Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary (established in 1979, also known as the Jawaharlal Nehru Bustard Sanctuary of Maharashtra) is a

wildlife sanctuary A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

for the

great Indian bustard The great Indian bustard (''Ardeotis nigriceps'') or Indian bustard, is a bustard found on the Indian subcontinent. A large bird with a horizontal body and long bare legs, giving it an ostrich like appearance, this bird is among the heaviest of t ...

(''Ardeotis nigriceps'') at

Solapur Solapur () is a city located in the south-western region of the Indian state of Maharashtra, close to its border with Karnataka. Solapur is located on major highway, rail routes between Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad, with a branch line ...

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The land is drought-prone and semi-arid. It is in the

Deccan thorn scrub forests The Deccan thorn scrub forests are a xeric shrubland ecoregion of south India and northern Sri Lanka. Historically this area was covered by tropical dry deciduous forest, but this only remains in isolated fragments. The vegetation now consi ...

ecoregion.maharasthtra Maharashtra is one of the six states of India where great Indian bustards (''Ardeotis nigriceps'') are still seen. The great Indian bustard at Nannaj and Karmala was first identified By Mr B.S.Kulkarni in 1972 and with his constant efforts to save the bird had resulted in Dr. Salim Ali visiting Nannaj and starting a research project. Mr Kulkarni wrote extensively in local newspapers and made people aware of its existence and he is still active in trying to protect the bird and its habitat at Nannaj, near Solapur. In former days the bustard was a common bird in the dry districts of Maharashtra.

Data on the sanctuary

*Coordinates - 17°49′36.2″N 75°52′10.9″E *Year of establishment- 1979 *Size - *Climate - Dry, mild winter. Hot summer (40 °C to 43 °C ) *Temperature - 13 °C to 42 °C *Topography - Gentle undulations, with isolated hillocks of 450-500 msl. *Habitat - 6A/01 Southern Tropical Thorn Forest (Champion and Seth 1968) *Biogeographic Zone - Deccan Peninsula *Breeding Status - Breeds in Nannaj and some other DPAP plots. *Nesting season - Monsoon (July–October) *Figure of bustards according to census 2009 - Total 21 ( 13 females and 8 males)

Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) Plots

In 1975 the Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP), financed by the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...

, was initiated in

Solapur district Solapur District (Marathi pronunciation: olaːpuːɾ is a district in Maharashtra state of India. The city of Solapur is the district headquarters. It is located on the south east edge of the state and lies entirely in the Bhima and Seena basi ...

. Establishment of pastures and woodlots by the forest department under DPAP resulted in regeneration of

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animal species (biology), species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous ...

, benefited by the protection of their habitat (Rahamani, A. R. Final Report 1989, BNHS).

Habitat types in Nannaj plots

Habitat of Nannaj can be broadly divided into five main types (Manakadan, R. and Rahmani, A. R. 1986 Annual Report No. 3, BNHS, Rahmani, A. R. Final Report 1989 BNHS). #Grassland plots - Mardi 100 and Mardi 50 plots are pure grassland, with few young ''

Acacia nilotica ''Vachellia nilotica'', more commonly known as ''Acacia nilotica'', and by the vernacular names of gum arabic tree, babul, thorn mimosa, Egyptian acacia or thorny acacia, is a flowering tree in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Africa, the Mi ...

'' trees and ''

Cassia auriculata ''Senna auriculata'' is a leguminous tree in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is commonly known by its local names matura tea tree, avaram or ranawara , ( kn, ಆವರಿಕೆ ''āvarike'', Marathi: तरवड, Malayalam: ആവര, si, ...

'' bushes. Prominent grasses are '' Aristida funiculate'', '' Aristida stocksii'', ''

Chrysopogon fulvus ''Chrysopogon fulvus'', called Guria grass, red false beard grass, and reddish-yellow beardgrass, is a species of grass (family Poaceae), subfamily Panicoideae Panicoideae is the second-largest subfamily of the grasses with over 3,500 species ...

