Bengal Florican
Encyclopedia
The Bengal Florican also called Bengal Bustard, is a very rare bustard
species
from tropical southern Asia
. It is the only member of the genus
Houbaropsis. This threatened species is now almost extinct; probably less than 1,000 and perhaps as few as 500 adult birds are still alive.
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Adult Bengal Floricans range from 66 – in length. The male has black plumage
from the head and neck to underparts. Its head carries a long lanky crest, and the neck has elongated display plumes. The upperside is buff with fine black vermiculations and black arrowhead markings, and there is a conspicuous large white patch from the wing coverts to the remiges. In flight, the male's wings appear entirely white except for the dark primary remiges. The feet and legs are yellow, the bill and irides
are dark.
Females are larger than the males and have a buff-brown colour similar to the males' back, with a dark brown crown and narrow dark streaks down the side of the neck. Their wing coverts are lighter than the remiges and covered in fine dark barring. Immature birds look like females.
They are normally silent but when disturbed utters a metallic chik-chik-chik call. Displaying males croak and produce a strange deep humming.
The only bird even remotely similar to adult males of the Bengal Florican are their counterpart from the Lesser Florican
(Sypheotides indica). This is a smaller, slimmer-necked bustard
overall, and its males have cheek-tufts of plumes with pennant
-like tips rather than the crest, and a white band between neck and back. The females are similar, and young Bengal Floricans can be easily mistaken for female Lesser Floricans. The latter have almost white wing coverts however, resembling the males' wing patch.
, another in South East Asia. The former occurs from Uttar Pradesh
(India
) through the Terai
of Nepal
to Assam
(where it is called ulu mora) and Arunachal Pradesh
in India, and historically to Bangladesh
. The South East Asian population occurs in Cambodia
and perhaps adjacent southern Vietnam
. This species is mostly resident on its breeding grounds; around Tonle Sap
in Cambodia however, the birds use grasslands near the lake to breed, and move away from the water in the wet season
when the breeding grounds are flooded. Similarly, the Terai population seems to move to warmer lowland locations in winter. Migrations are not long-distance, however, and probably are restricted to a few dozen kilometers.
Bengal Floricans live in open tall grassland habitats with scattered bushes. The most important grass species are satintails (Imperata, in particular Cogongrass I. cylindrica), sugarcane
(Saccharum, in particular S. munja
and Kans Grass
S. spontaneum), as well as Desmostachya bipinnata
. The birds are usually encountered in the early mornings and evenings and are most easily spotted in the breeding season from March to August, which is when most census
es of the population
are conducted. Particular between March and May, when they give their stunning courtship display
, males are far more conspicuous than the cryptically
-coloured females, which moreover prefer high grassland rich in sugarcane.
. 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 Asia
n population is down to less than 350 adult birds, about 85% of which are found in India
. The stocks in Southeast Asia are in slightly better shape (though more threatened), numbering perhaps just as many as in South Asia but more probably closer to or even somewhat over 1,000 adults.
The population has decreased dramatically in past decades. It may be that in India the decline is coming to a halt and that stocks in Dibru-Saikhowa
and Kaziranga National Park
s and Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
are safe at very low levels. Still, its global status is precarious and it was consequently uplisted from Endangered to Critically Endangered
in the 2007 IUCN Red List
.
In Cambodia
, it is mostly found in Kampong Thom Province; lesser numbers are found in Siem Reap Province and remnants might persist in Banteay Meanchey, Battambang
and Pursat Provinces. Its rate of decline there has, if anything, accelerated in the early 21st century, and the bird's numbers in Southeast Asia might plummet to effective extinction
in the early 2010s. The government of Cambodia has taken a significant step towards protecting important habitat for the Bengal Florican. In an effort to save this endangered flagship species from extinction,,otre than 350 square kilometers have been designated as "Integrated Farming and Biodiversity Areas", where land-use practices are adapted that also benefit the Bengal Florican (see below). A public education
program to inform schoolchildren about the bird has also been undertaken. At present, the species may persist in the Ang Trapaing Thmor Crane Sanctuary and perhaps Vietnam
's Tram Chim National Park
, but the South Asian population is not known with certainty from any protected area
s.
