Pokhran’s ‘firefly bird diverters’ shine to save the Great Indian Bustard
- Posted By
10Pointer
- Categories
Environment
- Published
24th Dec, 2020
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Context
- The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) along with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) India has come up with a unique initiative- a “firefly bird diverter”.
What is this new initiative?
- A “firefly bird diverter” is used for overhead power lines in areas where Great Indian Bustard (GIB) populations are found in the wild.
- It is a model that has been endorsed by experts from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission’s (SSC) Bustard Specialist Group.
- The high-voltage transmission lines with multiple overhead wires, are the most important current threat for GIBs in the Thar region.
How does the diverter work?
- Firefly bird diverters are flaps installed on power lines.
- The diverters are called fireflies because they look like fireflies from a distance, shining on power lines in the night.
- They work as reflectors for bird species like the GIB.
- Birds can spot them from a distance of about 50 meters and change their path of flight to avoid collision with power lines.
Great Indian Bustard (GIB)
- GIB is one of the most critically threatened species in India, with less than 150 birds left in the wild.
- Two districts in Rajasthan — Jaisalmer and Barmer — have a breeding GIB population in the wild.
- The bird can also be found in very small numbers in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
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