Aadya Thammaiah is an MSc. Wildlife Sciences graduate from the Wildlife Institute of India. She did her dissertation that focused on the Bengal Florican habitat. She is a strong advocate for interdisciplinary approaches to wildlife conservation and science. Outside of wildlife, she enjoys indulging in different kinds of art, trying new food, and reading murder mysteries.
The north-east of India stands as a unique biodiversity hotspot that harbours an array of captivating species, from reptiles to mammals and birds. One such remarkable bird is the critically endangered Bengal Florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis bengalensis), found in the grassland pockets of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Once widespread across the Himalayan foothills in the Terai grassland belt, spanning from Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal and into Bangladesh, its habitat and population have now dwindled drastically. Today, the Bengal Florican is confined to small populations in select protected areas in India, as well as in Cambodia and Nepal, with fewer than 400 individuals remaining in India.
A once popular game bird, the Bengal Florican remains enigmatic, with much still unknown about it. It is an intriguing species of the Bustard family of birds, one of three bustards found in India, that makes it a unique gem found in wet grasslands. It is described as being the size of a “small goose with longer legs,” and it showcases a striking form of sexual dimorphism—significant physical differences between males and females. Both sexes are cryptically coloured with mottled brown plumage during the non-mating season and are extremely difficult to spot. However, during the mating season, the males dramatically transform by developing a jet-black neck, head, and breast, along with black underparts. The back continues to be a mottled brown and they have a distinctive patch of white on their upper wings.
The Bengal Florican (PC: Aseem Kothiala)
What makes the Bengal Florican particularly fascinating is its remarkable display behavior, along with its ability to return to the same place, even after generations, to show off its ‘display’ skills. Males establish territories within grasslands during the breeding season, where they perform an aerial courtship display. They leap into the air in a parabolic motion, flashing their wings, which appear entirely white while flying, and puffing up their feathers on their head, neck, and breast. This dramatic display serves to signal their readiness to mate to nearby females, who are suspected to reside within these territories. Interestingly, this display is not only meant to attract females but also to warn other males in the area to not encroach into their established territory. Observing this behavior may offer a rare glimpse into the aggressive encounters that sometimes occur between males when one encroaches on another’s territory.
The Bengal Florican’s habitat preferences also make it unique. It relies on a mosaic of tall and short grasslands, with males using the shorter grasslands for their displays and the taller grasslands serving as resting and roosting grounds for females and their chicks. However, the bird’s reliance on this specific habitat combination places it in jeopardy as grasslands continue to face neglect and degradation. Once abundant, these birds are now threatened by hunting, frequent burning, invasive plants, and other human-made disturbances, pushing the Bengal Florican to the brink of extinction in the wild.
A deeply ingrained misconception that grasslands are “wastelands” continues to hinder effective conservation efforts. Though a few organizations and institutions are working tirelessly to protect both the grasslands and the species that depend on them, much more is needed. Targeted research, community engagement, education, and policies designed specifically for grassland ecosystems are critical to securing a future for the Bengal Florican and other at-risk species. Without urgent action, coupled with the ongoing decline and neglect of grasslands, the fate of the remaining few individuals of the Bengal Florican, along with other neglected yet fascinating species, remains uncertain.
