The Kharmore or lesser florican (Sypheotides indicus) population in the Sonkhaliya grasslands of Ajmer are drastically declining, conservationists have warned. Over the past three years the number of the bustard sightings has come down from 400 to 100 in Rajasthan alone, indicating long-term population decline. According to the forest department records, the highest Kharmore count was recorded in 2012 (around 400), but their numbers of started falling steadily thereafter. Over 300 Kharmores were spotted in 2013, while over 200 were sighted in 2014. This year around 100 have been sighted post the breeding season. Lesser florican, endemic to India and some parts of Pakistan and Nepal, is listed as an endangered species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, 2011, and under the Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Lesser floricans feed on a wide variety of small vertebrates and invertebrates which include worms, centipedes, lizards, frogs and insects such as locusts, flying ants and hairy caterpillars. They are also known to feed on shoots and seeds, herbs and berries.
Sources: Hindustan Times, 30 November 2015
http://www.hindustantimes.com/jaipur/lesser-florican-population-drastic…
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_florican
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