Distribution, Status and Conservation of Lesser Florican Sypheotides indicus in Rajasthan

Abstract

This chapter aptly describes the ecology, habitat and potential threats to the grassland bird, Lesser Florican, based on surveys conducted by the author during 1994–1996 in various districts of Rajasthan. Lesser Florican belongs to family Otididae of bustards, and all the three endemic bustard species of India are endangered. Eleven per cent of the land area of Rajasthan provides grassland and cropland as the most suitable habitat for this bird. The Lesser Florican is a monsoon visitor to central and southern Rajasthan inhabiting the districts of Nagour, Ajmer, Tonk, Bhilwara and Chittourgarh. In the south–east Rajasthan, it has been reported from Kota, Baran and Jhalawar districts. Sawai Madhopur district has also been shown as an ideal habitat. The post-breeding movement of Lesser Florican is not very well understood. In the name of sport, this graceful bird was shot in large numbers all over its distributional range. Its innocent habit of performing an aerial display to achieve conjugal bliss by attracting future mate has been its undoing despite its protected status. In Rajasthan, the annual cycle of sheep migration from west to east and back takes a heavy toll on the grassland ecosystem. According to Birdlife International, the estimated number of Lesser Florican in India was as low as 2206 in 1994, and since then, very little work has been done to assess its status. This chapter also mentions about grassland management practices in Rajasthan. The protection of government-owned and private grasslands has been recommended by the author to improve the fate of this endangered bird which in turn helps the rural population dependent solely on the domestic livestock for livelihood.