A rare sighting of the endangered Great Indian Bustard has been recorded in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert, with fresh photographs confirming the bird’s continued presence in the region.
Renowned Pakistani wildlife photographer Syed Rizwan Mehmood shared new images of the elusive bird on social media platform X, showing six Great Indian Bustards captured in their natural habitat. He described the sighting as one of the rarest wildlife documentation moments in Pakistan.
Rare video from Cholistan desert showing mating foreplay among critically endangered Great Indian Bustards - also rare sound male GIB makes before mating (5 & 24 second)
— Syed Rizwan Mehboob (@syedrizwanmehb1) July 21, 2025
Dance, calls,unison & parting of lovers❤️
(Apologies for my shaking hands,as I was hid in a thorny bush🙏) pic.twitter.com/33wm2b5d62
The photographs, taken on July 20, include what is believed to be the first-ever visual record of the species' pre-breeding behavior in Pakistan's Cholistan region. Last year, five birds and a chick were spotted in the same area.
This year's sighting of six bustards confirms the existence of a small but stable and possibly breeding population of the critically endangered species within Pakistan’s borders.
