Kutch Bustard Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
Kutch Bustard Sanctuary or Kachchh Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary, also known as Lala–Parjan Sanctuary, is located near Jakhau
village in Nalia taluka, Kutch district
, Gujarat, India
. This sanctuary is one of the two Great Indian Bustard
sanctuaries in Gujarat; the other one is in Jamnagar
. It was declared as a sanctuary in July 1992, specifically for the conservation of the Great Indian Bustard, the heaviest flying bird belonging to the avian
family of Otididae. However, the sanctuary presently legally covers a protected area of about 2 square kilometre of area (202.86 hectares (501.3 acre) of fenced land only and is the smallest sanctuary in the country. Several suggestions have been made to vastly increase the size of this sanctuary as it is a breeding ground of the endangered Great Indian Bustard. The reason is that its ecological zone is much larger on account of anthropogenic and cattle population pressure that are considered as a ‘biotic threat’ to this omnivorous species.
The main bird species of the sanctuary, the Great Indian Bustard, locally called “Ghorad,” is a Schedule I bird under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. It is included in the Red Data list
of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to the studies conducted by the Bombay Natural History Society
on three Indian bustard species – namely the Great Indian Bustard, the Lesser Florican and the Bengal Florican – the estimated total population of the Great Indian Bustard in all 12 sanctuaries in the country is said to be only about 1,000, out of which only about 30 birds had last been counted within the sanctuary, second only to the Desert National Park
in Rajasthan
which reportedly had about 70–75 birds.
Of the twenty three species of the Bustards found in the world, the magnificent, tall, long-necked Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is the only one to have been recorded as endangered according to the 2009 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by Bird Life International – the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN). This categorization is based on the fact that its population is on the decline as a result of hunting and continued agricultural development.
creeks, along the coast of Kutch. where large flocks of flamingos, herons, egrets, sandpipers and other birds can be seen. Located close to Nalia taluk, it encompasses the forest area of Jakhau
and Budia
villages.
The sanctuary comprises arid and semi-arid (dry) grasslands with scrubs containing scattered bushes and some cultivation. The Bustard, which is mainly a terrestrial bird, has adapted to this habitat. As its natural habitat, it feeds on traditional agricultural produces such as bajra, juvar and other cereal crops and also on insects and reptiles.
The sanctuary lies in the ecological zone of the semi desert region. Hence, the climate is arid, rainfall is meagre and erratic, with an average annual precipitation of 384 millimetres (15.1 in). Evapotranspiration is high. Water sources totally dry up in summer but storage reservoirs meet the lean season water requirements.
Three distinct climatic seasons are noted; winter, summer and monsoon. The winter season is from middle of November to end of February and the average temperature recorded during the coldest month of January is 5 °C (41 °F). Summer season is from March to end of May when the temperature range is 40–45 °C (104–113 F). Summer season sets in the middle of June or early July and covers the ecoregion and lasts till September.
The ideal time to visit the sanctuary is from late monsoon to winter. The nearest large city Bhuj
is 110 kilometres (68.4 mi) away. Bhuj has an airport which provides links with the rest of the country. Naliya is the nearest railway station, which is 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) away.
s (Endangered) (Sypheotides indica) and the Houbara Bustard
s (Vulnerable). As per last reports, 66 Floricans and 17 Houbara Bustards were reported.
The sanctuary also is habitat for harriers
, common crane
s, black partridge
s (local name: 'Kalo Tetar'), sand grouses, Black and Grey Francolin
, Spotted and Indian Sandgrouse
, quails, larks, shrikes, coursers and plovers. Vulnerable species such as the Stoliczka's Bushchat
and White-naped Tit have also been recorded in the KBS. The migratory bird, the Imperial Eagle
is also sighted here.
On the sanctuary’s northern border, large flocks of flamingo
s, herons, egret
s, sandpipers and other birds have been sighted, particularly on the Kutch coast
line.
The Great Indian Bustard, India's heaviest bird, is a shy bird, a good flier but prefers to walk. It lives in open areas and roosts and breeds in the open. Nests of Bustard chicks have been seen during the rainy season. Each bird lays one egg at a time and it takes 45 days to hatch.
The sanctuary is home for wild animals such as Wolf, caracal
(Caracal caracal), desert cat (Felis libyca ornata), jackal
, striped hyena
(Hyaena hyaena), fox
, mongoose
, bluebull, chinkara
(Gazella gazella), spiny tailed lizard
(Uromastix hardwiickii), snake
and many others, inhabit the area 425 Chinkaras (Indian gazelles) have also been recorded in the KBS and its vicinity. The sanctuary has sparse grassland vegetation, dominated by the bushy Ziziphus
sp.
Wildlife Institute of India
, and other wildlife organizations have also urged the government to extend the area of the sanctuary into the adjoining grasslands, as the present limit was too small.
