species leading to the names aurita and indica and the species has been placed in the past in the genera Otis, Eupodotis and Sypheotis. The species ending which is related to the gender of the Latin genus has been debated and it believed that indicus is correct. The horizontal body carriage, size and habit of holding up their tail feathers when walking on the ground have led their local names to make associations with peacocks, with a popular name being the equivalent of "grass peacock" (such as khar-mor, tan-mor) in some areas. the name Likh is used in northwestern India and adopted by British sportsmen in India. Distribution and habitat The species was formerly more widespread across much of Indian Sub-continent, but not in Sri Lanka. It breeds mainly in the central and western parts of India. Historic records exist from the Makran coast of Balochistan province in Pakistan. A record from Burma has been questioned. The species is said to move in response to rainfall and their presence at locations can be erratic, with sudden large numbers in some seasons. About 500 males in Gujarat were ringed and nearly 18 were recovered, most of them within about 50 kilometres of their ringing sites. The preferred habitat is grasslands but it sometimes occurs in fields such as those of cotton and lentils. Breeding areas are today restricted mainly to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, some areas in southern Nepal and parts of Andhra Pradesh. Managing florican habitats as grassland interspersed with croplands and pastures spared rotationally provided optimal results at low production-level. Behaviour and ecology These bustards are found either singly or in pairs in thick grassland or sometimes in crop fields. Indigenous tribal hunters regularly shot the males during the breeding season, as they were easy to spot because of their courtship display. It was said to be good for eating but considered inferior to the meat of the Bengal florican. They fly faster than other bustards and give a duck-like impression in flight. Diet 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. Usually floricans feed during the early hours of mornings or in the evenings, except in the case of newly migrated birds which feed throughout the