Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis

(Gmelin, 1789)

( Photo source: BNHS Library)

Classification

Kingdom :	Animalia
Phylum :	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order :	Gruiformes
Family :	Otididae
Genus :	Houbaropsis
Species :	H. bengalensis
Zoological name :	Houbaropsis bengalensis (Eupodotis bengalensis)

Vernacular names:

Hindi: Charas, Charg, Charat, Ben: Dahar, Terai: M:Ablak, F:Bor, Ass: Ulu marai, Cachar: Dao tiriling

Identification characteristics:

A typical bustard with longish bare legs and horizontal carriage of body.

Male: Moppy crested head, neck and underparts velvety jet black. It has back buffy brown, heavily mottled and vermiculated and with bold black arrowhead marks. Bird has exposed part of closed wings showing up as a glistening white patch. In flight large size, outstretched neck, legs tucked under body, and conspicuous black and white plumage make its identity unmistakable.

Female & male (first plumage): Overall rufous-buff and sandy-buff, mottled with black on back with bold arrowhead marks. No white patch on wings. Crown of head dark brown with a bold stuff coronal streak or ‘centre parting’.

Young (immature) male: It is like adult or semi-adult plumage at the first spring moult, but often reverts to the juvenile plumage the following autumn. Once fully acquired the adult male plumage is retained in all season.

Habitat:

It inhabits lowland dry, or seasonally inundated, natural and semi-natural grasslands, often interspersed with scattered scrub or patchy open forest. Most Indian populations appear to be resident. In Cambodia it is known to make relatively local seasonal movements, in response to the flooding regime of the Tonle Sap lake: in the dry season, the species breeds in grasslands in the inundation zone of the lake; it then moves to nearby open forest areas during the wet season.

Distribution:

Assam, East Pakistan, Duars and Terai of Bhutan, Bengal, Nepal and Kumaon, west to about the Jumna (Yamuna) river. Bird is commonest in Assam valley from about the Mishmis east of Sadiya westward to the Manas River, chiefly north of Bramhaputra in the extensive grassland and chaurs going right into the Bhutan and NEFA foothills. Rare south of Brahmaputra valley; stranglers obtained in Tippera and Chittagaon; absent in Manipur. Bird is less common, rare, or a straggler west of the Manas in Nepal and Kumaon terai.

Habits:

Not gregarious. Keep in widely spaced solos, sometimes 4-8 birds thus in a restricted vicinity. It feeds out in fairly open short grassland or burnt patches in the early morning and evening, retiring into thicker cover as the morning advances. The sexes also keep more or less segregated, male and females usually to different patches. Very wary in open country, but in all concealing grass lies low and flushes only when within few meters. Flies long distance at grass top height when flushed and runs on speedily upon alighting so that the bird has moved a long way off by the time the observer reaches the spot. Flight like bustard, by rhythmic strokes of the broad wings, neck outstretched and legs and feet tucked under body – not trailing behind as in a stork or crane.

Food:

It has a varied diet, feeding on insects, grasshoppers, beetles, ants, occasionally lizards and small snakes, and grasses, flowers, shoots, berries and seeds. The proportion of these various food items varies depending on their availability, so that plant matter dominates in winter and spring, while invertebrate prey becomes more important in summer.

Breeding:

Bengal Floricans perform elaborate displays during the breeding season, which extends from March to June. Within a patch of short grass in the centre of their territory the male will fly three to four metres into the air, descend, and then rise again before diving to the ground. This exaggerated flying display is accompanied by chik chik chik calls and loud wing clapping. In addition to these striking aerial shows, which are typically performed at dawn and dusk, a standing display with its neck feathers fluffed up, and a walking and head pumping display are also part of the Bengal florican’s courtship repertoire.

Threat to bird:

The key threat is extensive loss and modification of grasslands through drainage, conversion to agriculture, overgrazing, inappropriate cutting and burning regimes and heavy flooding. In particular, the spread of dry season rice cultivation in Cambodia is rapidly converting existing grassland habitat. Excessive hunting for sport and food may have triggered its decline, and continues to be a serious threat, especially in Cambodia. At least in South Asia, most populations are small, isolated and vulnerable to local extirpation. Other threats may include human disturbance and trampling of nests by livestock. Detailed research into the species's ecology in Cambodia demonstrated weak effects of human disturbance, and that annual burning is important, supporting the idea that community-based grassland management maintaining traditional practices will benefit Bengal Floricans: this has implications for the species's maintenance in South Asia where remaining (and declining) populations are largely confined to strict protected areas where such practices may not be occurring.

