Fauna

1. The Great Indian Bustard, one of the endangered flying bird species in the world, will soon be tracked by satellite by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to understand the movement of this rare bird and its preferred habitat,Gujarat and Rajasthan.Great Indian bustard is amongst one of the largest flying bird species found in the world today. It can easily be distinguished by its black crown on the forehead contrasting with the pale neck and head.The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognised it as critically endangered in 2011.Distinguishable by its brownish body and wings marked with black, brown and grey, the Great Indian Bustard is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972, and its international trade is prohibited.The Rajasthan government recently launched its own project Great Indian Bustard, at a cost of over Rs. 12 crore, to identify and provide secure breeding enclosures, in a bid to arrest its decreasing population.