Breeding and Non-Breeding Home Range, and Dispersal Patterns of The Critically Endangered Lesser Florican <i>Sypheotides indicus</i> (Miller, 1782)

Abstract

Lesser Florican Sypheotides indicus , a Critically Endangered bustard species, now breeds in only a few restricted and fragmented ranges, comprising a mosaic of grasslands and croplands, in northwest and peninsular India. The global population estimates range between 300-600 males. The migration patterns and habitat utilisation across non-breeding habitats are poorly known, and in this study, we aimed to estimate the home ranges, migratory patterns, and non-breeding habitat of a male (RSD-1) and female (RSD-2) Lesser Florican in Blackbuck National Park (BNP), Gujarat, which were fitted with solar-powered Platform Transmitter Terminal (PTT). The breeding and non-breeding home ranges were determined by the minimum convex polygon (MCP) and fixed kernel methods. The breeding home range of the male (RSD-1) varied from 16.39 sq. km (95% MCP) in 2020 to 0.23 sq. km (95% MCP) in 2021, and 16.13 sq. km (95% MCP) in non-breeding season. For the female (RSD-2), the breeding home range size was 5.40 sq. km (95% MCP home-range), and it varied from about 7 sq. km to 1.57 sq. km in the non-breeding season. This study provides new insights into home range and dispersal behaviour in Lesser Florican across the mosaic of its fragmented habitats, and we recommend long-term telemetry studies to be taken up across non-breeding habitats.