Status of the Lesser Florican Sypheotides indicus and implications for its conservation

Abstract

Lesser Florican (Sypheotides indicus) is an endangered agro-grassland bird whose ecology and status are poorly known that impedes conservation efforts. To fill this gap, a national status survey was designed by the Endangered Species Recovery Program of Wildlife Institute of India and was jointly implemented with Bombay Natural History Society, The Corbett Foundation and State Forest Departments across the species’ breeding range. This report documents the methodology of this exercise, and presents its findings on lesser florican’s distribution, abundance, habitat relationships, threats and their implications for conservation.2. We delineated lesser florican’ breeding range using informed digitization with the aid of MaxEnt distribution model, and inputs from local experts.We assessed the species’ status based on displaying males, using spatially representative sampling and analytical design that accounted for imperfect detection. Our assessment used hurdle modeling approach, where we: a) first estimated the species’ occupancy in 36 sq km cells using vehicle observation points (stop-overs), and b) estimated the species’ abundance at detected sites (subset of occupied sites) using line transect distance sampling. c) quantified habitat characteristics (land cover, vegetation structure and anthropogenic pressures) systematically along occupancy and distance surveys. d) explored and developed statistical relationships between habitat covariates and occupancy/abundance. e) mapped the species’ distribution, local densities and threats, to generate conservation priority map. We drew inferences at the scale of breeding range and eco-geographically defined regions and landscapes (Ajmer: Shokaliya-Kekri; Rest of Rajasthan : Shahpura, Jalore, Pratapgarh; Gujarat: Kutch, Saurashtra; Madhya Pradesh: Ratlam; Maharashtra: Akola-Washim). 3. The status survey was conducted during the breeding season (July– September, 2017) with a team of 121 observers, who were trained on the standard data collection protocol through state-level workshops at Bhavnagar, Ujjain, Ajmer and Akola. Lesser florican occupancy was assessed at 428 sites (36 sq km) spread across ~20,000 sq km range, using 5564 stop-overs, and density was assessed in 32 sites (where the species was detected) using 479 km transect-walks that yielded 70 sightings (64 males, 6 females).