Yesterday, I received an awesome birthday present from Jamie – Wild Facts #1 Animal Idea Guy. What was that birthday gift, you ask? It was an awesome animal suggestion, of course. To be specific it was the recommendation to write about the Lesser Florican. Now you may be wondering, what in the world is a Lesser Florican. Clearly from the picture above, it is a bird but it is so much more than just a regular ol’ bird. It is a large bird only found on the Indian Subcontinent and it has been made famous for the males incredible courtship displays. Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s take a long leap over to India to learn about this unique bird (that last sentence will be funny in a second, well maybe not funny but at least clever…ish).
Leap for Love
Okay, so why is my play on the word “leap” so clever? Well, it just so happens that leaping plays a major role in the famed courtship display I alluded to earlier. It all starts during the Southwest Monsoon season, which is September to October in northern India and April to May in southern Inda. In an attempt to capture the heart of their lady friends, the males will leap from the tall grass while making a croaking sound. During this leap, they will flutter their wings while keeping their legs folded as if they were sitting on a comfy chair. Believe it or not, they will perform this unique behaviour every 3 to 4 minutes during the early morning and late evenings. Not only does it impress the ladies but they get a great leg workout from it as well.
No More Jumping
While these large birds may leap for love, I highly doubt they are jumping for joy. The population of the Lesser Florican is on the decline and considered to be Endangered, as a result of habitat degradation and hunting. Luckily, these birds are protected from hunting and trapping but this pressure has taken a historical role in reducing the population. The problem with being a bird that jumps high into the air…is you are very easy to spot for a hunter. Needless to say, they didn’t stand a chance prior to the hunting regulations. Although the hunting is now under control, the population will most likely continue to dwindle as the precious grasslands are constantly destroyed.
Image Credit: Ramki Sreenivasan
Source: http://www.kolkatabirds.com/lesserflorican.htm
