Bengal Florican

Bengal Florican

The Bengal florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis), also called Bengal bustard, is a very rare bustard species from the Indian subcontinent, with a smaller separate population in Southeast Asia.

This threatened species is now almost extinct; probably fewer than 1,000 and perhaps as few as 500 adult birds are still alive.

Adult Bengal floricans range from 66–68 cm (26–27 in) in length and stand around 55 cm (22 in) tall.The male has black plumage from the head and neck to underparts. Females are larger than the males and have a buff-brown colour similar to the males' back.

It has two distinct populations, one in the Indian subcontinent, another in Southeast Asia. The former occurs from Uttar Pradesh (India) through the Terai of Nepalto Assam (where it is called ulu mora) and Arunachal Pradesh in India, and historically to Bangladesh.

Restricted to tiny fragments of grassland scattered across South and Southeast Asia, the Bengal florican is the world's rarest bustard.

It is known to have become increasingly threatened by land conversion for intensive agriculture, particularly for dry season rice production.

 Poaching continues to be a problem in Southeast Asia, while the South Asian population is down to less than 350 adult birds, about 85% of which are found in India.