Why in News: The latest IUCN Red List update (released October 10, 2025 at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, Abu Dhabi; widely discussed again in May 2026 as the ONE-policy implications surface in CSE’s SoE 2026) uplisted four Indian Open Natural Ecosystem birds: the Indian Courser, Indian Roller and Rufous-tailed Lark were moved from Least Concern to Near Threatened, and the Long-billed Grasshopper-warbler to Endangered. All four depend on Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) — grasslands, scrub, and semi-arid landscapes that remain under-protected under India’s colonial-era “wasteland” land-use classification.
About the IUCN Red List
- Established in 1964 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
- The world’s most comprehensive inventory of global conservation status
- IUCN founded: 1948 at Fontainebleau, France
- HQ: Gland, Switzerland
- Tracks ~167,000+ species (2025)
- Updated semi-annually
IUCN Red List Categories
| Code | Category |
|---|---|
| EX | Extinct |
| EW | Extinct in the Wild |
| CR | Critically Endangered |
| EN | Endangered |
| VU | Vulnerable |
| NT | Near Threatened |
| LC | Least Concern |
| DD | Data Deficient |
| NE | Not Evaluated |
Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs)
Definition
Non-forest natural habitats — grasslands, scrub, savannah, semi-arid landscapes, wetlands, deserts, and ravines.
Key Features
- Cover ~10% of India’s land area
- Host distinctive biodiversity — bustards, foxes, hyenas, gazelles
- Misclassified as “wastelands” since the colonial era
- Vulnerable to “afforestation” via tree-planting drives in the Aravallis and Banni grasslands
The Four Indian ONE Birds Uplisted in the Latest Red List Update
| Species | Scientific Name | Old Status | New Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Courser | Cursorius coromandelicus | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Indian Roller | Coracias benghalensis | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Rufous-tailed Lark | Ammomanes phoenicura | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Long-billed Grasshopper-warbler | Locustella major | Vulnerable | Endangered |
Drivers of decline: intensive agriculture, conversion of grassland to woodland under afforestation drives, electrocution and power-line collisions (especially the Indian Roller), invasive Lantana camara spread, and habitat loss in reedbeds and open scrub.
India’s Other Critically Endangered Grassland Birds
| Species | Scientific Name | Status | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Indian Bustard | Ardeotis nigriceps | CR | <150 individuals |
| Bengal Florican | Houbaropsis bengalensis | CR | Few hundred |
| Lesser Florican | Sypheotides indicus | CR | <750 individuals |
- All three are listed under CMS (Bonn) Convention Appendix I
- Found largely in Desert National Park (Rajasthan) and Kutch (Gujarat)
India’s Grassland Conservation Efforts
- Project Great Indian Bustard (2013) — led by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun
- Captive breeding centre at Sam, Jaisalmer (Rajasthan)
- Conservation breeding programme delivered its first chick in June 2019
- Powerline diversion measures in Rajasthan Desert NP and TN’s Karera
Lantana Camara — A Cross-Cutting Threat
- Invades scrub and grassland — the direct habitat of ONEs
- Affects ~13 million hectares across India
- Often discussed alongside ONE policy in CSE’s State of Environment Report 2026
Statutory Framework
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 — amended 2022
- Schedule I (highest protection): Great Indian Bustard, both Floricans
- Biological Diversity Act, 2002 — amended 2023
- National Wildlife Action Plan, 2017–2031
International Framework
- CITES — Appendix I/II listings for endangered species
- CMS (Bonn Convention) — Appendix I for migratory species
- Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) obligations
Comparable ONE Wildlife in India
| Species | Status in India |
|---|---|
| Caracal (Caracal caracal) | EN — extirpated from many states |
| Indian Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) | EN |
| Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena) | NT |
| Chinkara (Indian gazelle) | LC but declining |
| Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) | LC |
The “Wasteland Atlas” Problem
- Published by the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development
- Treats grasslands and scrublands as “wasteland”, incentivising “improvement” via afforestation
- This classification error lies at the root of the ONE crisis
Recent IUCN / CITES Decisions for India
- Indian Star Tortoise: moved from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I at CoP18 (Geneva, 2019)
- Pangolins (Indian and Chinese): Appendix I since 2017
- Asian Elephant: critically endangered in some range regions
Way Forward
- Reclassify ONEs as natural ecosystems, not wastelands
- Adopt a dedicated ONE Protection Framework, separate from forest law
- Halt blanket afforestation in semi-arid regions
- Strengthen Project Great Indian Bustard and powerline mitigation
- Scale community conservation — including the Cheetah reintroduction considerations for Banni grasslands
UPSC Relevance
- GS Paper 3: Environment, biodiversity, conservation
- GS Paper 1: Geography, ecosystems
- Prelims: IUCN founding year, Red List categories, GIB scientific name, CITES CoP18 decisions
- Mains: “India’s open natural ecosystems remain the blind spot of its conservation policy.” Critically examine.
Facts Corner:
- Latest IUCN Red List update: released October 10, 2025 at IUCN World Conservation Congress, Abu Dhabi (re-surfacing in May 2026 policy discourse)
- 12 Indian species reassessed: 4 uplisted (worsening), 8 downlisted
- 4 uplisted ONE birds: Indian Courser, Indian Roller, Rufous-tailed Lark → Near Threatened; Long-billed Grasshopper-warbler → Endangered
- IUCN founded: 1948 (Fontainebleau, France); HQ Gland, Switzerland
- IUCN Red List established: 1964
- Red List Categories: EX, EW, CR, EN, VU, NT, LC, DD, NE
- Great Indian Bustard: CR (<150 individuals)
- Bengal Florican: CR
- Lesser Florican: CR (<750)
- Project GIB launched: 2013 (WII Dehradun)
- Captive breeding centre: Sam, Jaisalmer
- First GIB chick hatched: June 2019
- Lantana camara invades: ~13 million hectares of India
- Indian Star Tortoise: moved CITES App II → App I at CoP18 Geneva 2019
- WLPA 1972 Schedule I includes GIB and Floricans
- CMS — Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn Convention)
- National Wildlife Action Plan 2017–2031
