The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) India has introduced an innovative solution called “firefly bird diverter” for overhead power lines in areas known for populations of Great Indian Bustard (GIB). This implementation is aimed at safeguarding these birds, which form one of the heaviest flying bird species in the world.
Firefly Bird Diverter: A Novel Initiative
Firefly bird diverters are essentially flaps affixed on power lines, designed to act as reflectors for birds like the GIB. With the help of these diverters, birds can detect power lines from a distance of approximately 50 meters, thus enabling them to alter their flight path to evade any possible collision. Smaller bird species can easily divert their route, yet it becomes challenging for larger species like GIBs due to their weight and other contributing factors. Named as fireflies, these diverters light up power lines during the night, causing them to appear like fireflies visible from a distance.
New Challenges for The Great Indian Bustard (GIB)
As indicated by a report from the MoEFCC, power lines, especially high-voltage lines with multiple overhead wires, pose a significant threat to the GIBs residing in the Thar region. These power lines have led to an unsustainable level of fatality amongst this bird species. In response to this issue, the Supreme Court of India recently ordered that power lines across GIB habitats should be installed underground to reduce this threat.
Understanding the Great Indian Bustard (GIB)
GIB is one of the world’s heaviest flying birds with the scientific name Ardeotis nigriceps. They prefer flat, open landscapes with minimum visual obstruction and disturbance such as grasslands. Most of the GIB population is centered around Rajasthan and Gujarat, with smaller communities in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
Protection of GIB
GIB is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They are also included in Appendix1 of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. In addition to this, GIB is part of the recovery program, under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate change’s Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats.
Threats to GIB Survival
Numerous challenges menace the survival of GIB, including collision/electrocution with power transmission lines, hunting (prevalent in Pakistan), irrigation and farming technology, mining activities, wind turbines, solar farms, and plantation of non-native shrub/tree species in deserts and grasslands under the guise of afforestation.
