RAS question
The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is found primarily in:
Correct answer: (A) Thar Desert region of Rajasthan.
The Great Indian Bustard is found primarily in the Thar Desert region of Rajasthan.
Explanation
The Great Indian Bustard fits the Thar Desert option because the Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change says the species has a small population of about 100-150 individuals and is largely restricted to the Thar desert in Rajasthan. The main remaining locations are Jaisalmer, including Desert National Park, and Kutch in Gujarat, with power-line collisions as a major threat. That pattern points to arid north-western habitats, not humid forests, mangroves or mountains. Its Critically Endangered status also matters for RAS because questions often test both location and conservation pressure together: here, the location clue is Rajasthan's desert landscape, and the threat clue is mortality from power-line collisions.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) The Western Ghats do not match the distribution, which places the Great Indian Bustard largely in the Thar desert in Rajasthan, with Kutch in Gujarat also named.
- (C) The Sunderbans are mangrove wetlands, while the bird is identified with the Thar Desert region and the Jaisalmer-Desert National Park landscape.
- (D) The Himalayan region does not fit the distribution, which points to arid north-western India rather than mountain habitat.
Concept
This tests species-habitat mapping within Environment and Ecology, especially Rajasthan-linked endangered fauna. It recurs in RAS because the Great Indian Bustard combines a state-specific location, a national conservation priority and a clear human-induced threat.