Table Of ContentMISCELLANEOUS NOTES
BURROW STRUCTURE IN RELATION TO HOARDING HABIT OF RATTUS
1.
ARGENTIVENTER IN TWO HABITATS
Rattus argentiventer is by far the most Table 1
We
predominant rodent in rice fields in Indonesia. POSITIONOFBURROWS OFRattus argentiventerATTWO
studiedtheburrowstructure andthe extent ofhoarding DIFFERENTELEVATIONS
m
in upland areas (700 above sea level) at Desa
m Parameter Lowland area Upland area
Cilember-Cisarua, Bogor and in lowland areas (150
above sea level) at Desa Sindangbarang-Ciomas, Average(range)
Bogor. The data (Table 1) reveal that the mainburrow Heightofthedike(cm) 55 11
entrance of Rattus argentiventer in upland areas is (23-107) (45-142)
situated on dikes ata height of38.55 cm, 38.2% ofthe Heightofmain burrow
dikeheight) whereasitis at 25.58 cm (at46.5% ofdike entrance compared with
height) in lowland areas. The difference between the the heightofthe dike (%) 46.51 38.17
twoissignificant(t0.05,d.f.30).Theaveragelength of (20-82.76) (16.67-92.54)
burrowsofuplandR. argentiventeris64.66cmwhereas Length ofburrows (cm) 77.05 64.66
thoseinlowlandareasmeasure77.05cm(Table 1).This (52-208) (30-110)
Diameter ofmain burrow
difference in length ofburrows in two habitats may be
entrance(cm) 7.43 8.46
correlated with theirhoardingbehaviour.
(5-10.5) (5.5-11.5)
R. argentiventer in lowland areas on an average
Food hoarded in the burrow 42.79 27
hoardsmuchmorerice (42.8g)thanthoseintheupland (g)
(7-139) (3-73)
areas (27.0 g, 1 0.01, d.f. 24). This may be the reason
why the burrows of rats living in lowland areas are
longer. July 4, 1991 IBNU MARYANTO
OCCURRENCE, STATUS AND BREEDING OF PODICEPS CRISTATUS
2.
(LINN.) AND FULICA ATRA LINN.
This note deals with four aspects relating to the great crested grebe have increased in their
great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus: status and distributional areasin, ifnotthe whole, atleastapartof
distribution,breedingrecords inKutch and Saurashtra thepalaearcticregion;andhenceperhapsthespill-over
(it perhaps breeds in other areas of Gujarat too, but so has started coming fairly regularly to Kutch and
far no information is at hand), the behaviour of a Saurashtra. The position is likely to be the same in the
breeding pair (studied at random), its interaction wi—th neighbouring areas ofRajasthan and Sind in Pakistan,
—
otherwaterbirds particularlythe cootFulica atra wherever conditions are favourable. However, this
andinadditiontherecordsofthecootnestinginKutch. latter possibility could only be proved through
Since P. cristatus was first recorded in Kutch in systematic observations. Some of these birds which
May (1965, JBNHS 62 551-53), we have regularly visit us stay on throughout the year and a few ofthem
:
come acrosstwoto sixbirdsmostly onirrigationdams, carry out their nesting activities. Thus this grebe can
except inthe yearswhenthese dams were either dry or nowbe considered partly resident.
had very little water owingto the paucity ofrainfall or Towardstheendofthehotweatherof1965oneof
A
complete drought. quarter ofa century or so ago the us (H.) was informedby thelateK.S.Narsinhji,thathe
great crested grebe was considered a very rare and sawahalf-grownyoungwithapairofP. cristatusinthe
irregularwintervisitorto these parts. Neither Geoffrey Rudramata Dam (Bhuj environs). This was the first
ArchernorDrSalimAli (duringhissurveysin 1943-44 breedingrecord forthisarea.TaejMundkurandRishad
and subsequent visits over the years) had recorded it. Parvez reported the breeding of this waterbird in
Thispoints tothelikelihoodthatthepopulations ofthe Saurashtra in 1984 (JBNHS 83: 429-431). NNB saw
9
.
440 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURALHIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 88
small chicks early in 1989 on Dhonsa jheel (c. 6 km of reeds near the main bank of the jheel to the north,
north-west of Bhuj). When we went there on 14 overgrown with a thick impenetrable growth of
January,inconnectionwiththeAsianWaterbird Count, Prosopis chilensis.
