The Lesser Florican is the smallest of the Indian bustards, and the male is smaller than the female. The illustration shows the male during the breeding season displaying its extraordinary crest. It also attracts the females by fluttering up into the air making a croaking call. In the nineteenth century the bustard was considered a good game bird. Gould wrote 'Its flesh is delicate and of excellent flavour, and in India it is the most esteemed of all the game birds. Its pursuit is consequently a favourite sport, and, from the open nature of the ground it frequents, it is well adapted for being hawked.'
The two sexes depicted are about natural size.
DISTRIBUTION: Southern Asia: southeastern Pakistan and India