Conservation measures:

Several populations occur within protected areas, the most important being Chitwan National Park, Royal Bardia National Park and Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve, Nepal, Kaziranga, Dibru-Saikhowa and Dudwa National Parks, India. In South-East Asia a tiny population may still remain at Tram Chim National Park, Vietnam, and another at Ang Trapeang Thmor Sarus Crane Conservation Area, Cambodia. A PhD research project investigating movements and habitat requirements in the non-breeding season began in 2007 and a number of birds have been fitted with satellite or radio transmitters. The Wildlife Conservation Society, BirdLife International and their government partners are currently engaged in a programme of conservation activities in the Tonle Sap floodplain of Cambodia, aimed at reducing habitat loss and hunting pressure on the species⁵. Recent achievements include the designation of over 350 km² of Bengal Florican habitat as 'Integrated Farming and Biodiversity Areas' (IFBAs). Work is on-going to establish effective management structures for these areas and build constituencies of support for their conservation among local stakeholders. These activities appear to be having some early success in arresting the rapid decline of the species in Cambodia, but their long-term outcome remains to be seen. As part of the BirdLife International Preventing Extinctions Programme Species Guardian Seng Kim Hout is leading on implementing the following actions in Cambodia: 1. Five IFBAs have been created by Provincial Declaration (Deikas), and two new IFBAs (Trea-sameaki and Toul Kruel- Panheum) have been agreed by the Kampong Thom provincial authorities, however one of the five existing IFBAs was removed from the IFBA network system by Kampong Thom IFBA provincial committee. 2. In Siem Reap Province an IFBA commission has been established. Official patrol teams are now operating in Kampong Thom and Siem Reap, and a monthly patrol reporting system is now in place. 3. An in-depth socio-economic study has been conducted by the Centre d'Etude et de Développement Agricole Cambodgien (CEDAC). The report highlights the economic benefits local communities derive through the traditional use of grasslands and will be used to build support among key decision makers and local communities. 4. An IFBA awareness programme covering 71 villages and over 3,200 people is underway. A series of meetings has been held explaining IFBAs, the Provincial Declaration (Deika), and other relevant laws, such as the Land, Forest and Fisheries laws. Five thousand exercise books containing information on the Bengal Florican and IFBAs have been produced and will be distributed to children and young adults at future meetings.

Conservation measures proposed:

Research on understanding Bengal Florican breeding productivity and habitat utilisation.
Development of monitoring protocols for florican densities, habitat extent and human use in the proposed Integrated Farming and Biodiversity Areas (IFBAs).
IFBA and protected area management regime design and management planning including appropriate rotational burning, grazing and cutting.
Advocate support for IFBA conservation and promote grassland conservation awareness initiatives in all range countries.
Continue surveys for populations, particularly in Banteay Meanchey, Battambang and Pursat provinces, Cambodia, and Koshi Tappu and Koshi Barrage Wildlife Reserves, Nepal.
Monitor known populations. Manage grasslands using a prescribed burning regime, limiting grazing pressure and preventing scrub encroachment as well as keeping human disturbance and hunting pressure to a minimum where possible.
Train park staff in protected areas to monitor the population, educate local people and manage the grassland ecosystem.
Extend, upgrade and link protected areas in India and Nepal, and establish new ones.
Devise and promote a conservation strategy for all bustards in India.

Photo gallery:

From OBI: http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?action=searchresult&Bird_ID=828
From Arkive: http://www.arkive.org/bengal-florican/houbaropsis-bengalensis/image-G58674.html

Information compiled from:

Internet sites:

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=2782&m=0

Book:

Ali, S. & S.D. Ripley (1987) Birds of India and Pakistan – Together with those of Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, Handbook Vol. 2: 194-195 (Sp. No. 356)