In Nepal
, it is essentially restricted to protected areas, namely Chitwan and Bardia National Parks and Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve
, maybe in Koshi Tappu
and around Koshi Barrage
, where its continuing presence as a resident breeder is uncertain. Only the Suklaphanta population has been stable – between about 15 and 20 adults – since the 1980s. The initially larger Chitwan population has been declining at a low rate in the last decades: 8-19 birds were estimated to be present in 1982, but only 10-14 in 2007. The small Bardia population consisted of 8-9 males in 1982, but only 2-4 were sighted in 2007. The small Bardia population might have disappeared entirely around 2008
To prevent global extinction of this unique bird, several biologist
s are studying its ecology and devising ways how the birds and the local population can coexist. The spectacular courtship display of males has been discussed by many naturalist
s traveling British India, and in our time attracts tourists who provide revenue to locals. Among the most significant results of the scientific study of the Bengal Florican was the realization that it is not a particularly shy or hemerophobic species, its apparent intolerance of human settlements being chiefly due to its intolerance of land clearance for agriculture. Pasture
s and the traditional use of common land
for villagers' tall-grass harvest (for construction and handicraft) actually seem to be tolerated quite well by the birds.
If firewood
and timber
is collected from grassland rather than from forests, human land use will even benefit the species. In particularly Sal (Shorea robusta) and Saj
(Terminalia elliptica) have been identified as trees that encroach upon the florican's habitat in Nepal, and its decline in Bardia National Park is probably chiefly due to insufficient use of trees that overgrow grassland. A sustainable land-management technique that will bolster Bengal Florican stocks consists of harvesting grass and particularly wood from changing tracts of land, leaving some areas unharvested each year and setting aside a few additional ones as reserve land, where grasses can grow tall for years until they are harvested. Controlled burning may be necessary when woodland encroachment is strong; it should take place before March, so that the year's offspring are not harmed.
Bustard
Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
from tropical southern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. It is the only member of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Houbaropsis. This threatened species is now almost extinct; probably less than 1,000 and perhaps as few as 500 adult birds are still alive.
Description
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
from the head and neck to underparts. Its head carries a long lanky crest, and the neck has elongated display plumes. The upperside is buff with fine black vermiculations and black arrowhead markings, and there is a conspicuous large white patch from the wing coverts to the remiges. In flight, the male's wings appear entirely white except for the dark primary remiges. The feet and legs are yellow, the bill and irides
Iris (anatomy)
The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel , grey, violet, or even pink...
are dark.
Females are larger than the males and have a buff-brown colour similar to the males' back, with a dark brown crown and narrow dark streaks down the side of the neck. Their wing coverts are lighter than the remiges and covered in fine dark barring. Immature birds look like females.
They are normally silent but when disturbed utters a metallic chik-chik-chik call. Displaying males croak and produce a strange deep humming.
The only bird even remotely similar to adult males of the Bengal Florican are their counterpart from the Lesser Florican
Lesser Florican
The Lesser Florican , also known as the Likh, is a large bird in the bustard family and the only member of the genus Sypheotides. It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent where it is found in tall grasslands and is best known for the leaping breeding displays made by the males during the Monsoon...
(Sypheotides indica). This is a smaller, slimmer-necked bustard
Bustard
Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World...
overall, and its males have cheek-tufts of plumes with pennant
Pennon
A pennon was one of the principal three varieties of flags carried during the Middle Ages . Pennoncells and streamers or pendants are considered as minor varieties of this style of flag. The pennon is a flag resembling the guidon in shape, but only half the size...
-like tips rather than the crest, and a white band between neck and back. The females are similar, and young Bengal Floricans can be easily mistaken for female Lesser Floricans. The latter have almost white wing coverts however, resembling the males' wing patch.
Distribution and ecology
It has two disjunct populations, one in the Indian subcontinentIndian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
, another in South East Asia. The former occurs from Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
(India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) through the Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
to Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
(where it is called ulu mora) and Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
in India, and historically to Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. The South East Asian population occurs in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and perhaps adjacent southern Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. This species is mostly resident on its breeding grounds; around Tonle Sap
Tonlé Sap
The Tonlé Sap is a combined lake and river system of major importance to Cambodia.The Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is an ecological hot spot that was designated as a UNESCO biosphere in 1997....
in Cambodia however, the birds use grasslands near the lake to breed, and move away from the water in the wet season
Wet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
when the breeding grounds are flooded. Similarly, the Terai population seems to move to warmer lowland locations in winter. Migrations are not long-distance, however, and probably are restricted to a few dozen kilometers.