'', ''

Heteropogon contortus ''Heteropogon contortus'' is a tropical, perennial tussock grass with a native distribution encompassing Southern Africa, southern Asia, Northern Australia, Oceania, and southwestern North America. The species has also become a naturalised weed i ...

'', '' Lodhopogon tridentatus'', ''

Melanocenchris jacquemontii ''Melanocenchris'' is a genus of Asian and African plants in the grass family. ; Species * ''Melanocenchris abyssinica'' (R.Br. ex Fresen.) Hochst. - Chad, Sudan, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Persian Gulf Sheikdoms, ...

''. #Woodlot (Nannaj plots)- In some of the areas the following trees were planted by the forest department: ''

'', ''

Albizia lebbeck ''Albizia lebbeck'' is a species of ''Albizia'', native to Indomalaya, New Guinea and Northern AustraliaUSDA (1994) and widely cultivated and naturalised in other tropical and subtropical regions. English names for it include Sirisa, Siris, lebbe ...

'', ''

Gliricidia sepium ''Gliricidia sepium'', often simply referred to as its genus name ''Gliricidia'', is a medium size leguminous tree belonging to the family Fabaceae. Common names include quickstick, ''mata ratón''; ''cacao de nance'', ''cachanance''; ''balo'' i ...

'', ''

Dalbergia sissoo ''Dalbergia sissoo'', known commonly as North Indian rosewood or ''shisham'', is a fast-growing, hardy, deciduous rosewood tree native to the Indian subcontinent and southern Iran. ''D. sissoo'' is a large, crooked tree with long, leathery leav ...

'', ''

Azadirachta indica ''Azadirachta indica'', commonly known as neem, nimtree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus ''Azadirachta'', and is native to the Indian subcontinent and most of the countries in Afri ...

'', ''

Hardwickia binata ''Hardwickia'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the subfamily Detarioideae of the legumes. The only species is the Anjan, ''Hardwickia binata'', a tree which is native to India, and which grows to height of 25-30 meters. This plant genu ...

'', ''

Sapindus emarginatus ''Sapindus'' is a genus of about five to twelve species of shrubs and small trees in the lychee family, Sapindaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the world. The genus includes both deciduous and evergreen species. Members of ...

'' and ''

Tamarindus indica Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the family Fabaceae. ...

''. These plots have become extremely thick in the past years, and the grassland has been converted to woodland. #Grazing land #Stony grazing land #Crop fields

Habitat utilization and preference by great Indian bustard

Maximum sightings of bustards are seen at pure grassland areas, and no bird is recorded in dense woodlots. Bustards prefer wide open short grass plains and open scrubland with scattered trees. Bustards need open habitat for the following purposes: *Nesting *Display *Foraging *Roosting

Need for habitat management

Some of the areas like Nannaj 10 ha (close to mardi, 100 hectare) and Karamba (also close to Mardi, 50 hectare) were planted with exotic plant species like ''

'', ''

''. Because of the dense growth of weeds like ''

Hyptis suaveolens ''Mesosphaerum suaveolens'', synonym ''Hyptis suaveolens'', the pignut or chan, is a branching pseudocereal plant native to tropical regions of Mexico, Central, the West Indies, and South America, as well as being naturalized in tropical parts ...

'' and ''

Lantana camara ''Lantana camara'' (common lantana) is a species of flowering plant within the verbena family (Verbenaceae), native to the American tropics. It is a very adaptable species, which can inhabit a wide variety of ecosystems; once it has been introduc ...

'', these areas became dense woodlands. Pictures taken from Google Earth effectively shows how dramatically habitat has changed from scrubland and grassland to dense woodland. The idea of no tree plantain proposed by some and other are not proper there has to be some trees which are not tall and there has to be the proper grassland so that the bird can hide and fly. If the camouflage is not there the bird has chance to fall prey to poachers.

Recommendations

*No tree planting - It is believed to be better to have less trees or bushes in the core areas than to have too many of them. *Maintenance of grassland - very thick and dense grasses are not preferred by bustards. In such cases thinning, cutting would be useful to maintain the grassland at the optimum suitability for the bustards. These recommendations were included in management plan of the sanctuary but nothing much was done for the management of grasslands in Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary, Nannaj, Solapur.

