Environment & EcologyArticle 11 of 13

Three more Great Indian Bustard chicks hatch under Project GIB in Rajasthan

Monday, 15 June 2026· 5 min read·Source: The Times of India

Three more Great Indian Bustard (GIB) chicks have hatched in Rajasthan under Project GIB, taking the conservation-breeding population to 94, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced around June 14-15, 2026. The three chicks came from one wild-collected egg and two captive-laid eggs, with this being part of a 'jumpstart intervention' to improve founder genetic diversity and reduce predation risk. The total chicks hatched in the fourth year of captive breeding reached 26. The GIB, found mainly in Rajasthan, is a critically endangered bird and the focus of intensive conservation amid threats from habitat loss and power lines.

Key Facts & Details

8 points

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Three more GIB chicks hatched in Rajasthan under Project GIB.
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The conservation-breeding population rose to 94 birds.
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The chicks came from one wild-collected and two captive-laid eggs.
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It is part of a 'jumpstart intervention' for genetic diversity.
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Announced by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.

Deep Dive

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The Great Indian Bustard is one of the world's most critically endangered birds.
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Power transmission lines are a major cause of GIB deaths through collisions.
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Captive-breeding centres in Rajasthan are central to reviving the species.

Exam Focus

Project GIB, which added three more chicks in June 2026, relates to the conservation of which bird?

Exam Relevance & Angle

Conservation of flagship endangered species like the GIB is environment GA, tested on the species, its status and the state (Rajasthan).

Target Exams

SBI POSBI ClerkIBPS POIBPS ClerkIBPS RRB OfficerIBPS RRB AssistantRBI Grade BNABARD Grade ASSC CGLSSC CHSLSSC CPORRB NTPCLIC AAOUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

The Great Indian Bustard (GIB), India's heaviest flying bird, is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with a wild population reduced to a small number found mainly in Rajasthan (Desert National Park) and parts of Gujarat. Major threats include habitat loss and collisions with overhead power lines. Project GIB and conservation-breeding centres run by the Wildlife Institute of India and Rajasthan forest department aim to breed birds in captivity and reintroduce them. The species is also a state bird of Rajasthan and a focus of Supreme Court directions on undergrounding power lines in its habitat.