The Great Indian Bustard is a large ground dwelling bird that is found in India. It has a long neck and long bare legs and is somewhat similar to the young Ostrich.
The male and female Great Indian Bustards are more or less similar in appearance although the male is deep sandy buff coloured. The crown of head is black and is crested. The female bird is smaller than the male bird and the head and neck are not pure white. The male is polygamous in nature. The female Great Indian Bustard lays a single egg in a year and incubates it for nearly twenty-seven days. Nests are found in the open ground and the male bird takes no part in incubation or bringing up the young birds. The bird usually lives in arid and semi arid grasslands. It lives amongst thorny bushes and tall grasses. The bird is omnivorous and feeds on grass, small shrubs, insects, rats, grams, groundnuts, millets etc. that varies from season to season.
In India, the Great Indian Bustard is found in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Ghatigaon and Karera sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh had a good population of Great Indian Bustard. However, there is no more of the species in Karera Wildlife Sanctuary.
