The great Indian bustard or Indian bustard is a bustard occurring on the Indian subcontinent. It is a large bird with a horizontal body, long bare legs and is among the heaviest of the flying birds. Once common on the dry grasslands and shrubland in India, as few as 150 individuals were estimated to survive as of 2018, reduced from an estimated 250 individuals in 2011. It is critically endangered due to hunting and habitat loss. It is protected under the Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Region
Indian Subcontinent (western India and southeastern Pakistan)
Typical Environment
Now highly fragmented, with strongholds in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan and smaller remnant populations in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka; historically ranged into Pakistan’s Sindh. Prefers open, dry grasslands, scrubby plains, and sparsely cultivated fallows with low vegetation. It avoids dense scrub and tall crops but may use lightly grazed pastures and fallows. Nests and roosts on the ground in areas with wide visibility to detect predators.
Altitude Range
0–1000 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Among the heaviest flying birds, males perform dramatic breeding displays, inflating a throat sac and issuing deep booming calls. Collisions with overhead power lines and loss of open grassland are major threats. Intensive conservation in India includes habitat protection, predator management, captive rearing, and burying or marking power lines.
Temperament
wary and alert
Flight Pattern
strong flier with powerful, deliberate wingbeats; occasional glides on broad wings
Social Behavior
Generally solitary or in small groups; males are polygynous and display on open ground in dispersed leks during the breeding season. Nests are simple ground scrapes, typically with a single egg, and the female alone incubates and rears the chick. Adults rely on vigilance and open sightlines for predator avoidance.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Usually quiet, but males produce low, resonant booming notes during courtship that carry over long distances. Alarm calls are harsher clucks or grunts.
