Title
Conservation of Bengal florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis) in a farming landscape
Author(s)
Mahood, S.;Son, V.
Published
2015
Publisher
Cambodian Journal of Natural History
Abstract
The Asian bustards (Otidae) are a very threatened group. All occupy grassland environments, which are under intense pressure for human use. In this context it is no surprise that three of the fi ve species, including the Bengal florican, are Critically Endangered. The Bengal florican now numbers fewer than 1,000 birds, found disjunctly on the terai of Nepal and India and the Tonle Sap floodplain of Cambodia. More than two-thirds of the population is in Cambodia, where numbers of displaying males have dropped by 44–64% from 2005/7–2012, to 216 (95% CI 156–275). Initially, hunting was the greatest threat, but this has been brought under control and it is rapid conversion of grassland and traditional agriculture that has led to the recent population decline. The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Cambodia Program has been protecting Bengal floricans for more than 10 years. The conservation interventions employed straddle the land sharing–land sparing paradigm, whilst our monitoring has revealed trends in key breeding sites. In the site where most conservation interventions have been focused the population is stable. At that site, we have encouraged traditional human uses of the grassland that are compatible with Bengal florican conservation, while helping local people to resist land-grabbing attempts by external companies that destroy large swathes of florican habitat. There is a need to expand conservation interventions to other sites, which will require careful evaluation of opportunities and conservation approaches to ensure success.
Keywords
Conservation; Bengal Florican; Farming; Grassland

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