Project Great Indian Bustard - PTI - 01/12/22

Context:
Coming to the rescue of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB), the Supreme Court recently mooted the idea of launching ‘Project GIB’ on the lines of ‘Project Tiger’, which was started in 1973 to save the big cats, and sought the government’s view on the proposal.
Relevance:
Prelims - Env & Eco
About Great Indian Bustard:
Common Name: Great Indian bustard
Scientific Name: Ardeotis nigriceps
Population: 200 individuals worldwide
Height: 100 cms or 1 metre
Length: Wingspan of 210-250 cm
Weight: 15-18 kg

Characteristics:
The body is brownish and the wings are marked with black, brown and grey.
Males and females generally grow to the same height and weight but males have larger black crowns and a black band across the breast.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION
-Historically, the great Indian bustard was distributed throughout Western India, spanning 11 states, as well as parts of Pakistan.
-Its stronghold was once the Thar desert in the north-west and the Deccan plateau of the peninsula.
Presently, its population is confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat.