Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 June 2020 | 12(9): 16006–16012
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893
(Print)
doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4832.12.9.16006-16012
#4832 | Received 18 January 2019 | Final
received 24 March 2020 | Finally accepted 29 May 2020
Status of the Critically
Endangered Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis
(Gmelin, 1789) in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal
Hem Sagar
Baral 1, Tek Raj
Bhatt 2, Sailendra Raj Giri
3, Ashok Kumar Ram 4, Shyam Kumar
Shah 5,
Laxman Prasad Poudyal
6, Dhiraj Chaudhary 7, Gitanjali Bhattacharya 8 &
Rajan Amin 9
1,2,3 Zoological Society of London
Nepal Office, PO Box 5867, Kathmandu, Nepal.
4,5,6 Department of National Parks and
Wildlife Conservation, PO Box 860, Babarmahal,
Kathmandu, Nepal.
8,9 Zoological Society of London,
London NW1 4RY, UK.
1 School of Environmental
Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury-Wodonga, New South Wales, Australia.
7 Himalayan Nature, PO Box 10918, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal.
1 hem.baral@zsl.org (corresponding
author), 2 tekraj.bhatt@zsl.org, 3 sailendraraj.giri@zsl.org,
4 ashokrink11@gmail.com,
5 shyamkumar_shah@yahoo.com, 6
laxpoudyal@gmail.com, 7 dheeraz18@gmail.com, 8 gitanjali.bhattacharya@zsl.org,
9 raj.amin@zsl.org
Editor: Anonymity requested. Date
of publication: 26 June 2020 (online & print)
Citation: Baral, H.S., T.R. Bhatt, S.R. Giri,
A.K. Ram, S.K. Shah, L.P. Poudyal, D. Chaudhary, G.
Bhattacharya & R. Amin (2020). Status of the Critically Endangered Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis
(Gmelin, 1789) in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal. Journal of Threatened Taxa 12(9): 16006–16012. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4832.12.9.16006-16012
Copyright: © Baral et al. 2020. Creative
Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction,
and distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to
the author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: Department of
National Parks and Wildlife
Conservation, Himalayan
Nature, ZSL.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Author
details: Hem Sagar Baral studied ecology of grassland birds for his PhD from
the University of Amsterdam, and has been involved in conservation for over
three decades. He is the Country Representative of ZSL’s Nepal office. Tek Raj Bhatt is a senior programme officer for ZSL Nepal office. He is interested in
conservation biology and has over 5 years of experience in biodiversity
monitoring and research, development and implementation of conservation
projects. Sailendra Raj Giri has
an MSc in Environmental Science and has been working for ZSL Nepal office as a
field biologist. His main interest is in wildlife ecology and has 5 years of
experience in biodiversity monitoring and research. Ashok Kumar Ram is a conservation officer working for the
Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation. Currently he is
pursuing his PhD studies at the Wildlife Institute of India Dehradun on Asian
Elephant ecology and movement. Shyam Kumar
Shah studied forest tree carbon stock for his MSc degree in Natural
Resource Management from the University of Twente, the Netherlands. He has
served as the Chief Conservation Officer at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. Currently he is the Management
Officer at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Nepal. Laxman Prasad Poudyal
holds an MSc degree in Natural Resource Management and Rural
Development. He has served as the Ecologist at the Department of National Parks
and Wildlife Conservation, and currently is the Chief Conservation Officer at Shuklaphanta National Park, Nepal. Dhiraj Chaudhary has been working as a bird guide for 10
years and has worked for various institutions in the past and has participated
in the survey work under the aegis of Himalayan Nature. Gitanjali Bhattacharya is a conservation biologist specialising in
integrated landscape management. Her past research has focussed
on grassland and large herbivores. She has designed and led large-scale
transboundary projects focussing on landscape
connectivity working with a multitude of national and international partners
including policymakers. She is currently the Head of Global Fundraising at
Zoological Society of London and assists in the development of large-scale
funding bids for landscape-wide projects. Rajan Amin is a senior wildlife biologist at the Zoological
Society of London with over 30 years of experience in African and Asian
grassland and forest ecosystems and in developing long-term conservation projects
for threatened species.