Bengal Floricans live in open tall grassland habitats with scattered bushes. The most important grass species are satintails (Imperata, in particular Cogongrass I. cylindrica), sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
(Saccharum, in particular S. munja
Saccharum munja
Saccharum munja, known as munja is a grass found in arid areas and along river banks in India. it belongs to the family Gramineae. It grows up to 2 meters in height. Its white flowers are of ornamental value.- Uses :...
and Kans Grass
Kans grass
Kans grass is a grass native to South Asia. It is a perennial grass, growing up to three meters in height, with spreading rhizomatous roots....
S. spontaneum), as well as Desmostachya bipinnata
Desmostachya bipinnata
Desmostachya bipinnata, commonly known in English by the names Halfa grass, Big cordgrass, and Salt reed-grass, is an Old World perennial grass, long known and used in human history...
. The birds are usually encountered in the early mornings and evenings and are most easily spotted in the breeding season from March to August, which is when most census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
es of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
are conducted. Particular between March and May, when they give their stunning courtship display
Courtship display
Courtship display is a special, sometimes ritualised, set of behaviours which some animals perform as part of courtship. Courtship behaviours can include special calls, postures, and movements, and may involve special plumage, bright colours or other ornamentation. A good example is the 'dancing'...
, males are far more conspicuous than the cryptically
Crypsis
In ecology, crypsis is the ability of an organism to avoid observation or detection by other organisms. It may be either a predation strategy or an antipredator adaptation, and methods include camouflage, nocturnality, subterranean lifestyle, transparency, and mimicry...
-coloured females, which moreover prefer high grassland rich in sugarcane.
Status and conservation
Restricted to tiny fragments of grassland scattered across South and Southeast Asia, the Bengal Florican is the world's rarest bustardBustard
Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World...
. It is known to have become increasingly threatened by land conversion for intensive agriculture, particularly for dry season rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
production. Poaching
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
continues to be a problem in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, while the South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
n population is down to less than 350 adult birds, about 85% of which are found in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The stocks in Southeast Asia are in slightly better shape (though more threatened), numbering perhaps just as many as in South Asia but more probably closer to or even somewhat over 1,000 adults.
The population has decreased dramatically in past decades. It may be that in India the decline is coming to a halt and that stocks in Dibru-Saikhowa
Dibru-Saikhowa National Park
Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is a national wildlife park in Tinsukia, Assam, India.Dibru - Saikhowa national park is located at about 12 km north of Tinsukia town of Assam covering an area of 350 sq. km. It lies between 27°30' N to 27°45' N latitude and 95°10' E to 95°45'E longitude at an average...
and Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. A World Heritage Site, the park hosts two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses. Kaziranga boasts the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was...
s and Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
The Dudhwa Tiger Reserve consists of the Dudhwa National Park, the Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary and the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh, India and is located in the alluvial plain, the doab of the Mohana and Suheli rivers....
are safe at very low levels. Still, its global status is precarious and it was consequently uplisted from Endangered to Critically Endangered
Critically Endangered
Critically Endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species. Critically Endangered means that a species' numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations....
in the 2007 IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
.
In Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, it is mostly found in Kampong Thom Province; lesser numbers are found in Siem Reap Province and remnants might persist in Banteay Meanchey, Battambang
Battambang Province
Battambang is a province in northwestern Cambodia. It is bordered to the North with Banteay Meanchey, to the West with Thailand, and to the East and South with Pursat. The capital of the province is the city of Battambang. The name, meaning 'lost staff', refers to the legend of Preah Bat Dambang...
and Pursat Provinces. Its rate of decline there has, if anything, accelerated in the early 21st century, and the bird's numbers in Southeast Asia might plummet to effective extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
in the early 2010s. The government of Cambodia has taken a significant step towards protecting important habitat for the Bengal Florican. In an effort to save this endangered flagship species from extinction,,otre than 350 square kilometers have been designated as "Integrated Farming and Biodiversity Areas", where land-use practices are adapted that also benefit the Bengal Florican (see below). A public education
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
program to inform schoolchildren about the bird has also been undertaken. At present, the species may persist in the Ang Trapaing Thmor Crane Sanctuary and perhaps Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
's Tram Chim National Park
Tram Chim National Park
Tram Chim National Park is a national park in Dong Thap Muoi, Dong Thap Province. This national park is created to protect several rare birds, epecially the Sarus Crane , a species listed in the IUCN Red Book.- History :...
, but the South Asian population is not known with certainty from any protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
s.
In Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, it is essentially restricted to protected areas, namely Chitwan and Bardia National Parks and Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve
Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve
Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve is a protected area in the Terai of the Far-Western Region, Nepal, covering of open grassland, forests, riverbeds and tropical wetlands at an altitude of . It was gazetted in 1973 as Royal Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve...
, maybe in Koshi Tappu
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is a protected area in the Terai of eastern Nepal covering of wetlands in the Sunsari, Saptari and Udayapur Districts. In altitude it ranges from and consists of extensive mudflats, reed beds, and freshwater marshes in the floodplain of the Sapta Kosi River...
and around Koshi Barrage
Koshi Barrage
The Koshi Barrage is a flood control sluice across the Koshi River at the Nepal–Indian border. It was built between 1958 and 1962.The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is several miles north of the Barrage.- 2008 flood :...
, where its continuing presence as a resident breeder is uncertain. Only the Suklaphanta population has been stable – between about 15 and 20 adults – since the 1980s. The initially larger Chitwan population has been declining at a low rate in the last decades: 8-19 birds were estimated to be present in 1982, but only 10-14 in 2007. The small Bardia population consisted of 8-9 males in 1982, but only 2-4 were sighted in 2007. The small Bardia population might have disappeared entirely around 2008
To prevent global extinction of this unique bird, several biologist
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
s are studying its ecology and devising ways how the birds and the local population can coexist. The spectacular courtship display of males has been discussed by many naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
s traveling British India, and in our time attracts tourists who provide revenue to locals. Among the most significant results of the scientific study of the Bengal Florican was the realization that it is not a particularly shy or hemerophobic species, its apparent intolerance of human settlements being chiefly due to its intolerance of land clearance for agriculture. Pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
s and the traditional use of common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
for villagers' tall-grass harvest (for construction and handicraft) actually seem to be tolerated quite well by the birds.
If firewood
Firewood
Firewood is any wood-like material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not highly processed and is in some sort of recognizable log or branch form....
and timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
is collected from grassland rather than from forests, human land use will even benefit the species. In particularly Sal (Shorea robusta) and Saj
Terminalia elliptica
Terminalia elliptica is a species of Terminalia native to southern and southeast Asia in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam...
(Terminalia elliptica) have been identified as trees that encroach upon the florican's habitat in Nepal, and its decline in Bardia National Park is probably chiefly due to insufficient use of trees that overgrow grassland. A sustainable land-management technique that will bolster Bengal Florican stocks consists of harvesting grass and particularly wood from changing tracts of land, leaving some areas unharvested each year and setting aside a few additional ones as reserve land, where grasses can grow tall for years until they are harvested. Controlled burning may be necessary when woodland encroachment is strong; it should take place before March, so that the year's offspring are not harmed.
Further reading
- Grimmett, R; Inskipp, C. and T. (1998): Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Christopher HelmHelm Identification GuidesThe Helm Identification Guides are a series of books that identify groups of birds. The series include two types of guides, those that are:* Taxonomic, dealing with a particular family of birds on a worldwide scale—most early Helm Guides were this type, as well as many more-recent ones,...
, London. ISBN 0713640049 - Baral, N; Timilsina, N; Tamang, B. (2003): Status of Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis in Nepal. ForktailForktail (journal)Forktail is the annual peer-reviewed journal of the Oriental Bird Club. It contains material about birds of the Oriental region. Each issue is A4 in size, with an emerald green cover. Important papers published in Forktail include descriptions of two new bird species, the Bukidnon Woodcock in 2001...
19: 51-55. PDF download - BirdLife InternationalBirdLife InternationalBirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
(BLI) (2007): [ 2006-2007 Red List status changes ]. Retrieved 2007-AUG-26. - BirdLife InternationalBirdLife InternationalBirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
(BLI) (2009): Bengal Florican Species Factsheet. Retrieved 2009-JUN-11. - Poudyal, L. P; Singh, P. B., Maharjan, S. (2008): The Decline of Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis in Nepal. Danphe 17 (1): 4-6. PDF download
- Gray, T. N. E; Collar, N. J; Davidson, P. J. A; Dolman, P. M; Evans, T. D; Fox, H. N; Chamnan H; Borey R; Hout, S. K; Van Zalinge R. N. (2009) Distribution, status and conservation of the Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis in Cambodia. Bird Conservation International (2009) 19: 1–14 PDF download