In photos: The arid paradise that is Jaisalmer’s Desert National Park

Chinkaras are categorised under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Once found abundantly across a vast stretch of India’s arid and semi-arid grasslands, their population has declined alarmingly due to increased infrastructure development. The reasons for the Chinkara’s decline include changing cropping patterns, conversion of sandy hills into plain cultivated land and excessive use of chemical sprays on crops. Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE.

Sandgrouse are ground-dwelling birds restricted to savannahs and semi-deserts. They survive in some of the most arid climates on earth. Male Sandgrouse transport water back to the nest in an unusual but efficient way: they carry it in their feathers. This helps them quench their chick’s hunger. A sandgrouse can absorb and transfer around two tablespoons of water thanks to curled feathery extensions on the feathers of the underparts. Using their bills, the young sandgrouse milk their father’s belly feathers for the required water. Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE.

This huge short-tailed vulture, often known as the Eurasian Griffon, has keen vision and can detect an animal carcass while flying more than five kilometres away. The Mediterranean bordering countries, notably Spain and the nearby islands of Mallorca and Menorca, have the largest density of griffons. They are also common in the Middle East, Asia and north and sub-Saharan Africa. Young birds migrate and many spend the winter in Africa. Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE.

Steppe Eagles are seen in several regions in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. They can be spotted in various environments, including steppe grasslands, deserts, open savannas, semi-deserts, pastures, paddy fields, farmland, grasslands and open woodland. This nocturnal bird of prey is known to rest, roost, or assemble in groups in trees. In the winter, steppe eagles are typically seen in flocks of up to 100 birds, frequently in close proximity to other raptors, particularly Black Kites and Lesser-Spotted Eagles. Top predators, like the Steppe Eagle, are vital to maintaining the balance of their respective ecosystems and regulating prey species populations. Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE.