Great Indian Bustard faces habitat loss, new study warns

A 2026 study by the Wildlife Institute of India, published in PLoS One on August 14, has found that the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) now has suitable habitat across just 48,000 sq km, or 6.6 percent, of the Deccan landscape. The study, which used GPS telemetry from three tagged birds and extensive field surveys, identified 16 priority conservation areas covering about 18,000 sq km, mostly in Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The Times of India reports that Maharashtra has the largest share of suitable habitat at 7.4 percent, followed by Telangana at 5.5 percent and Karnataka at 4.4 percent. Priority areas are dominated by current fallows (28.6 percent), kharif crops (24.3 percent) and grasslands (11.6 percent). The warmest-quarter precipitation emerged as the strongest predictor of suitable habitat, contributing 40.3 percent to the model.

The GIB population in the Deccan region has collapsed from an estimated 200-390 birds in 1989 to fewer than eight birds in Maharashtra by 2017. The study identifies conversion of grasslands, intensive cotton and sugarcane farming, powerlines, roads, and pesticide use as major threats. It recommends conserving human-used grassland-farmland mosaics alongside captive breeding and future reintroduction efforts.