H
we came across a pair with four chicks which were Here on the morningof 15 August, found only
somewhat smallerthan the dabchick. The total number themalecarryingthenestingmaterial andjustdumping
of great crested grebe present on the jheel was 9, it on the nesting site; the female kept swimming some
A
including the chicks. The other adults present there distance away. pair of coots with small chicks was
showed no signs ofbreeding. There were quite a few presentnearby and anotherpairwasbuildingitsnestin
duck species, other waterbirds and 400 coots which the middle ofa patch ofreeds next to the one in which
formed the majority among the birds present. the grebes were constructing theirs. One of the coots
Thisjheelhasbeendeepenedandwidenedduring aggressively chased the male P. cristatus once as he
recent years, having the deepest portion towards the approachedhisnest,andheinhisturn,wentforthecoot
highbankto thewest, inthemiddleand extendingabit with neckoutstretched and wingspartly raised,but did
to the east. The rest ofit is shallow. The circumference not drive home the attack.
ofDhonsajheel is c. 5 km and there are thin patches of Afterthis, very often,whenthemale grebe swam
reedsinthemiddleandathickbeltofreeds,brokenhere away to collect nesting materials, a coot would come
and there, all around the periphery. and take away strands of reeds from the nest under
The most interesting fact about nesting P. construction and deposit them in its own nest! It was
cristatus was tha—t they bred quite outside the known interesting to study the interaction between these two
breeding period June to August. If the incubation species ofwaterbirds in the limited area of this small
period ofthisspecies of28 days were tobe considered, jheel (circumference of c. 2 km), which is surrounded
the nesting activities must have begun in November, byawidebeltofProsopischilensisparticularlythickon
and the full clutch of eggs ofthis pair is likely to have the mainbankto the north and east, andthinningoutto
been completed by end ofNovember. Later on, in the thesouth andwest.There aremainlythreegapsthrough
beginningofthehotweather, two otherpairswereseen which the edge of the water could be approached, a
NNB
by to be buildingnests in the thin patch ofreeds narrowonenearthe overflow, anotherone a fewmetres
in the middle ofthe jheel, but they appeared to be left away to the left (cattle and other livestock come down
unfinishedatthetime ofourvisitthereagainon7April to drink water here), both situated on the eastern side,
This time eight P. cristatus were present along with and the third gap on the west which has old worn-out
about six coots. stepsleadingtothewaterwith somespacetotheleftfor
The latestbreeding record (observationbyNNB) animals to drink. Birdwatching can properly be done
ofthis grebe was in Vala khavasjheel, c. 5 km west of mostly through these gaps.
Bhuj, on the Mandvi road. Once again NNB was the We theorised that the grebes gave up their first
first tomakethe discovery.All threeofuswentthere on nest owing to the interference of the coots and this
30 July 1989 and found the P. cristatus pair in full theory seemed tobe correct; for on the next day (16th)
H
nuptialplumage,withthemaledisplayinginfrontofthe found the second nesting site abandoned too. This
female, facingherwith small strands ofreeds inhisbill timetheP. cristatuspairwere activelybringingnesting
which he brought up from below the surface of the materials which they just dumped on the site without
watereverynowandthen.Noresponse fromthefemale climbing up into the reeds. The male brought long
was noticed. strands of reeds while the female was seen taking
Themalewas alsoseento depositsome strandsof shorter lengths and also some other vegetation which
reeds in a nest located on the edge of a thin patch of was hardly visible through an 8 x 30 pair ofbinoculars
reeds. The female swam about a bit, or remained at a distance ofc. 175 m.
