Great Indian Bustard Still On The Brink: Latest Survey Estimates Only 130 Birds Left As Threats Rise

Rising infrastructure and habitat fragmentation continue to threaten the survival of Rajasthan’s iconic bird—the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB)—with only 130 birds estimated to remain in the wild, according to the latest survey.

Conducted during October 2024 and April 2025, the survey has estimated the population of the iconic bird at 130 +/- 21 individuals, broadly unchanged from the 128 +/- 19 recorded in the previous assessment done in 2017-18. “Trend analysis showed that GIB detections, encounter rate, abundance, and occupancy have remained broadly stable since 2017,” stated the report released at the Standing Committee meeting of the National Board for Wildlife on Thursday.

However, it also highlighted that the species continues

to occupy only about 16% of the surveyed landscape, with most birds confined to relatively undisturbed grasslands, without energy infrastructure, in and around the northern Desert National Park and the Pokhran Field Firing Range. While the grassland cover has remained broadly stable, the mortality risks for the critically endangered bird continue to increase due to habitat fragmentation caused by rapid expansion of power lines, fencing, roads, water sources, and solar plants, it said. The report underscored that GIB’s long-term survival depends on stronger habitat protection, with effective threat mitigation and habitat restoration alongside conservation breeding programmes.

One of the heaviest flying birds in the world, the GIB, or Godawan as it is called by locals, is on the brink of extinction. The majestic long-legged bird, once found across much of India, is now mostly concentrated in and around Jaisalmer’s Thar Desert—its last remaining stronghold. The population suffered a steep decline due to habitat loss, fragmentation of land, and the increasing network of overhead transmission lines spread across the region. From 2017 to 2025, human infrastructure and activities steadily increased across the landscape, raising concerns for the disturbance-sensitive GIB.

The latest estimation was done using a standardised vehicle-based survey method, covering about 14,000 sq km across the Desert National Park, Pokhran Field Firing Range, and the nearby habitat in the priority GIB area.

Discussing the next phase of the conservation breeding programme, the Union Environment Minister, Bhupender Yadav, said as many as 98 chicks have been born in captivity in Rajasthan at Sam and Ramdevra since the programme began. “The project will soon be entering into rewilding phase for which the efforts are on,” he said, lauding the success of the second “jump start” attempt executed in Naliya, Gujarat, which led to the birth of a chick on May 21, 2026. “It has passed the critical stage of 40 days of survival.”