Author
contribution: Hem Sagar
Baral led the implementation of the fieldwork
supported by Ashok Kumar Ram, Shyam Kumar Shah and
Dhiraj Chaudhary. Hem Sagar Baral,
Tek Raj Bhatt and Sailendra
Raj Giri analyzed the data and wrote the first draft
of the article. Rajan Amin, Laxman Prasad Poudyal and Gitanjali Bhattacharya contributed to writing
the article and for fundraising. All authors reviewed the article.
Acknowledgements: This survey was funded by Zoological Society of London
Nepal Office with support from the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Department of National Parks and
Wildlife Conservation, and Himalayan Nature.
We thank the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation for
issuing research permit for the work.
Various Koshi-based institutions kindly
provided additional logistical support; Kosi Bird
Observatory, Himalayan Nature, Koshi Camp, Koshi Bird Society, and Nepalese Ornithological Union. We would like to thank Badri Chaudhary
(Nepalese Ornithological Union), Anish Timsina (Koshi Bird Society), Suman Acharya, Bibek Chaudhary, and
Surendra Chaudhary (ZSL Nepal) for their assistance in the field.
Abstract: The Bengal Florican is one of the
rarest bustard species and is listed ‘Critically Endangered’ by the IUCN. The species is restricted to the lowland
grasslands of India, Nepal, and Cambodia with fewer than 1,000 mature
individuals. To assess the species
status in Koshi Tappu
Wildlife Reserve, Nepal, we repeated our first comprehensive survey conducted
during the 2012 breeding season. In
spite of a larger area coverage we recorded only 41 adult Bengal Floricans in
2017 compared to 47 individuals in 2012.
Detectability of this rare species is low in its Imperata-Saccharum grasslands. We, therefore, used a long pole with black
and white clothing to mimic Bengal Florican’s display flight to stimulate male
Bengal Florican. The number of adult
males recorded was the same as in the 2012 survey and the adult male density
remains one of the highest in the Indian subcontinent. Management
recommendations for the long-term conservation of the species in Koshi Tappu include maintenance
of Imperata-Saccharum grasslands in the reserve favoured by the Bengal Florican and working
with farmers and communities adjacent to the reserve where the birds breed in
order to maintain some agricultural lands with vegetation height suitable for
the species especially during the species’ breeding season.
Keywords: Otidiformes,
Otididae, bustard, abundance, terai
grasslands, bird, flagship species, threats.
Abbreviations: CITES—Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora | GPS—Global
Positioning System
IUCN—International Union for
Conservation of Nature | NGOs—Non-Governmental Organisations.
Introduction
Bengal Florican Houbaropsis
bengalensis (Gmelin,
1789) is the only member of its genus, and is the rarest member of the bustard
order, Otidiformes.
The species is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List
due to the widespread and on-going modification of its grassland habitat (BirdLife International 2018). It is also included on Appendix I of CITES (BirdLife International 2018).
Resident populations of Bengal Florican (Image 1)
occur in the floodplain grasslands in Cambodia, India, and Nepal (BirdLife International 2018). The Cambodia population is estimated to be
432 individuals (Packman et al. 2014).
The overall population estimate for India is not available, but it is
certain to hold a significant population considering the large areas of
suitable habitat especially within its northern protected areas. Recent surveys
have recorded 72 adult males in Manas Tiger Reserve, Kaziranga and Orang National Parks in Assam and 60–70
territorial male Bengal Floricans are estimated to be present in D’Ering Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh (BirdLife International 2018).