H
stationary, quite close by. On the evening of5 August On 5 September found the female sittingin the
the femalesat in the nest,andthe malefrequently dived nest in the evening. The male swamaround in thejheel
downto collectnestingmaterialswhichwere deposited and occasionally dived into the water to fetch nesting
inthenest,andthe female arrangedthe sameinthenest. materials which were taken to the nest, and the female
H visited the jheel again on 11 August and found the arranged them with her bill. No coots were observed
almostcompleted nest abandoned. Thepairhad shifted near the site ofthe nest this time. On 11 September the
to another site, again onthe outside edge ofa thin patch male sat in the nest in the morning and the female
MISCELLANEOUSNOTES
441
remained closeby, almosttouchingthenest. NNB saw location on 6 November 1988. Thereafterthey noted a
chicks on 17 September. The next day we saw the pair nestofapairand onemorepairwithnearly fully grown
onthewesternside ofthejheel and asthemalepreened young on 31 October 1989 in Ratnal village tank. The
the feathers of his back and wings, three very small earlierbreedingthis year ofc. 3 + pairs onVala khavas
chicks got momentarily pushed offinto the water, but jheel has already been mentioned in connection with
soon clambered back onto the male parent’s back. the breeding pair of P. cristatus above. We also
The female kept on swimming and constantly observed pairs ofcoots breeding at Devisar tank, thus
divingdownforfood (whatlookedliketadpoles)which provingthatthiswaterbirdhasnowestablisheditselfin
was fed to the chicks, going close to the male who limited numbers as a nesting species in Kutch too.
remained stationary, carrying the chicks on his back. Largenumbersofcootvisitingus-outnumbering
The heads of a couple of chicks were clearly visible all other waterfowl -are now a common feature on all
above the top edge ofthe wings ofthe male. Thejheel manner ofwaterbodies during the cold weather. Some
was not visited till 27 October, whenH went there. He ofthese birds stay behind, or are permanent residents,
foundthepairofP. cristatusswimmingapart.Themale in suitablehabitats. Thoughnormally a docilebird, the
was accompanied by one young bird, the female by coot develops an acute sense of territorial
three. Thus four chicks were raised which at this time possessiveness and (contrary to Dharmakumarsinhji’s
were slightly less than halfgrown. They were roughly observations) it attacks its own kind as well as other
a month-and-a half old, for they possibly hatched out species that intrude into its domain.
between 12 and 17 September. It builds a nest the size ofwhich is quite out of
Apartfromtheabovebreedingrecords,NNB also proportion to its own body-size. Owingto this its need
notedthebreedingofthegreatcrestedgrebeonDevisar for nesting materials is quite large, and so whenever
tank and Kansvati dam this year, which points to the opportunity comes its way, it does not hesitate to
breedingofthis grebe on a wider scale inKutch. There supplement its own collections by pilfering from other
appears to be no special preference for large or small species’ nests. This trait ofF. atra was clearly seen by
waterbodiesfornesting.Theonlyprerequisite,asfaras us at Vala khavas jheel. The nesting site preferred is
we have been able to study the breedingbehaviour of inside a thin clump ofreeds.
thisbird, isobviously deepwaterinwhich itcandiveto Besides P. cristatus and P. atra there were 4 ±
obtain food and nesting material, and thin patches of pairsofthelittlegrebePodicepsruficollisnestingatthe
reeds for nesting. The nests are located almost on the Vala khavas jheel. It was interesting to note in the
edges of the patches of reeds from which they could restricted area of this small water body that although
We
look all round. also noticed that during the shared these grebes also had an acute sense of territory, and
incubation the male was invariably seen on the nest in quite actively, defended their own boundaries against
the day time (till late afternoon) while the female took encroachment oftheir own kind, they never made any
over from the late afternoon, or evening, onwards. attempts to venture into the spheres ofinfluence ofthe
The coot was purely a cold weather visitor till bigger waterbirds, which in theirturn tookno notice of
recently in Kutch, though sporadic breedinghas been these smaller birds.
recorded in Saurashtra, the earliest being
Dharmakumarsinhji’s JBNHS 46: 724), but at first M. K. HIMMATSINHJI
NNB,andsomedayslat(erbothheandSNV(12October S.N. VARU
1986) sawapairofF. atra withsmall chicksbelowLair December 12, 1989 N.N. BAPAT
dam, c. 11 km east of Bhuj; and again at the same
OCCURRENCE OF WHITE OR LONGTAILED TROPIC-BIRD PHAETHON
3.
LEPTURUS ON THE SOUTH-EAST COAST OF INDIA
Mandapamanditsneighbouringislands(9°17’N; some interestingpelagicbirds like the petrel, skua and
79°8’E) form an important wintering ground for noddytemwererecordedfromthisarea (Balachandran
migratory waders and terns in south India. Because of inpress). Onemore interestingrecord ofapelagicbird
its geographical situation (very close to Sri Lanka) is now ofthewhitetropic-birdPhaethon lepturusfrom
