Lesser Florican

In my previous posts, I have talked about the Bengal Florican and the Great Indian Bustard. In this post, I will be talking about the last member of the trio, the Lesser Florican. 

The Lesser Florican may be mistaken by some people to be the Bengal Florican but the two birds actually have some differences in their appearences. These birds have much slimmer necks and stand out mostly due to their crests. This critically endangered bird mainly inhabits the grasslands of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Nepal (during the Summer). It is known in various names in different places such as 'Kharmor', meaning grass peacock, in Gujarat and 'Likh' in Nepal. It feeds mainly on dung beatles, insects, shoots, berries and more. However, habitat loss is posing as one of the major threats to these birds, mostly because in India, there is a lack of national policies for grassland ecosystems. Also, even though poaching is illegal, hunting still continues, mainly in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. This occurs mostly during the mating season of these birds, when the males show of their athleticism (much like Bengal Floricans) to attract the attention of females. Pesticides also harm these birds as they feed on insects and sometimes on crops. All these factors are leading to the decrease in the Lesser Florican's population, with approximately 2,500 individuals worldwide.

I request all the readers to share this information to contribute to the Kharmor's protection and never forget to stay athletic even in tough times like this amazing bird!


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