13. Competition for Food Between a Garden Lizard Calotes Versicolor (Daudin) and a Magpie Robin Copsychus Saularis Linn

1 Pages·2000·0.67 MB·

by  Simanta Kumar Kalita

MISCELLANEOUSNOTES
13. COMPETITION FOR FOOD BETWEEN A GARDEN LIZARD
CALOTES VERSICOLOR (DAUDIN) AND A MAGPIE ROBIN
COPSYCHUSSAULARISLINN.
OnApril 6, 1998, atabout 1230hrs, I saw bird now left the calotes alone, and tried to fly
a garden lizard Calotes versicolor chasing a awaywiththecentipede,butsucce—ededingetting
centipedeScolopendrasp. foradistanceofabout only about halfofthe centipede the calotes
m
10 inagardenatGarigaon, Guwahati,Assam. having retained the other half.
The centipede was moving fast and the lizard The magpie then sat about 5 m away and
wasplaying withit; itheldthe centipede andset the calotes charged towards the bird, leaving its
it free many times. Suddenly, a magpie robin portion ofthe prey onthe ground. This time the
Copsychus saularis appeared, and attempted to bird flew away, holding its portion of the
steal the prey ofthe calotes. At this, the calotes centipede in its beak. To my astonishment, the
became aggressive, standingup onitshind legs, calotes did not come back to regain its share of
holding the anterior portion ofthe body upright the kill.
and attempting to bite the bird, but the bird
moved smartly to avoid the attack. Dec. 16, 1998 SIMANTAKUMARKALITA
Taking advantage ofthe interruption, the Department ofZoology
centipede started to move away, but as it was Gauhati University,
alreadyinjured,itcouldnotmakemuchheadway Guwahati 781 014,
before being sighted by the magpie robin. The Assam, India.
14. PURPLERUMPED SUNBIRD NECTARINIA ZEYLONICA (LINN.)
ATGANDHINAGAR, GUJARAT
—
In ‘Birds of Gujarat A Salim Ali however valid. Mark myjoy then, at finding a
Centenary year overview’ JBNHS 93(3), pairofpurplerumpedsunbirds among a flockof
December 1996, I had this to say about this other small garden birds chivvying our cat and
attractive little bird: ‘... resident bird watchers her kitten, just outside my window. I took the
ofVadodara and Suratmay well come across a opportunitytoobservethefemalecarefully. She
good many more’ in response to SalimAli’s ‘a hadaconsiderablyshorterandfinerbill, showed
single unconfirmed sight record.’ I had always a more distinctive yellow on the throat and
been puzzled why this otherwise common bird breast, and had a black tail with rather
of the peninsular gardens was not more prominentwhite ends to the outerfeathers. This
widespread and common in Gujarat, and I was wasinclearcontrasttothefemalepurplesunbird
happy to have recordedit inAhmedabad a year which looked more leggy and off colour. But
ago (1997). For a month, I have been aware of these finer points are not to be relied on when
sunbirds around my Gandhinagar home, birds are flitting around among tall trees. It is
emanating calls at a higher note and sounding the variation ofthe call, that isverydistinct and
more lisping, and I was sure I was not hearing draws attention. This morning I saw the
the ubiquitous purple sunbird N. asiatica, but zeylonica feeding on my k—adamb tree.
at60,onedoesnotplacemuchcredenceonsmall The question is have we been
variations ofsound, andIhave long ago lostthe overlooking this sunbird, which I doubt, or is
brashness of youth to jump to conclusions, the species expanding its range? An ecological
JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 97(3),DEC. 2000 431