Removal of trees by the forest department

With reference to above recommendations in the management plan, Forest Department (Wildlife Division) Pune submitted a proposal to PCCF Maharashtra in 2006 for the uprooting and cutting of trees like ''

Gliricidia ''Gliricidia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae and tribe Robinieae. Its native range is Mexico to Peru, but ''Gliricidia sepium'' has been widely introduced to other tropical zones. The species ''G. sepium'' is a sm ...

'' and ''

Lantana ''Lantana'' () is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in ...

'' in Nannaj and Karamba areas. With allotments of funds, actual work started in March 2008 under the guidance of Conservator of Forest (Wildlife Division) Pune Dr. Y L P Rao. Total 25 hectares of land was cleared out of trees, of which 10 hectares at Nannaj 10 ha area (near Kale Talav) and 15 hectares at Karamba (near Mardi 50 hectare). Trees like ''Gliricidia'', ''

Neem ''Azadirachta indica'', commonly known as neem, nimtree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus ''Azadirachta'', and is native to the Indian subcontinent and most of the countries in Afr ...

'' and ''Lantana'' were cut and then uprooted so as to prevent their regrowth. A total of 15,240 trees were uprooted from 25 hectares of land. On 15 August 2009, an observer saw one male great Indian bustard in the newly opened Nannaj 10 (Near Kale Talav) plot. The bustard was seen foraging and the observer continued to observe the bird for about 45 minutes in 10 ha (from 7:15 to 8:00 am). Then the bustard crossed the TCM by walking and entered the Mardi 100 hectare area. The following species of birds have been observed in newly opened areas: *

Great Indian bustard The great Indian bustard (''Ardeotis nigriceps'') or Indian bustard, is a bustard found on the Indian subcontinent. A large bird with a horizontal body and long bare legs, giving it an ostrich like appearance, this bird is among the heaviest of t ...

(''Ardeotis nigriceps'') * Indian bushlark (''Mirafra erythroptera'') *

Ashy-crowned sparrow-lark The ashy-crowned sparrow-lark (''Eremopterix griseus'') is a small sparrow-sized member of the lark family. It is found in the plains in open land with bare ground, grass and scrub across South Asia. The males are well marked with a contrasting b ...

(''Eremopterix grisea'') *

Rufous-tailed lark The rufous-tailed lark (''Ammomanes phoenicura''), also sometimes called the rufous-tailed finch-lark, is a ground bird found in the drier open stony habitats of India and parts of Pakistan. Like other species in the genus it has a large finch-li ...

(''Ammomanes phoenicurus'') *

Southern grey shrike The southern grey shrike is a former species of shrike that has been split or reassigned to the following: * some southern subspecies of the great grey shrike, ''Lanius excubitor'' * Iberian grey shrike The Iberian grey shrike (''Lanius meridion ...

(''Lanius meridionalis'') *

Yellow-wattled lapwing The yellow-wattled lapwing (''Vanellus malabaricus'') is a lapwing that is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent. It is found mainly on the dry plains of peninsular India and has a sharp call and is capable of fast flight. Although they do not migr ...

(''Vanellus malabaricus'') *

Red-necked falcon The red-necked falcon (''Falco chicquera'') is a bird of prey in the falcon family with two disjunct populations, one in India and the other in Africa. This medium-sized falcon has bluish grey wings and upper body, a chestnut red cap with short c ...

(''Falco chicquera'') *

White-eyed buzzard The white-eyed buzzard (''Butastur teesa'') is a medium-sized hawk, distinct from the true buzzards in the genus ''Buteo'', found in South Asia. Adults have a rufous tail, a distinctive white iris, and a white throat bearing a dark mesial stripe ...

(''Butastur teesa'') *

Rock bush quail The rock bush quail (''Perdicula argoondah'') is a species of quail found in parts of peninsular India. It is a common species with a wide range and the IUCN has rated it as being of "least concern". Taxonomy and systematics There are three r ...

