Leptoptilos javanicus (Horsfield, 1821) - Lesser Adjutant

Subspecies in India

This species is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).
 

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This species is rare. It inhabits inland wetlands of semi-arid plains. It is migratory, breeding in Indonesia, Cambodia, and India (mainly in Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam). This species has undergone possible extirpation from China and Singapore (BirdLife International 2017).
 
Conservation Status:
 


According to the IUCN Red List Assessment, the population of this species is rapidly declining, with the current population estimate of 5,500-10,000 individuals. A major threat to its persistence comes from habitat disturbance due to large-scale agriculture. Another threat is hunting which leads to low adult survival (BirdLife International 2017).

StateJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNo date
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andhra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam122311
Bihar
Chandigarh
Chhattisgarh
Dadra & Nagar Haveli
Daman & Diu
Delhi
Goa1
Gujarat
Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir
Jharkhand
Karnataka1
Kerala1
Lakshadweep
Madhya Pradesh1321
Maharashtra1111
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Nagaland
Odisha1
Paschimbanga121
Pondicherry
Punjab
Rajasthan
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu
Tripura
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand
West Bengal
Total4327131314
BirdLife International 2017. Leptoptilos javanicus (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T22697713A110481858. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22697713A110481858.en. Accessed on 05 February 2020.
 

Page citation

Anonymous 2024. Leptoptilos javanicus (Horsfield, 1821) – Lesser Adjutant. In Satose, V., A. Bayani, V. Ramachandran, P. Roy, and K. Kunte (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 2.17. Published by the Indian Foundation for Butterflies. URL: https://www.birdsofindia.org/leptoptilos-javanicus, accessed 2024/12/12.