The World Conservation Congress in its session held in November 2004 had urged the Government of India to initiate action to conserve the species of Bustards by launching a specific ‘Project Bustard’ on the lines of Project Tiger.
According to the reports of 2008, the Revenue Department has been requested that wasteland, adjoining the sanctuary, should not be released for agricultural purposes. The Forest Department was also prepared to purchase this land to extend the limits of the sanctuary. Presently, the Forest Department has acquired additional land of 1700 hectares (4,200.8 acre) from a parastatal organization of the state government. A proposal has been initiated for transfer of 3000 hectares (7,413.2 acre) of spare land of the Gujarat Energy Development Corporation. Consequent to these measures, it is said that GBI population, which was 45 in the census of 2004, had increased to 48 in 2007.
Jakhau
Jakhau is a village 14 km west of Naliya, the taluka headquarters of Abdasa taluka of Kutch, Jakhau Salt - the port of Jakhau is situated a further 15 km westwards....
village in Nalia taluka, Kutch district
Kutch District
Kutch district is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,652 km², it is the largest district of India....
, Gujarat, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. This sanctuary is one of the two Great Indian Bustard
Great Indian Bustard
The Great Indian Bustard or Indian Bustard is a bustard found in India and the adjoining regions of Pakistan. A large bird with a horizontal body and long bare legs giving it an ostrich like appearance, this bird is among the heaviest of the flying birds...
sanctuaries in Gujarat; the other one is in Jamnagar
Jamnagar
Jamnagar is a city and a municipal corporation in Jamnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city was built up substantially by Maharaja Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji in the 1920s, when the district was known as Nawanagar. The district lies just to the south of the Gulf of Kutch and is...
. It was declared as a sanctuary in July 1992, specifically for the conservation of the Great Indian Bustard, the heaviest flying bird belonging to the avian
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
family of Otididae. However, the sanctuary presently legally covers a protected area of about 2 square kilometre of area (202.86 hectares (501.3 acre) of fenced land only and is the smallest sanctuary in the country. Several suggestions have been made to vastly increase the size of this sanctuary as it is a breeding ground of the endangered Great Indian Bustard. The reason is that its ecological zone is much larger on account of anthropogenic and cattle population pressure that are considered as a ‘biotic threat’ to this omnivorous species.
The main bird species of the sanctuary, the Great Indian Bustard, locally called “Ghorad,” is a Schedule I bird under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. It is included in the Red Data list
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to the studies conducted by the Bombay Natural History Society
Bombay Natural History Society
The Bombay Natural History Society, founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research. It supports many research efforts through grants, and publishes the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. Many...
on three Indian bustard species – namely the Great Indian Bustard, the Lesser Florican and the Bengal Florican – the estimated total population of the Great Indian Bustard in all 12 sanctuaries in the country is said to be only about 1,000, out of which only about 30 birds had last been counted within the sanctuary, second only to the Desert National Park
Desert National Park
Desert National Park, Rajasthan, India, is situated in the west Indian state of Rajasthan near the town of Jaisalmer. This is one of the largest national parks, covering an area of 3162 km². The Desert National Park is an excellent example of the ecosystem of the Thar Desert. Sand dunes form...
in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
which reportedly had about 70–75 birds.
Of the twenty three species of the Bustards found in the world, the magnificent, tall, long-necked Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is the only one to have been recorded as endangered according to the 2009 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by Bird Life International – the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN). This categorization is based on the fact that its population is on the decline as a result of hunting and continued agricultural development.
Geography and climate
The sanctuary is bounded on the north by the JakhauJakhau
Jakhau is a village 14 km west of Naliya, the taluka headquarters of Abdasa taluka of Kutch, Jakhau Salt - the port of Jakhau is situated a further 15 km westwards....
creeks, along the coast of Kutch. where large flocks of flamingos, herons, egrets, sandpipers and other birds can be seen. Located close to Nalia taluk, it encompasses the forest area of Jakhau
Jakhau
Jakhau is a village 14 km west of Naliya, the taluka headquarters of Abdasa taluka of Kutch, Jakhau Salt - the port of Jakhau is situated a further 15 km westwards....
and Budia
Budia
Budia is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 270 inhabitants....
villages.
The sanctuary comprises arid and semi-arid (dry) grasslands with scrubs containing scattered bushes and some cultivation. The Bustard, which is mainly a terrestrial bird, has adapted to this habitat. As its natural habitat, it feeds on traditional agricultural produces such as bajra, juvar and other cereal crops and also on insects and reptiles.
The sanctuary lies in the ecological zone of the semi desert region. Hence, the climate is arid, rainfall is meagre and erratic, with an average annual precipitation of 384 millimetres (15.1 in). Evapotranspiration is high. Water sources totally dry up in summer but storage reservoirs meet the lean season water requirements.