(''Perdicula argoondah'') *

Barred buttonquail The barred buttonquail or common bustard-quail (''Turnix suscitator'') is a buttonquail, one of a small family of birds which resemble, but are closely related to, the true quails. This species is resident from India across tropical Asia to south ...

(''Turnix suscitator'') *

Grey francolin The grey francolin (''Ortygornis pondicerianus''), also known as "manu moa" or "chicken bird", is a species of francolin found in the plains and drier parts of the Indian subcontinent and Iran. This species was formerly also called the grey partr ...

(''Francolinus pondicerianus'') *

Eurasian collared dove The Eurasian collared dove (''Streptopelia decaocto'') is a dove species native to Europe and Asia; it was introduced to Japan, North America and islands in the Caribbean. Because of its vast global range and increasing population trend, it ha ...

(''Streptopelia decaocto'') *

Pied bushchat The pied bush chat (''Saxicola caprata'') is a small passerine bird found ranging from West Asia and Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. About sixteen subspecies are recognized through its wide range with many island forms ...

(''Saxicola caprata'') * Common myna (''Acridotheres tristis'') *

Large grey babbler The large gray babbler (''Argya malcolmi'') is a member of the family Leiothrichidae found across India and far western Nepal. They are locally common in the scrub, open forest and gardenland. They are usually seen in small groups and are easily ...

(''Turdoides malcolmi'') *

Indian silverbill The Indian silverbill or white-throated munia (''Euodice malabarica'') is a small passerine bird found in the Indian Subcontinent and adjoining regions that was formerly considered to include the closely related African silverbill (''Euodice cant ...

(''Lonchura malabarica'') A majority of the above-mentioned species are grassland birds. These observations suggest the acceptance of newly opened habitat by great Indian bustard and also by various other bird species. The Forest Department has proposed to uproot about more 5,244 trees in Mardi, Akolekati and Karamba plots. This will help in restoration of proper habitat for bustards.

References

* Ali & Ripley S. D.(1969) : Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan, Vol 2 pp 188–201, Oxford University Press, Delhi. * B S KulkarniEcology and Behaviour of Great Indian Bustard BNHS Journal VOl 78(2) Dt - 28-8-81 pages 375-77 * Manakadan, R & Rahamani A. R. (1986) : Study of Ecology of certain Endangered Species of Wildlife and their Habitat: the Great Indian Bustard. Annual report No 3, Pp 100. Bombay Natural History Society. * Asad R Rahmani, Ranjit Mankadan (1988) : Bustard Sanctuaries of India, Strategies for their conservation and management, Technical report No. 13, Pp 40. BNHS. * Asad R Rahamani, The Great Indian Bustard, Final Report (1989), pp 234. Bombay Natural History Society * Islam, M. Z. and Rahmani A. R. Threatened birds of India, BUCEROS, Vol 7. No.1& 2. (2002). Compiled from Threatened Birds of Asia. BirdLife International Red Data Book (2001). Cambridge,U.K. : BirdLife International. * Rahmani, A.R. (2002). Protection of Nannaj Bustard area, Solapur Maharashtra. Pp 9. BNHS.IBCN,Mumbai. * Shendre, N (2002), Management Plan Great IndianBustard Sanctuary, Maharashtra. Government of Maharashtra. * Islam, M.Z. and Rahmani A.R. (2004) Important Bird Areas in India : Priority Sites for Conservation. IBCN, BNHS, BirdLife International U K. Pp xviii + 1133 * Rahmani, A R, (2006), Need to start Project Bustard. Pp 20. BNHS. * Government of India Task force on Grassland and Deserts Report. (2006), Planning Commission. New Delhi. Pp 32. Much of the article is based on the following report: http://www.kolkatabirds.com/bustardhabitat.htm {{Authority control Wildlife sanctuaries in Maharashtra Environment of Maharashtra Tourist attractions in Solapur district 1979 establishments in Maharashtra

Data on the sanctuary

Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) Plots

Habitat types in Nannaj plots

Habitat utilization and preference by great Indian bustard

Need for habitat management

Recommendations

Removal of trees by the forest department

See also

References