What is in news : Central government informed the Rajya Sabha that there were no Great Indian Bustards (GIB) in Kutch Bustard Sanctuary (KBS)

About Great Indian Bustards:

• Largest among the four bustard species found in India(the other three being MacQueen’s bustard, lesser florican and the Bengal florican)
• Historic range included much of the Indian sub-continent (Now shrunken to just 10 per cent of it)
• Heaviest birds with flight
• Prefer grasslands as their habitats.
• Spend most of their time on the ground with occasional flights to go from one part of their habitat to the other.
• Flagship bird species of grassland
• Protection accorded
  • Birdlife International: uplisted from Endangered to Critically Endangered (2011)
  • Protection under CITES: Appendix I
  • IUCN status: Critically Endangered
  • Protection under Wildlife (Protection) Act: Schedule I
• On the brink of extinction: The GIB population in India had fallen to just 150.

About KBS

• Located near Lala village of Abdasa taluka of Kutch.
• One of the smallest bird sanctuaries of the country, but a thriving breeding ground for the endangered birds.
• Is a semi-desert area allows for the ‘ghorad’ (local name) to feed on cereal crops that grow in the region.
• Set up in 1992.