Three distinct climatic seasons are noted; winter, summer and monsoon. The winter season is from middle of November to end of February and the average temperature recorded during the coldest month of January is 5 °C (41 °F). Summer season is from March to end of May when the temperature range is 40–45 °C (104–113 F). Summer season sets in the middle of June or early July and covers the ecoregion and lasts till September.
The ideal time to visit the sanctuary is from late monsoon to winter. The nearest large city Bhuj
Bhuj
Bhuj is a city and a municipality in Kachchh district in the state of Gujarat, India.-History:It was established by Rao Hamirji in 1510 and was made the state capital by Rao Khengarji I in 1549. Its foundation stone as state capital laid formally on Vikram Samvat 1604 Maagha 5th...
is 110 kilometres (68.4 mi) away. Bhuj has an airport which provides links with the rest of the country. Naliya is the nearest railway station, which is 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) away.
Fauna and flora
Within its delimited area, Kutch Bustard Sanctuary reportedly has three species of the Bustards namely, the Great Indian Bustards (endangered) (local name: Ghorad), the Lesser FloricanLesser Florican
The Lesser Florican , also known as the Likh, is a large bird in the bustard family and the only member of the genus Sypheotides. It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent where it is found in tall grasslands and is best known for the leaping breeding displays made by the males during the Monsoon...
s (Endangered) (Sypheotides indica) and the Houbara Bustard
Houbara Bustard
The Houbara Bustard, Chlamydotis undulata, is a large bird in the bustard family.-Description:The Houbara Bustard is a small to mid-sized bustard. It measures in length and spans across the wings. It is brown above and white below, with a black stripe down the sides of its neck. In flight, the...
s (Vulnerable). As per last reports, 66 Floricans and 17 Houbara Bustards were reported.
The sanctuary also is habitat for harriers
Harrier (bird)
A harrier is any of the several species of diurnal hawks forming the Circinae sub-family of the Accipitridae family of birds of prey. Harriers characteristically hunt by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds....
, common crane
Crane (bird)
Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...
s, black partridge
Partridge
Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are a non-migratory Old World group.These are medium-sized birds, intermediate between the larger pheasants and the smaller quails. Partridges are native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East...
s (local name: 'Kalo Tetar'), sand grouses, Black and Grey Francolin
Grey Francolin
The Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus is a species of francolin found in the plains and drier parts of South Asia...
, Spotted and Indian Sandgrouse
Sandgrouse
The sandgrouse are a family, Pteroclididae, of 16 bird species, the only living members of the order Pteroclidiformes. They are restricted to treeless open country in the Old World, such as plains and semi-deserts. They are distributed across northern, southern and eastern Africa as well as...
, quails, larks, shrikes, coursers and plovers. Vulnerable species such as the Stoliczka's Bushchat
Stoliczka's Bushchat
The White-browed Bush Chat ,Saxicola is masculine leading to the species epithet ending in -us also known as Stoliczka's Bushchat, is an Old World flycatcher in the genus Saxicola...
and White-naped Tit have also been recorded in the KBS. The migratory bird, the Imperial Eagle
Eastern Imperial Eagle
The Eastern Imperial Eagle is a large species of bird of prey that breeds from southeastern Europe to central Asia. Most populations are migratory and winter in northeastern Africa, and southern and eastern Asia. The Spanish Imperial Eagle, found in Spain and Portugal, was formerly lumped with...
is also sighted here.
On the sanctuary’s northern border, large flocks of flamingo
Flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...
s, herons, egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
s, sandpipers and other birds have been sighted, particularly on the Kutch coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
line.
The Great Indian Bustard, India's heaviest bird, is a shy bird, a good flier but prefers to walk. It lives in open areas and roosts and breeds in the open. Nests of Bustard chicks have been seen during the rainy season. Each bird lays one egg at a time and it takes 45 days to hatch.
The sanctuary is home for wild animals such as Wolf, caracal
Caracal
The caracal is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat ranging over Western Asia, South Asia and Africa.The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear". In North India and Pakistan, the caracal is locally known as syahgosh or shyahgosh, which is a Persian term...
(Caracal caracal), desert cat (Felis libyca ornata), jackal
Jackal
Although the word jackal has been historically used to refer to many small- to medium-sized species of the wolf genus of mammals, Canis, today it most properly and commonly refers to three species: the black-backed jackal and the side-striped jackal of sub-Saharan Africa, and the golden jackal of...
, striped hyena
Striped Hyena
The Striped Hyena is a species of true hyena native to North and East Africa, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Middle and Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent...
(Hyaena hyaena), fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
, mongoose
Mongoose
Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...
