The census of endangered Bengal florican (Khar Mayur), scientifically called Eupodotis bengalensis, has begun in four national parks in Nepal since Wednesday.
The Bird Conservation Association (BCN) Nepal, in collaboration with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, has started the counting the rare birds after six years in an effort to determine their number as well to assess their habitat.So far, Bengal floricans have been sighted in Shuklaphanta National Park (SNP), Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (KTWR), Chitwan National Park (CNP) and Bardiya National Park (BNP), said Ishana Thapa, BCN executive officer.
The 2015 census recorded 64 Bengal floricans from across the country, with KTWR recording the most: 50. SNP was home to nine and CNP five, the census showed. Though Indian blue peacocks were spotted in BNP at the time, they haven’t been spotted since then, Thapa said.
According to ornithologist Hirulal Dangaura, the Bengal floricans are found only in three countries of the world: Nepal, India and Cambodia. “Now it is said to have disappeared in Cambodia,” he said, “If the species were to go extinct in Nepal and India, this bird will disappear from the world.” It is said that Bengal florican lives in the grass field with hay. However, such grasslands are rapidly vanishing, which is why their number is on the decline.
According to Thapa, the bird is on the verge of extinction due to various factors. There is no record of the bird being spotted outside the protected area in Nepal to date. It is included in the list of protected bird species in the country.
Source : THE RISING NEPAL,
