Vadodara: Over the last few days, an unexpected guest from Pakistan has been camping in Gujarat.
In a rare sighting in the state, Devvratsinh Mori, an ornithologist has photographed a male McQueen Bustard in the Little Rann of Gujarat.
Mori said, “This bird has a green-coloured tag on its leg which is the colour code of Pakistan. The International Fund for Houbara Conservation based in UAE breeds these bustards and then releases them in Pakistan and other neighbouring countries.”
“This bustard has flown in from Pakistan and was seen moving around alone for a long time. It is a very elusive bird and is usually spotted in north-western parts of India,” Mori said and added that the McQueen Bustard must be breeding on the Indo-Pak border.
This bird prefers arid or semi-desert regions and flat plains with dense vegetation. They feed on seeds, insects, cereal and berries. Mori said that this bustard is found in middle-east countries, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Mongolia and China. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed this bustard as ‘vulnerable’ as its population has been declining sharply over the last few decades.