, bluebull, chinkara
Chinkara
The Chinkara is a species of gazelle found in south Asia.-Habitat and Distribution:It lives in grasslands and desert areas in India, Bangladesh and parts of Iran and Pakistan...
(Gazella gazella), spiny tailed lizard
Uromastyx hardwickii
Hardwicke's or Indian spiny-tailed lizard is a species of agamid lizard found patchily distributed in the Thar desert, Kutch and surrounding arid zones in India and Pakistan. These lizards are mainly herbivorous are live in numbers in some areas. These lizards are found in loose clusters and...
(Uromastix hardwiickii), snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
and many others, inhabit the area 425 Chinkaras (Indian gazelles) have also been recorded in the KBS and its vicinity. The sanctuary has sparse grassland vegetation, dominated by the bushy Ziziphus
Ziziphus
Ziziphus is a genus of about 40 species of spiny shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae, distributed in the warm-temperate and subtropical regions throughout the world. The leaves are alternate, entire, with three prominent basal veins, and long; some species are deciduous,...
sp.
Conservation threats and efforts of preservation
The threats identified for preservation of the Bustards in Gujarat’s sanctuaries, particularly in this small sanctuary are listed. Conversion of farming land to grow cash crops, particularly cotton that experts feel affects the bird’s feeding requirements. Reportedly, 60% of the irrigated land has been converted to cotton. Grazing is also a threat to the sustainability of the landscape and while bustards thrive on traditional crops for their food, cotton and chemicals used in cotton farming are harmful to them; cotton seeds, could adversely effect them.Tiny protected area
Currently the sanctuary legally covers only a tiny protected area of about 2 square kilometres of land which is fenced but is too small experts feel. Several suggestions have been made to vastly increase the size of this sanctuary by including the excellent habitat of the vast surrounding grasslands which serves as a habitat and breeding area for the endangered Great Indian Bustard and several other species as well. This is the reason that this sanctuary's ecological zone is much larger keeping in view the anthropogenic and cattle population pressure that are considered as a ‘biotic threat’ to omnivorous species like the bustards.Substantial expansion to include surrounding grasslands recommended
The grassland habitat of Kutch sanctuary has been proposed to be expanded. The forest officials, encouraged by the last count of 30 birds found in the sanctuary, have mooted several proposals to preserve and expand the limits of the sanctuary. The proposals made include: To attach the adjacent grassland eco-systems to the present protected area as most of this land area was under the State Government ownership and would have minimal problems for transfer of the land to the Forest Department, and also does not conflict development and agricultural interests; the National Committee on Rationalisation of Boundaries of the Protected Areas have been petitioned for extending the sanctuary up to its natural or ecological border of a single ecological zone covering an area of 500 square kilometre; the Gujarat Ecological Education and Research (GEER) Foundation, of the DehradunDehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
Wildlife Institute of India
Wildlife Institute of India
The Wildlife Institute of India is a autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.WII carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Forensics, Spatial Modeling,...
, and other wildlife organizations have also urged the government to extend the area of the sanctuary into the adjoining grasslands, as the present limit was too small.
The World Conservation Congress in its session held in November 2004 had urged the Government of India to initiate action to conserve the species of Bustards by launching a specific ‘Project Bustard’ on the lines of Project Tiger.
According to the reports of 2008, the Revenue Department has been requested that wasteland, adjoining the sanctuary, should not be released for agricultural purposes. The Forest Department was also prepared to purchase this land to extend the limits of the sanctuary. Presently, the Forest Department has acquired additional land of 1700 hectares (4,200.8 acre) from a parastatal organization of the state government. A proposal has been initiated for transfer of 3000 hectares (7,413.2 acre) of spare land of the Gujarat Energy Development Corporation. Consequent to these measures, it is said that GBI population, which was 45 in the census of 2004, had increased to 48 in 2007.
See also
- Greater Rann of Kutch
- Little Rann of KutchLittle Rann of KutchLittle Rann of Kutch is a salt marsh located near the Great Rann of Kutch in Kutch district, Gujarat, India.-Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary:It is famous as the world's last refuge of the Indian Wild Ass for the conservation of which it has been declared as the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary.Though a bleak...
- Kutch Desert Wildlife SanctuaryKutch Desert Wildlife SanctuaryKutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Great Rann of Kutch, Kutch district, Gujarat, India, it was declared a sanctuary in February 1986....
- Narayan Sarovar SanctuaryNarayan Sarovar SanctuaryNarayan Sarovar Sanctuary also popularly known as Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary or Narayan Sarovar Chinkara Sanctuary notified as such in April 1981 and subsequently denotified in 1995 with reduced area, is a unique eco-system in the Lakhpat taluka of Kutch district in the state of Gujarat,...
- Banni grasslands
- Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary
- List of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of Gujarat, India