Great Indian Bustard:  Ardeotis nigriceps

Etymology

• Ardeotis: Ardea – heron ; Otis – Bustard
• Nigriceps : Niger- black ; Ceps- head { black headed}

Vernacular name :   Sind: Gurahna, Garumba, Hindi: Sohan, Gughunbher, Hukna, Godawan, Sonchidi, Raj: Godawan, Nahar Goonjni, Gunjam, Gujaran, Pun: Tuqdar, Gurayin, M.P.: Sonchirya, Hank, Hookan, Serailu, Bherar, Guj: Ghorar, Ghorad, Kutch: Gudad, Mar: Maldhok, Ta: Kanal mayil, Te: Battameka pakshi, Kan: Yerreladdu, Doravayana/Heri/Arlkujina hakki

Distribution in India: Once found all over India Currently restricted largely to North West India in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

Description:  Size of male is 100–122 cm, wt. is 8000–14,500 g; female size is 76–92 cm, wt. is 3500–6750 g. It has an extensive black crown; legs are pale yellowish. It has broad black breastband, some black on thighs, and no distinct line behind eye  as black cap descends through eye. It tends to have less white on black wing patch. The non-breeding male has finely vermiculated grey neck and less voluminous plumes on breast. The female is smaller, with white supercilium below black crown, greyer, more distinctly barred neck without plumes and more rarely has breastband, which when present is typically broken, while the lower flanks and vent appear mostly white and has heavier white wing spotting and banding than male. In non-breeding season the crown is flecked with grey. Immature is  similar to female, but has buff spots on crown, hindneck and upper back, more heavily barred neck and breast, no dark breastband, lower flanks and vent is heavily barred, and outer primaries are brown and slightly banded

Habitat: It occurs in rolling grassland with tall vegetation, with or without scattered trees; but also found in open scrub, sandy semi-desert plains, broad pastures, marginal fields and lightly disturbed cultivation.

Food Habits It is an opportunistic eater, exploiting local and seasonal abundance. It eats grain, shoots and berries, locusts, grasshoppers, beetles, centipedes, lizards and small snakes and mammals. It forms small flocks in winter.

Breeding Habits: The breeding season is July-Sept .The displaying male inflates white-feathered gular pouch which almost reaches to ground, folds tail over back and struts about with drooped wings and head held high, periodically calling. The nest is a shallow, sometimes sparsely lined scrape. They lay a clutch of one egg. The incubation period is 27 days. The fledging period is 35–40 days, but young bird remains with female until start of next breeding season. Female will transport chick clasped under the wing.