India's smallest sanctuary hides one of the world's rarest bird – can you guess its name?
This is a quiet, sun-drenched grassland which conserves the remarkable bird species that is greatly endangered – the Great Indian Bustard. This place is a heaven for birdwatchers.
Location
This sanctuary is located in the semi-arid grasslands of the Great Rann of Kutch. The grasslands and marshy swamps provide the perfect habitat for the Great Indian Bustard, which prefers large spaces for breeding.
Purpose of the Sanctuary
This sanctuary provides the unique opportunity of observing some magnificent creatures in their natural habitat.
This sanctuary is one of the few locations where the Great Indian Bustard can still be spotted. This bird species is one of the largest and heaviest flying birds that is also critically endangered, as it is facing challenges such as habitat loss, hunting, and human disturbances. This sanctuary was mainly built to protect the species and its breeding grounds.
As this species is greatly under threat, it is important that it be put under protected sanctuaries for its survival.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Flora and Fauna
Kutch Bustard Sanctuary reportedly has three species of bustards, namely the Great Indian Bustards (endangered), the Lesser Floricans (endangered), and the Houbara Bustards (vulnerable).
Birdlife
: This sanctuary is also home to bird species such as harriers, common cranes, black francolins, sandgrouses, grey francolin, spotted and Indian sandgrouse, quails, larks, shrikes, coursers, and plovers. One might also spot, on the northern border of the sanctuary, birds like flamingos, herons, egrets, and sandpipers.
Wildlife
: One can find some wild animals here as well, such as wolf, caracal, Asiatic wildcat, jackal, striped hyena, fox, mongoose, bluebull, chinkara, spiny-tailed lizard, snake, and many others.
How to get there
One can reach this sanctuary through road, train, or air. The Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary is well connected through roads to major cities of Gujarat such as Kutch, Ahmedabad, and Rajkot. One can easily reach here by train, as the nearest railway station is Bhuj railway station, from which one can reach the sanctuary in an hour.
The Bhuj airport is also nearby and will take 2 hours to reach the sanctuary from the airport.
Conservation Efforts
The sanctuary is making a lot of efforts to conserve the endangered species. They are pushing for the expansion of the land of the sanctuary to include surrounding grasslands, important for the survival of the Great Indian Bustard.
They have taken steps such as the acquisition of additional land to extend the protected area, a call for the launch of 'Project Bustard' just like 'Project Tiger,' and they have also put in place strict restrictions for land use. And that's why it's a must-visit place for every wildlife and bird lover!
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