In Nepal, the species occurs in Shuklaphanta
National Park, Bardia National Park, Chitwan National
Park, Koshi Tappu Wildlife
Reserve, and Koshi Barrage area with a combined
population of less than 100 individuals (DNPWC 2016, Figure 1). In Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, the species was occasionally seen
in the 1970s (Dahmer 1976) and there were several records from the Koshi Barrage in the early 1980s (Baker 1981; Turton &
Speight 1982), but none were sighted after 1986 (Inskipp
& Inskipp 1991).
However, in 2011 the Bengal Florican made a come-back
to the wildlife reserve. A 2011 survey
estimated as many as 12 pairs in Koshi area at nine
sites along a 39km north-south stretch of the Koshi
River. Out of the total of 17 birds
recorded during the survey only five birds were recorded outside the Koshi Tappu Wildlife
Reserve. A comprehensive follow-up
survey in April and May 2012 counted 47 birds.
This represented the largest known population in Nepal, with perhaps the
highest density in the Indian subcontinent (Baral et
al. 2013).
The main threat to the Bengal Florican in the
protected areas in Nepal is improper habitat management by ploughing, intensive
burning and grass harvesting leading to a loss of suitable habitat (Poudyal et al. 2008; Baral et al.
2013; DNPWC 2016). The Bengal Florican
is a ‘flagship’ species in the Terai grasslands. There is a need to develop a sustainable
recovery strategy for the critically threatened Bengal Florican that provides
long-term biodiversity benefits not only for the florican but also for other
species that rely on the fragile and threatened grassland habitats. An effective strategy needs to establish an
improved scientific evidence-base on the dynamics of Bengal Florican population
decline, increase regional conservation capacity-building and cooperation,
raise awareness, and build legislation for habitat protection, and appropriate
management aiming to support optimum population size. Despite years of conservation focus on this
species, the population continues to decline elevating the species’ status
recently to Critically Endangered from Endangered. A global scenario for the Bengal Florican and
other bustard species is adequately presented in a recent publication (Collar
et al. 2017).
Following recommendations by Baral
et al. (2013), the objective of this study was to assess the change in status
of the population of the Bengal Florican in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and its adjacent areas after a
period of five years.
Methods
Study area
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (26.65°N & 87.00°E) lies in the
floodplain of the Sapta Koshi
River in southeastern lowland Nepal (Figure 2). The reserve was officially established in
1976 and extended in 1980 covering an area of 175km2. The habitat within Koshi
Tappu Wildlife Reserve and its adjacent areas,
referred henceforth as Koshi Tappu,
is broadly classified as mixed deciduous riverine forest (5.4%), grassland
(17.1%), swamp (18.1%), river (52.4%), and agricultural land (7.0%) (Dahal et al. 2009).
The southern part of the reserve is a large expanse of open water,
marshes and reed-beds created by the construction of Koshi
barrage between 1958 and 1964 (Limbu & Subba
2011). The reserve is bounded by two
parallel embankments, a shorter one to the west and longer one to the east of
the Sapta Koshi River and
is subject to annual flooding (Baral et al.
2012). Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve was Nepal’s first Ramsar site in 1987 (Sah 1997)
and is an Important Bird Area (Baral & Inskipp 2005). A
total of 526 bird species has been recorded in the area (Baral
2016; Koshi Tappu Wildlife
Reserve 2018).
Field method
Prior to the field survey, we identified suitable
Bengal Florican habitats in and around Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve using Google Earth Image (2016) and
reconnaissance survey. We followed the
previous 2012 survey design and established four survey blocks (Table 1, Figure
2). Survey blocks A and B were considerably
larger, by 30.2km2 and 30.4km2, respectively, compared to
2012 survey due to the dynamic nature of the floodplain.
The survey was conducted between 23–29 April
2017. The survey blocks were reached
either by boat or by a four-wheel vehicle and the surveys were conducted on
foot between 05.00-–10.00 hr and 15.00--–18.00 hr. Bengal Floricans are most active during the
early morning and late afternoon and human disturbance is also minimal during
these times.
