The majestic Great Indian Bustard, which Salim Ali had proposed be our national bird lost out to the peacock for the potentially disastrous effect the misspelling of its name could have in government documents (Photo: Ranjit Lal)All of the three bustard species to be found in India face the same SOS situation due to the same underlying conservation issues, and which we are now trying desperately to rectify (which is not going to be easy).The majestic Great Indian Bustard, which Salim Ali had proposed be our national bird – with a shrewd eye on the protection it needed, and more importantly its habitat would get, lost out to the peacock ostensibly for the potentially disastrous effect the misspelling of its name could have in babu documents. At one time this gloriously snooty bird would stride about the open, dry grasslands and scrublands all over India, from Karnataka to the Punjab. Today, the wild population is down to less than 150 birds all confined to the Desert National Park in Rajasthan. Many years ago, I remember watching this proud bird striding about in the tall wild grass of the then Karera Wildlife Sanctuary, where it was called ‘son chiriya’ (golden bird), by the villagers. Now not only is the bustard gone from there, so has the sanctuary been de-notified and given over for agriculture.The Great Indian Bustard was too good eating for its own good and was hunted enthusiastically by the British and Indian maharajas (Babur said it was delicious!). Difficult to track on foot, the arrival of the jeep neutralised whatever advantage it had. Now protected by the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, it is poached but its biggest threat lies (as does for the other two species) in habitat destruction and change. Most importantly, because of the the assumption by myopic authorities that all grasslands and scrublands, be deemed as wastelands, and therefore ripe for the taking, for agriculture, and infrastructure ‘development’. Even the sands of the Thar where the bustard roamed were not spared. Now, roads have been built through bustard territory. Transmission wires crisscrossing the desert electrocute the birds (who do not have very good frontal vision while flying), windmills chopp them up and solar panels occupy vast areas. The bustard does not like irrigated areas and the Indira Gandhi Canal brought in just that, transforming its desert habitat.The Great Indian bustard is a slow breeder, females lay one egg a year, and like their privacy. Of course, frantic SOS measures have now been put in place. Rajasthan introduced the Project Great Indian Bustard in 2013, fencing off bustard breeding areas in Protected Areas, set up a captive breeding centre at the Ramdevra Breeding Centre at Jaisalmer where there are now 76 captive bred birds and initiated the ‘Jumpstart’ approach, where fertile eggs are placed in the nests of females in other areas. One such was transported 770 km from the Sam region in Rajasthan to the Naliya grasslands in Gujarat in a portable incubator. It is hoped the first ‘soft release’ of the captive bred birds be done later this year.The striking black-and-white Lesser Florican endemic to the Indian subcontinent is another bustard, which according to one source is down to a perilous population between 150 and 200 birds (Other sources cite 730 plus birds). It is an inhabitant of the tall grasslands of Central and Northwestern India in summer but is more widely distributed in winter. Concealed in the tall monsoon grass, courting males will leap high vertically, during the early mornings and evenings, hoping to catch a lady’s eye but, alas, this makes it a conspicuous target for poachers. It does not abide by human company and the introduction of crop fields of soyabean and cotton (along with the accompanying pesticides) have put paid to its breeding prospects in these areas. The intrusion of dogs and human activity in its breeding grounds is another cause for concern. In villages like Sokhaliya in Rajasthan, the government along with NGOs are persuading farmers to leave parts of their crop fields undisturbed for the Florican to breed in.ALSO READ | How to choose the right pet for your lifestyleThe Bengal Florican, also black and white, is the third critically endangered species, and is found in India, Cambodia and Vietnam and is down to a population of under 1000 birds, of which, India has roughly half. Another estimate suggests there are under 350 birds left worldwide. Two distinct Indian populations exist, in Uttar Pradesh through to Nepal, and Assam, and the other in Arunachal Pradesh. A key grassland species, indicative of a healthy grassland ecosystem, it too has a spectacular breeding display. Conservation efforts are afoot. For instance, in the Kokilabari Agriculture Farm in Manas, the community including women and children are being made aware of the birds’ perilous status and why hunting and egg collection is not a good idea.Not too long ago our general attitude towards forests was ‘jungle hain – kato!’ (It’s a jungle, cut it down), which thanks to Project Tiger and the introduction of protected areas, such as National Parks and Sanctuaries, and other conservation activities (including the WPA, 1972) has begun to change. But our current moronic mandarins still see grasslands and scrublands (as they do wetlands, swamps and mangrove forests) as wastelands ripe for ‘development’, for the building of roads, factories, and for agriculture, and other ‘development’ activities. These are thriving ecosystems in their own right, never mind that the tiger may not be found in them. A fundamental change in attitude is required, if these ecosystems – and their precious wildlife – are to survive. To think, that just 150 Great Indian Bustards, under 1000 Floricans have to face up against a population of 1.4 billion people greedy to grab their breeding territories – well we have our work cut out don’t we, if we have to save them. Yet again, it’s all about mayday conservation!