Bengal Florican (Haubaropsis bengalensis) is a highly threatened and rare ground nesting bird species inhabiting in Nepal, India, Cambodia and Vietnam with a world population of less than 250 (Ali & Ripley 1987 BirdLife International 2012). It is listed as a critically endangered species in the IUCN Red list category because of its small and rapidly declining population due to widespread loss of grassland habitat in its rang(BirdLife International 2012). The legal status of this globally threatened species in Nepal is protected (Appendix-I) under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1973 and Appendix-I in CITES law.

 A pioneering study on this species in some of the protected areas in Nepal?s southern belt and  in northern India was conducted in 1982 resulting in an estimate of 56󈞾 birds as the total Bengal Florican population in Nepal (Inskipp & Inskipp 1983). The study concluded that in Nepal all important populations of  the species lie within lowland protected areas. A number of studies has been carried out since then, notably in Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve and Bardia National Park in 1990 by Weaver (1991), Bardia in 1998 by Pokharel & Dhakal (1998) and Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, Bardia and Chitwan National Parks in the years 2000� by Baral et al (2003) Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. Repeated surveys have been carried out since then in Nepal in these protected areas.

This bustard has a very small, declining population, a trend that has recently become extremely rapid and is predicted to continue in the near future largely as a result of the widespread and on going conversion of its grassland habitat for agriculture(Baral et al (2003). It therefore qualifies as a critically endangered. This is the only species remaining in its genus haubaropsis(Birding Asia(10), Bird Conservation Nepal). Hence a need of urgency towards the conservation of this bird species is strongly felt in Nepal.