In total 12 experienced surveyors took part in the
survey. Each surveyor had a pair of
binoculars and forms to record data on sighted birds along with location and
habitat information. Additionally, each
survey team carried a mobile phone, digital camera and a GPS receiver. Watches were synchronised among team members
to record accurate time of Bengal Florican sightings. Each survey team also carried a long pole
with black and white clothing to mimic male Bengal Florican display
flight. The aim of this was to stimulate
male Bengal Floricans to display thus increasing detectability. Sightings of flying birds were communicated
to other teams via mobile phones to minimize double counts. The survey covered 168.9km2 of the
193km2 identified as suitable Bengal Florican habitat in Koshi Tappu.
Enumerating number of Bengal Floricans
Bengal Florican sighting records were checked for
double counts using sex, location and time.
The species nesting season is from May to August (Oates 1898). We, therefore, assumed that the adult birds
had already established territories during the survey and were faithful to
their sites. The total number of birds
was obtained by adding the total number of birds recorded in each survey block.
Several factors were recognized to be potential biases
in counting the Bengal Florican population. Since only adult males displayed,
counts were likely to be biased towards males.
Grass height varied considerably across the survey area, and we did not
correct for detection bias due to variation in visibility. Bias due to different observers, timing of
count, and varying levels of human disturbance were also recognized. Potential variability introduced using Bengal
Florican dummies was not estimated. The
number of Bengal Floricans that had not yet established territories during the
survey was unknown. The possibility of
birds moving between blocks during the survey period was recognized.
Results
Bengal Florican was recorded in all four surveyed
blocks. In total, 41 adult birds were
recorded of which 29 birds were male and 12 birds were female. Five birds were recorded outside the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and
its buffer zone, four birds in the buffer zone, and 32 birds in the reserve
(Table 2).
The highest number (15 birds) and density (0.33
birds/km2) of Bengal Floricans were recorded in Block B. Only four Bengal Floricans at a density of
0.16 birds/km2 were counted in Block D. In Block A nine adult Bengal Floricans at a
density of 0.19/km2 were counted.
The survey blocks A and D were the most grazed and disturbed areas,
evident by the large number of cattle present and on average, the shortest
grass sward height. All the blocks
except Block A were within the reserve and buffer zone. Seventy percent of Block A was outside the
reserve and buffer zone.
The overall density of the species in the surveyed
area was 0.24 birds/km2.
Assuming that the un-surveyed area had a density of Bengal Floricans
similar to the area covered, we estimated a total population of 46 Bengal
Floricans within suitable habitat in Koshi Tappu. Bengal
Floricans were only recorded in grasslands predominantly consisting of Imperata cylindrica
and Saccharum spontaneum
with a sward height greater than 50cm.
Correction of the Bengal Florican 2012 survey estimate
(Baral et al. 2013)
We found that the area of Block C reported by Baral et al. (2013) was much larger than its actual
size. Based on area calculated using
QGIS 2.18 (QGIS Development Team 2004), we revised this to 50km2
(105km2 was reported in Baral et al.
2013). The revised estimated density of
Bengal Floricans in Koshi Tappu
for 2012 was 0.43 bird/km2 (Table 3).
Discussion
We counted fewer adult Bengal Floricans (41 birds) in Koshi Tappu over a larger area
(168.9km2) compared to the previous survey in 2012 (Baral et al. 2013, 47 birds in 108.1km2). This indicates a 13% decline over five years.
The survey found a 2.42 male to female sex ratio. It is not unusual to find a higher number of
males compared to females in populations of globally threatened bird species
(Donald 2007). Further studies are
required to understand reasons for the higher percentage of male Bengal
Florican sightings. Comparing the
density of adult male Bengal Floricans as a proxy of Bengal Florican population
density across the various sites in southern and southeastern
Asia, Koshi Tappu continues
to remain one of the strongholds for the species (Table 4).
