Redlegged falcon Falco vespertinus in Gujarat

1 Pages·1997·0.64 MB·

by  Lavkumar Khacher

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 401
REDLEGGED FALCON FALCO VESPERTINUS IN GUJARAT
11.
Despite watching birds for over half a realised that here was no familiar kestrel, the
century, the sighting of a new bird is exciting. overall colour was much darker, the upper
Perhaps, the excitement is all the morerewarding plumage was a dark grey. Unfortunately, I could
when one has almost exhausted most of the not see the legs. The bird was smaller than the
possibilities on one’s home turf. On Friday, 2nd kestrel and from time to time gently bobbed its
A
February, 1996 1 added a femaleredlegged falcon head. couple of years earlier Pradeep Pandya,
to my list. a knowledgeable birdwatcher from Rajkot, had
.
I was walking along the northern shoreline recorded a small flock of this falcon in
of the Poshitra Bay on Beyt island at the mouth Saurashtra. February is too late for an outward
of the Gulf of Kachchh. The sun was touching migration to Africa and possibly a little early for
down on thewesternhorizon in front ofmewhen, the return passage, so it is possible that a few of
what I took for a kestrel flew low over me. Since these rather uncommon birds do winter along
birds of prey are becoming rare and seeing one the coast.
is a joy, I stopped to watch the bird, hoping it
would hover. Instead, it glided low over me and April 4, 1996 LAVKUMAR KHACHER
alighted atop an euphorbia clump - the rays of 646, Vastunirman,
the setting sun fully illuminating it. I immediately Ganghinagar, Gujarat-382 022.
NESTING OF THE LESSER FLORICAN DURING THE SOUTHWEST MONSOON
12.
To reproduce successfully, birds should do Due to the nesting habitat, long grass,
so when environmental conditions are most florican nests are very difficult to find, more so
favourable (Earle 1981). Breeding seasons are, due to the secretive behaviour and cryptic
however, fixed for most species and the optimal coloration of the hens. Because this species is
time for nesting and therefore breeding success endangered, intensive nest searches were not
is determined by the presence of adequate cover undertaken, and nest location was mainly
for nesting and hiding the young, and the through chance flushing of incubating hens in
availability ofadequate food. Theoptimal nesting the field; therefore data is limited
period in a species would have also evolved to The majority of the data was collected at
fall within the breeding season when adverse grasslands around Sailana in Ratlam district,
environment influences eg. snow storms or Madhya Pradesh, and the rest at Rampura-
floods, are least likely. Movalia-Kalitalai grasslands near Dohad in
The lesser florican Sypheotides indica Panchmahal dist., Gujarat. The study extended
breeds during the southwest monsoon (Jerdon over 475 days between July 16 and October 6,
1864, Ali and Ripley 1969, Dharmakumarsinhji 1985; June 22 and October 10, 1986; June 16
1950), immigrating into western Indiaat theonset and October 1, 1987; June 24 and October 6,
of the monsoons and begins emigrating in early 1988; August 5 and October 1, 1989. Six nests
October (Sankaran 1991, Sankaran et al. 1992). were located (2 in 1985 and 4 in 1986) at Sailana,
Like all other species ofbustards, the lesser flori- and 3 nests were seen at the proposed Lala
can is a ground nester. The nest in this family is a Bustard Sanctuary near Nalliya, AbhdasaTaluka,
simple scrape in the ground without any nesting Kutch dist.
&
material added, and thebehaviour associated with Clutch size Incubation period; Of the
nest building is absent (Osborne et al 1984). 9 nests recorded in this study, one had five eggs.