Great Indian Bustards come home to roost, Siruguppa’s bird watchers enthused

It’s good news for bird conservationists with the sighting of the endangered Great Indian Bustards in the villages of Siruguppa taluk of the district.

The forest department is set to prepare a comprehensive report in this regard and submit to the government.

A team of forest officials led by Sandeeprao Suryavanshi is leaving for the Jaisalmer Desert National Park in Rajasthan to learn about the conservation measures there.

It has been years since the birds were spotted in the districts of Raichur, Koppal, Gadag, Dharwad, Haveri, Vijayapura, Davangere, Chitradurga, Mysuru, Tumakuru and Hassan.

The new sighting of the birds in the fields in the villages of Agasanuru, Bommalapura, Nagalapura, Kuruvalli and Mitte Suguru in Siruguppa taluk has enthused bird watchers.

“The Great Indian Bustards are just a few in numbers, not more than 150, and are usually found in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, besides Karnataka,” according to survey reports.

Suryavanshi told DH that bird watchers were able to spot the Great Indian Bustards about 20 times in the villages of Siraguppa taluk in single or in pairs between February 24 and September 17 in 2022.

Siruguppa taluk recorded the first sighting of Great Indian Bustards in 2016, he said. But, environmentalist Santosh Martin claims six Great Indian Bustards were recorded here in 2006, five years after nature lovers started tracking them in the villages of Siruguppa taluk.

“A report was sent to the government in this regard and the government released Rs 1.5 crore for their conservation,” said ornithologist Samad Kottur.

The Great Indian Bustard is characterised by long legs and long neck. It runs for a short distance before taking off in flight just like an aircraft, he described.

“The bird is usually found in fields having black soil, where cotton and sunflower are cultivated. It builds nests in such fields for breeding purposes,” Suryavanshi said.

He has been instrumental in expanding by 30 hectares the 105-hectare sanctuary, created under the alternative land project by the JSW group, during the tenure of Takathsingh Ranawat as a forest officer in this region.