• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
A2bcd+3bcd+4bcd	A2bcd+3bcd+4bcd; C2a(i)	A2bcd+3bcd+4bcd; C2a(i); D1

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2021	Critically Endangered	A2bcd+3bcd+4bcd
2016	Endangered	A3cd+4cd
2012	Endangered	A3cd+4cd
2008	Endangered	A3c,d; A4c,d
2004	Endangered
2000	Endangered
1996	Critically Endangered
1994	Critically Endangered
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	full migrant	Forest dependency	does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type	continent	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	520,000 km2	medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding)	1,520,000 km2	medium
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	356-1228, 730 mature individuals	medium	estimated	2018
Population trend	decreasing	poor	estimated	2010-2026
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	80-95,91%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	80-100%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	80-100%	-	-	-
Generation length	5.3 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2-100	-	-	-

Population justification: The total population has been calculated from a recent and robust survey over most of the range which estimated 340 displaying males (95% CI 162–597, Dutta et al. 2018). This excluded any birds in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh as the survey failed to locate any individuals (Dutta et al. 2018), despite this 38-57 individuals (maximum 19 males) have been reported from these states for the 2018/2019 period (Pinjarkar 2018, Mishra & Ghosh 2020). In addition, 6 males were present in Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, in 2017, another region unsurveyed in the recent survey led by Dutta et al. (2018). Summing these values and assuming an equal sex ratio (a conservative assumption, as there may be multiple females per displaying male) the population size is therefore estimated to be 356-1,228 mature individuals, with a best estimate of 730 mature individuals.
The methodology of the recent Dutta et al. (2018) survey was designed to be comparable with that of Sankaran (2000), who estimated 3,530 mature individuals in 1999 (Sankaran 2000, Collar et al. 2001). The population estimate in 1982 was 4,374 mature individuals (Collar et al. 1994). Assuming a linear rate of decline from the 1999 estimate (Collar [2021] indicates the rate is likely to be accelerating), the rate of population reduction over the past three generations (15.9 years) is equivalent to 89%, however, calculating an accelerating rate of decline by incorporating the 2008 estimate of 2,500 mature individuals (Dutta et al. 2013) results in an estimated 93% reduction over the past three generations. Both rate of declines indicate extinction within a few years, as noted by Collar (2021).
The remaining strongholds are thought to be Velavadar (Gujarat), with 96-115 displaying males where the population is concentrated in few sites at high density, and and Shokalyia-Bhinai (Rajasthan). In Rajasthan the population is dispersed across a large area at very low density where 110-136 males were thought to be present (Dutta et al. 2018), however, only 35-40 displaying males are counted annually since 2017 (S. Narwade in litt. 2021). 
Displaying males continue to be observed in Maharashtra, despite not being recorded during the 2018 survey (Dutta et al. 2018). 7-8 males and 20-22 females were reported from a conservation partnership with the Phasepardhi community (Pandharipande 2015, Pinjarkar 2018). In Madhya Pradesh, annual numbers reported by the Chief Conservator of Forests for 2015 to 2018 were 48, 39, 19 and 27, but only 11 were recorded in 2019 (Mishra & Ghosh 2020) and only 5 in 2020 (Tomar 2020): this population is in imminent danger of being lost.

Trend justification: The species is suspected to have declined at a extremely rapid rate over the past three generations based on published population numbers derived from coordinated surveys across the breeding areas. Based on population estimates published for 1982 of 4,734 mature individuals (Collar et al. 1994), for 1999 of 3,530 mature individuals (Sankaran 2000, Collar 2001), for 2008 of 2,500 individuals (Dutta et al. 2013) and 730 mature individuals in 2018 (Dutta et al. 2018, Pinjarkar 2018, Mishra & Ghosh 2020: see Population size), a fitted rate of reduction (as in Collar 2021) is equivalent to 93% over three generations, or 89% at a linear rate of reduction. While there is uncertainty over the accuracy of the population sizes estimated in each year due to accounting for undetected males, uncertainty over the population sex ratio and level of site fidelity in the species, it is abundantly clear from the assembled data that the species is undergoing a catastrophic rate of decline.

The decline is ascribed to the on-going loss and conversion of grassland habitats, but additional factors may be driving very low reproductive success and causing high rates of adult mortality (Dutta et al. 2018). Very little is known about mortality during the non-breeding season (Dutta et al. 2018).

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
India	extant	native	yes
Nepal	extant	native			yes
Pakistan	possibly extinct	native

Country/Territory	IBA Name
India	Banni Grassland and Chhari Dhand
India	Bhal area
India	Dudhwa National Park
India	Gangapur Dam and grasslands
India	Gawana Arain, Mangaliyawas, Ramsar, Goyal, Ratakot, Badar
India	Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary
India	Hesaraghatta Lake
India	Jawaharlal Nehru Bustard Sanctuary
India	Kanha National Park
India	Naliya Grassland (Lala Bustard Wildlife Sanctuary)
India	Ozar and adjoining grassland
India	Rampura Grassland
India	Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary
India	Sailana Kharmor Sanctuary
India	Sardarpur Wildlife Sanctuary
India	Sonkhaliya Closed Area
India	Velavadar National Park
Nepal	Bardia National Park
Nepal	Chitwan National Park
Nepal	Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and Koshi Barrage
Nepal	Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable Land	suitable	non-breeding
Grassland	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	major	breeding
Altitude		Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 7
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 7
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Skewed sex ratios, Species mortality
Climate change & severe weather	Droughts	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Energy production & mining	Mining & quarrying	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Human intrusions & disturbance	Recreational activities	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Species disturbance, Reduced reproductive success
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Canis familiaris	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Species disturbance, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Mikania micrantha	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Prosopis glandulosa	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Residential & commercial development	Commercial & industrial areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Transportation & service corridors	Utility & service lines	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Species mortality

Purpose	Scale
Food - human	subsistence, national
Pets/display animals, horticulture	subsistence, national
Sport hunting/specimen collecting	subsistence, national

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Lesser Florican Sypheotides indicus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/lesser-florican-sypheotides-indicus on 15/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 15/12/2024.