Previous studies have reported species dependence on Saccharum-Imperata assemblage during the breeding
season (Inskipp & Inskipp
1983; Baral 2001; Poudyal
et al. 2008). This study also found
higher density of Bengal Floricans in Saccharum-Imperata
grassland assemblage with sward height of about 50cm. Detailed studies on
grassland ecology combined with studies on the ecology of the Bengal Florican
are necessary to understand their habitat preferences which can guide management
intervention to maintain viable populations (Baral et
al. 2013).
The species faces a number of threats in Nepal. Very small areas of suitable habitat remain,
and these are mainly within protected areas.
At present, the grasslands of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and Shuklaphanta
National Park provide the best habitats for this species. In Chitwan and Bardia
National Parks, single habitat patches suitable for Bengal Florican have been
reduced to less than 50ha. Even in
protected areas, the species is threatened by improper habitat management by
ploughing, grass harvesting and intensive burning, leading to a loss of
suitable habitat (Poudyal et al. 2008). Other significant threats are disturbance
(overgrazing), susceptibility to predation and hunting (Poudyal
et al. 2008). In addition, the invasive
alien plant species Mikania micrantha which
can smother grasslands, has had serious impact on Chitwan National Park and Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
habitats (Siwakoti 2007; Baral
& Adhikari 2017). At Koshi, feral dogs, fern and wood collectors and an
unnatural increase in native predators, Asiatic Golden Jackal Canis aureus and Indian Grey Mongoose Herpestes edwardsi,
are additional threats (Baral et al. 2013). Both native predators have increased and are
possibly still increasing in Koshi as they are more
adaptable to the widespread disturbance that Koshi
faces and are known to flourish in such conditions. Pressure on lowland grasslands is
increasing. Bengal Floricans are
especially at risk during the monsoon when some move outside the protected
areas where they might breed into unprotected riverine areas with adjacent
agricultural fields.
Based on our studies and experience, we recommend that
the local communities should be trained and supported in managing grasslands
that fulfil their needs for cattle fodder and thatch grasses and provide
suitable habitat for Bengal Floricans and other grassland species. Farmers should be encouraged to leave some of
the grassland habitats within farmlands especially during Bengal Florican’s
breeding season. This is already
happening in Chitwan National Park buffer zone in East Nawalparasi
District, where a community-managed grassland is working along similar lines to
that of community forestry (Chitwan National Park 2016). Relevant national and local NGOs should buy
and manage fallow-land and grassland areas along the Koshi
River (and other major river courses in Nepal).
Similar initiatives should be promoted in adjoining parts of India and
establish transboundary cooperation to restore river habitat corridors
facilitating bird movements. The Nepal Government should create and expand
protected zones along river corridors.
The feral cattle and to some extent Wild Water Buffalo
Bubalus arnee
in Koshi Tappu have helped
to keep the Saccharum and Imperata
grasses short and suitable for Bengal Florican. This grazing needs to be monitored and
regulated especially during the breeding season of birds, viz., April to
August. Use of heavy machinery by Koshi Project, Government of Bihar, India should be avoided
in Koshi Tappu especially
during breeding season of April–August.
Similarly, urgent action is needed to control the spread of invasive
alien plant species, especially Mikania micrantha
and Parthenium hysterophorus. Management with the aim to restore and/ or
maintain areas of intact grasslands should be implemented, based on improved
understanding of floodplain grassland dynamics in Koshi
Tappu Wildlife Reserve. Nationwide awareness programme should be
conducted through audio-visual media such as documentaries on Bengal Florican
as public support is crucial for the conservation of threatened species at the
grass-root level.
