The lesser florican, also known as the likh or kharmore, is the smallest 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 season. The male has a contrasting black and white breeding plumage and distinctive elongated head feathers that extend behind the neck. These bustards are found mainly in northwestern and central India during the summer but are found more widely distributed across India in winter. The species is highly endangered and has been extirpated in some parts of its range such as Pakistan. It is threatened both by hunting and habitat degradation. The only similar species is the Bengal florican which is larger and lacks the white throat, collar and elongated plumes.
Region
Indian Subcontinent
Typical Environment
Primarily found in northwestern and central India, especially Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, with seasonal movements into surrounding states during and after the monsoon. It favors tall, seasonal grasslands on black-cotton soils, lightly grazed savannas, and monsoon-sown or fallow fields with mid-height grasses. Outside the breeding season it disperses more widely into agricultural mosaics and open scrub. It avoids dense forests and very short, overgrazed pastures. Historical records exist from Pakistan, where it is now thought to be extirpated.
Altitude Range
0–1000 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The lesser florican is the smallest bustard and the only member of the genus Sypheotides. Males perform spectacular vertical leap displays during the monsoon, flashing their white wings and long ribbon-like head plumes. It depends on intact seasonal grasslands and fallow fields, making it highly sensitive to agricultural intensification. Once more widespread, it has vanished from some areas and now survives mainly in scattered pockets in India.
![Plate from James Forbes' Oriental Memoirs (1813). He noted that "The florican or Curmoor exceeds all the Indian wild-fowl in delicacy of flavour".[4]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Florican%2C_1781.jpg/1280px-Florican%2C_1781.jpg)
Plate from James Forbes' Oriental Memoirs (1813). He noted that "The florican or Curmoor exceeds all the Indian wild-fowl in delicacy of flavour".[4]
Female in flight
Eggs showing the colour variation
A male leaping from the grass during breeding season
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with strong, direct bursts
Social Behavior
During the monsoon, males display from small territories in grassland, often leaping repeatedly to attract females. Courtship is polygynous, and females alone build a shallow ground nest and rear the young. Outside the breeding season, birds may be loosely dispersed and mix within agricultural landscapes but remain largely inconspicuous.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
The male gives a dry, clicking tik-tik and a rasping croak during display leaps, sometimes accompanied by audible wing whirrs. Calls are generally brief and carry over grassland, most frequent at dawn and dusk in the monsoon.
