Bengal Florican

The Bengal florican, or Bengal bustard, is a bustard of the Indian subcontinent, Cambodia and Vietnam. The male has black plumage from head and neck to underparts, a long lanky crest and elongated display plumes on the neck, a buff upperside finely vermiculated with black, and a conspicuous white patch on the wings that makes the wings look white in flight. The female is larger, at 1.7 to 1.9kg against 1.2 to 1.5kg for the male (Wikipedia, general species account).

In Nepal it is essentially restricted to Shuklaphanta, Bardia and Chitwan National Parks. Since 1982 the Shuklaphanta and Bardia populations appear to have been stable, but the Chitwan population has declined. In 2001, 20 to 28 birds were estimated at Shuklaphanta, 6 to 10 at Bardia and 6 to 22 at Chitwan. The Terai population seems to move to warmer lowland sites in winter. It is normally silent.