Great Indian Bustard to be tracked by satellite

The Great Indian Bustard, one of the critically endangered flying bird species in the world, will soon be tracked by satellite by the Wildlife Institute of India to understand the movement of this rare bird and its preferred habitat.
The move is viewed as a major push towards saving the dwindling population of the species by hunting and loss of its habitat (dry grasslands), primarily in Gujarat and Rajasthan, besides few other Indian states like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
"WII in Dehradun, a government-run institution, has been granted permission for satellite tracking of the Great Indian Bustard," Gujarat Principal Chief Wildlife Conservator of Forest C N Pandey said.

"Being done for research purposes the tracking through satellite will help them (researchers) understand the movement of this rare bird, which is now largely found in the Kutch region of Gujarat, and parts of Rajasthan," he said.
Great Indian bustard, is amongst one of the largest flying bird species found in the world today. It can easily be distinguished by its black crown on the forehead contrasting with the pale neck and head.
"The coastal grasslands of Abdasa and Mandvi talukas of Kutch district in Gujarat support some of its population. The other sanctuary with the species includes Naliya in Kutch," a Gujarat forest department official said.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Redlist recognised it as critically endangered in 2011.
The portal of IUCN, the world's largest global environmental organisation, states that the species' total population was estimated at 300 in 2008 indicating that there are probably fewer than 250 mature ones remaining.