By Vikas Sir, Founder & Senior Faculty – Cosmo Classes | 10 July 2026

The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), one of India’s heaviest flying birds and a Critically Endangered species, has recorded an important conservation milestone. A second chick produced through the jumpstart technique in Naliya, Kutch district, Gujarat, survived beyond the critical 40-day period after hatching on 21 May 2026. With fewer than 150 birds left in the wild, mainly in the Thar desert of Rajasthan, every surviving chick is significant for the species.

The Great Indian Bustard is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and its main wild population survives in the desert grasslands of Rajasthan, with smaller numbers in Gujarat. It is highly sensitive to habitat loss, power-line collisions, and predation, all of which have driven its numbers to dangerously low levels. The bird is the state bird of Rajasthan and is protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, reflecting the high priority attached to its survival.

The jumpstart technique involves moving a fertile, captive-bred Great Indian Bustard egg from Rajasthan to Gujarat and placing it under a wild female for incubation and chick-rearing. This method directly addresses the problem of infertile eggs laid by the three remaining wild females in Gujarat. The first jumpstart chick hatched on 26 March 2026 in the Naliya grasslands but went missing in April 2026, with predation suspected. The survival of the second chick beyond the crucial 40-day window is therefore a key breakthrough for the breeding programme.

The conservation breeding centres at Sam and Ramdevra in Rajasthan held 98 Great Indian Bustards as of 9 July 2026, and during the 2026 breeding season 26 chicks had hatched through artificial insemination, natural breeding and wild-collected eggs. Project Great Indian Bustard is a collaborative effort involving the Union Environment Ministry, the Wildlife Institute of India, and the forest departments of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced on 9 July 2026 that the project will soon enter its rewilding phase, in which captive-bred birds are gradually released into the wild.

Exam Facts

▶ The Great Indian Bustard is the state bird of Rajasthan.

▶ Scientific name: Ardeotis nigriceps; IUCN status: Critically Endangered.

▶ It is protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

▶ Fewer than 150 birds remain in the wild, mainly in the Thar desert, Rajasthan.

▶ The jumpstart technique places captive-bred fertile eggs under wild females.

▶ Breeding centres at Sam and Ramdevra (Rajasthan) held 98 GIBs as of 9 July 2026.

▶ Project GIB involves MoEFCC, Wildlife Institute of India and Rajasthan & Gujarat forest departments.

Practice Set (10 Questions)

Q1. The Great Indian Bustard is the state bird of which state?
A. Gujarat
B. Rajasthan
C. Madhya Pradesh
D. Karnataka

Show Answer

Answer: B – Rajasthan.

Q2. The scientific name of the Great Indian Bustard is:
A. Antilope cervicapra
B. Ardeotis nigriceps
C. Panthera tigris
D. Grus antigone

Show Answer

Answer: B – Ardeotis nigriceps.

Q3. The IUCN Red List status of the Great Indian Bustard is:
A. Vulnerable
B. Endangered
C. Critically Endangered
D. Least Concern

Show Answer

Answer: C – Critically Endangered.

Q4. The jumpstart technique involves:
A. Cloning bustards
B. Placing captive-bred fertile eggs under wild females
C. Importing birds from abroad
D. Building artificial nests

Show Answer

Answer: B – Placing captive-bred fertile eggs under wild females.

Q5. The second jumpstart chick survived in which region?
A. Sam, Rajasthan
B. Naliya, Kutch (Gujarat)
C. Ramdevra, Rajasthan
D. Thar, Rajasthan

Show Answer

Answer: B – Naliya, Kutch (Gujarat).

Q6. The Great Indian Bustard is protected under which law?
A. Forest Conservation Act, 1980
B. Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
C. Environment Protection Act, 1986
D. Biological Diversity Act, 2002

Show Answer

Answer: B – Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Q7. Approximately how many Great Indian Bustards remain in the wild?
A. Fewer than 150
B. About 500
C. About 1,000
D. About 5,000

Show Answer

Answer: A – Fewer than 150.

Q8. The GIB breeding centres are located at:
A. Sam and Ramdevra
B. Naliya and Kutch
C. Sariska and Ranthambore
D. Bharatpur and Sultanpur

Show Answer

Answer: A – Sam and Ramdevra (Rajasthan).

Q9. Project Great Indian Bustard is NOT associated with which of the following?
A. Wildlife Institute of India
B. Union Environment Ministry
C. Rajasthan & Gujarat forest departments
D. Ministry of Defence

Show Answer

Answer: D – Ministry of Defence.

Q10. A major threat to the Great Indian Bustard in the wild is:
A. Power-line collisions
B. Overfishing
C. Air pollution
D. Soil erosion

Show Answer

Answer: A – Power-line collisions (and predation, habitat loss).

UPSC / RPSC Relevance

  • UPSC Prelims: Environment & Ecology and Current Affairs (species, IUCN status, conservation programmes).
  • UPSC Mains – GS Paper III: Conservation & biodiversity - captive breeding, species recovery and habitat protection.
  • RPSC (RAS) Prelims & Mains: Rajasthan-specific ecology - the Great Indian Bustard (state bird) and desert conservation.

UPSC Mains Descriptive Question

Q. Discuss the conservation challenges facing the Great Indian Bustard and evaluate the effectiveness of captive breeding and jumpstart techniques in reviving its population. (250 words, 15 marks)

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