Flight out of Rajasthan

Once the pride of Rajasthan, the Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is quickly and quietly sliding closer to extinction. Once seen round the year, this resident bird, now endangered, can be seen only in the winter months. That’s if you are lucky. Earlier found in flocks in Tonk, Jaisalmer and Ajmer, the locally known ‘godayan’ or ‘murgabi’ is now found only in the interiors of Tonk and Ajmer. Habitat destruction and half-hearted conservation attempts by state government officials are some of the reasons behind the vanishing numbers. Hunting is the other big cause.

A treat for the enthusiastic bird watchers and ornithologists, the best season for sighting these birds begins in November and lasts till early February. However, over the past five years, most enthusiastic bird watchers and ornithologists have kept their fingers crossed. Concerned over the rapid decline, the state forest department has now sent a proposal for conservation of the bird to the Centre. “Apart from the annual census, what is required is a round-the-year close monitoring of the birds, for which we are working on the plan. We also plan to set up the world’s first breeding centre for the bird in western Rajasthan,” says chief wildlife warden RM Malhotra.

The move might come as a great relief to the experts who have been demanding a project to save them. Not surprisingly. Says Dr Pradeep Sharma, a bird expert from Jaipur, “As per the official figures, while in 2001, 131 birds were recorded, they were reduced to just 85 in 2003. Last year, the figure further went down to 14. There is a need to take up the matter very seriously.”

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This year, so far, the number of birds sighted at Sonkhaliya in Ajmer district, is low. Several locals admitted that poaching of the Great Indian Bustard is done often. The meat of the bird may not be a delicacy but it’s believed to be an aphrodisiac.

The exact number of the birds in the area is a point of debate. While officials of the Rajasthan State Forest Department claim there are at least 50 birds in the area, bird watchers believe they have been reduced drastically.

“One can probably count on his fingertips the number of birds now in the area,” says Col (retd) Kishor Singh, who owns a heritage resort at Junia, a village 30 km from Sonkhaliya and is also a member of the Bombay Natural History Society.