Table 1. Description of survey blocks in Koshi
Tappu
Wildlife Reserve and its adjacent areas.
|
Block |
Sites |
Location |
Area (km²) |
Habitat characteristics |
Disturbance level |
|
A |
Site 1 |
26.77N
87.10E |
4 |
Saccharum spontaneum with smaller patches of Imperata grasses; within Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and buffer zone |
High |
|
Site 2 |
26.74N 87.12E |
14 |
S. spontaneum with fewer patches of Imperata grasses than site 1; outside Koshi
Tappu Wildlife Reserve and buffer zone |
High |
|
|
Site 3 |
26.77N 87.07E |
30.2 |
Cultivation land with some thatched houses. Few
patches of Typha elephantine and short grasses mainly Imperata. |
High |
|
|
B |
Site 1 |
26.69N 87.09E |
30.5 |
S. spontaneum with a sward height of about 50cm;
within Koshi Tappu
Wildlife Reserve and buffer zone |
Medium |
|
Site 2 |
26.66N 87.09E |
6 |
S. spontaneum with a sward height of about 50cm;
within Koshi Tappu
Wildlife Reserve and buffer zone |
Medium |
|
|
Site 3 |
26.56N 87.01E |
9 |
S. spontaneum with a sward height of about 50cm;
within Koshi Tappu
Wildlife Reserve and buffer zone |
Medium |
|
|
C |
Site 1 |
26.66N 87.04E |
12.9 |
Saccharum and Imperata
grasslands with patches of young Dalbergia
sissoo and Acacia catechu: within Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
and buffer zone |
Medium |
|
Site 2 |
26.66N 87.04E |
37.3 |
Medium |
||
|
D |
Site 1 |
26.63N 87.02E |
25 |
Saccharum and Imperata
species: within Koshi Tappu
Wildlife- Reserve and buffer zone |
High |
Disturbance was measured in three categorical
levels—low, medium, and high.
Table 2. The number of
adult Bengal Floricans counted within the surveyed blocks in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and its adjacent areas.
|
Sampling block |
Area (km2) |
Number of adult male Bengal
Floricans counted |
Number of adult female Bengal
Floricans counted |
Total number of adult Bengal
Floricans counted |
Estimated adult density (birds /
km2) |
|
Block A |
48.2 |
6 |
3 |
9 |
0.19 |
|
Block B |
45.5 |
10 |
5 |
15 |
0.33 |
|
Block C |
50.2 |
10 |
3 |
13 |
0.26 |
|
Block D |
25 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
0.16 |
|
Total |
168.9 |
29 |
12 |
41 |
0.24 |
Table 3. Revised 2012 survey density estimate of
Bengal Florican in Koshi Tappu
Wildlife Reserve and its adjacent areas (data source Baral
et al. 2013).
|
Sampling block |
Area (km2) |
Number of male Bengal Floricans
counted |
Number of female Bengal
Floricans counted |
Total number of Bengal Floricans
counted |
Estimated density (birds / km2) |
|
Block A |
18 |
9 |
5 |
14 |
0.78 |
|
Block B |
15.1 |
5 |
3 |
8 |
0.53 |
|
Block C |
50 |
14 |
9 |
23 |
0.46 |
|
Block D |
25 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0.08 |
|
Total |
108.1 |
29 |
18 |
47 |
Average total density 0.43 |
Table 4.
Density of adult male Bengal Florican populations in southern and southeastern
Asia.
|
Site |
Number of adult male Bengal
Floricans |
Area (km2) |
Density (individuals /km2) |
Data source |
|
Manas Tiger Reserve, India |
33 |
319 |
0.1 |
BirdLife International (2017) |
|
Kaziranga National Park, India |
32 |
378 |
0.08 |
BirdLife International (2017) |
|
D’Ering Wildlife Sanctuary, India |
60–70 (mean 65) |
190 |
0.34 |
BirdLife International (2017) |
|
All Bengal Florican habitat, Cambodia |
216 |
307 |
0.7 |
Packman et al. (2014) |
|
Koshi Tappu, Nepal |
29 |
163.65 |
0.18 |
Bengal Florican Survey (2017) |
For
figures & image - - click here
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