.
Source: Mongabay India / WII
Frequently asked questions
What is the current population of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) and why is it alarming?
According to a WII study (2025), the GIB population has fallen to just 150–200 individuals, with only 19 males sighted during the 2025 breeding season. This represents a decline of over 80% from 4,374 birds recorded in 1982, placing the species on the brink of extinction.
What is the primary threat to the Great Indian Bustard in Rajasthan?
Power transmission lines are the most acute threat, killing approximately 84,000 birds of all species annually in Rajasthan's Thar region. GIBs are particularly vulnerable because they are large birds with limited frontal vision that fly low and cannot easily avoid overhead wires.
Where is the last stronghold of the Great Indian Bustard and what is its current count there?
Desert National Park in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, is the last major stronghold of the GIB, with an estimated 90–128 birds. Gujarat has fewer than 15 individuals. The species is functionally extinct in all other states where it once occurred.
What is conservation breeding and what progress has been made for the GIB?
Conservation breeding (captive breeding) involves breeding endangered species in controlled environments to prevent extinction and build a population for future reintroduction. Since 2019, the Sam and Ramdevra centres in Rajasthan have reared over 60 GIB chicks, and a 2025 inter-state 'jumpstart' initiative successfully produced a chick in Gujarat's Kutch region.
Why is the Great Indian Bustard important for RPSC RAS exam preparation?
The GIB (Godawan in Rajasthan) is Rajasthan's State Bird and a flagship species of the Thar Desert ecosystem. Its conservation is directly relevant to questions on Rajasthan's biodiversity, environmental policy, Desert National Park (Jaisalmer), and India's endangered species protection framework under the Wildlife Protection Act.
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