Table Of Content)
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
crest and distinguishing white breast with the nearly half an hour. Other birds sharing the
darkborderbelowwereclearlyvisible. Inflight, habitat were purple herons (Ardea purpurea
2 to 3 white patches were noticed in the area of cormorants(Phalacrocoraxsp.)whiskeredterns
thesecondaries, onbothsidesoftheblackrump. (Chlidonias hybrida pond herons Ardeola
), (
Thebirdwassolitaryandfeedingfromthe grayii) eastern swallows Hirundo rustica) and
(
pole, it would glide into the weeds, land for a brahminy kites (Haliastur indus).
fewseconds,pickupthepreyandflybacktothe
polewithtwoorthreelazywingbeats.Thewhole February 3, 1998 C. MOHAN KUMAR,
actionwashighlyreminiscentofanIndianroller. NP 6/386. Kaimanom PO,
Eating ofthe prey couldnotbe observed nor its Trivandrum 695 040,
identification made. The bird was observed for Kerala, India.
ROOSTINGBEHAVIOUROFINDIANPEAFOWLPAVOCRISTATUS
10.
Roost site selection plays apivotal role in side ofthe roadthere were a few crop fields and
the nesting success of any species. Judicious fallowland,butmostoftheareahadforestcover.
selection of the roosting site may enhance the Out of 16 poles used for roosting by 22
survival ofbirds, by virtue ofreduced heat loss, long trained(LT) birds, 13 (59.09%) roosted on
information sharing, accountability of topofthewire, 3 (13.64%) onthe poletopand6
population,andbetterprotectionfrompredators. (27.27%) over horizontal bars (Table 1). This
(Tast andRassi 1973, Gyllin etal. 1977, Gadgil top position of roosting was significantly
and Ali 1975, Gadgil 1972). preferred over horizontal bars (X2 = 8.08, P <
The Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus a 0.005).
),
commonbirdin India, isknowntoroostin trees Out of total 45 short trained (ST) birds
and large buildings at night. Though several occupying 9 poles, 26 (57.77%) roosted on
papers have been written on the roosting horizontalbars,whereas 17(37.80%)roostedon
behaviour ofpeafowl, detailed studies on roost wire andonly2 (4.44%) onpolepeak(Table 1).
siteselectionhaveonlyrecentlybeencarriedout This shows that there was no preference for
by Trivedi and Johnsingh (1996) in Gir forest. horizontal bars (X2 = 1.08, 0.25 < P < .50).
On July 27, 1997, during our move to Sevenpoles were occupiedby a single LT
Sasan from Malanka village, near Madhuvanti birdexclusively, whereason6polesone LTbird
dam on a 5 km stretch ofroad, we observed 28 and other ST birds were recorded. On the other
electric poles of which 20 (71.42%) were hand,ononlytwopoleswere2ormoreLTmales
occupied by Indian peafowl for roosting. To roosting with ST birds.
study the significance of this height as a Distribution of LT birds on a greater
preferable roost on the periphery of the Gir number of poles might be a behavioural
NationalPark, detailed observationswere made adaptation to avoid predation risk. On the other
on the birds roosting on the poles. hand, ST birds never roosted singly on a single
Allthepoleswere examinedcarefully and pole. Furthermore, 4 poles were occupied only
the top part ofeach pole was categorised under by STbirds.
3 different roosting subsites i.e. (1) peak ofthe Trivedi and Johnsingh (1996) have
pole (2) top of the wire (3) three layers of established that within the Gir National Park,
horizontalbars.Thenumberofpeafowloccurring peafowl preferred high trees. In view of then-
ineachroostingsitewererecordedfrom 1915 to findings,wepresumethatallpeafowlofthearea
2000hrstillitbecamecompletelydark.Oneither shouldberoosting onthepoles(the safestsite in
JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(3), DEC. 1999 471
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
Table
1
PEAFOWLCOUNTONELECTRICPOLES
No.of Positionoccupiedby Total Positionoccupiedby Total
Poles longtrained(LT)birds shorttrained(ST)birds
Polepeak Wire Horizontalbar Polepeak Wire Horizontalbar
8 01 06 05 12 02 10 19 31
7 02 04 01 07
1 - 03 - 03
4 - 07 07 14
20 03 13 06 22 02 17 26 45
viewoftheheight).TheleopardPantherapardus pers. comm.). It seems that peafowl require
is animportantpredatorofpeafowl inGirforest protectionfromgroundpredators(notnecessarily
(Trivedi and Johnsingh 1996). Preference for leopards) as we have seen them roosting on
high trees for roosting was attributed to the electric poles in some parts of Kheda dist. and
danger from this ground predator, which can also near Samakhiyali (Kachchh) on September
climb trees. Roosting on high tension electric 28, 1992 along with black ibises Pseudibis
poles is much safer, as leopards and other papillosa. NeitherinKhedanorinKachchhdoes
predators cannot climb on to them. the leopard exist, yet these two species were
Thedatashowsthatlongtrainedbirdswere roosting onpoles. The advantage ofahighroost
more safety conscious than short trained ones, siteisobvious(Yom-Tov 1979).
as they preferred wire against horizontal bars. OnJuly26, 1997, wesawpeafowlroosting
ForanLTbirditisextremelydifficulttomaintain onkhejriProsopiscineraria within acattleegret
abalance againsthighwinds atheights of50 m. heronry along the state highway at Bagodara
DuringJuly,windspeedinthisarearanges from (Ahmedabad dist.). All roosting behaviour
15-20km/hr. Toroostonwireratherthanonthe described(includingpoleroosting)wererecorded
horizontal bars of the poles expends greater fromtheroadsidewherethereisalwaysvehicular
energy. Despite this, most of the LT peafowl traffic. It seems that in the selection ofroosting
preferred the wires indicating that predation sites, safety againstpredators is more important
pressure in the periphery ofthe sanctuary must than the disturbance due to vehicular traffic.
beveryhigh.ThepredationpressuresonLTbirds
could be much more than on ST birds, as is Acknowledgements
reflected in site preference on the poles.
Further, this behaviour indicates We thank the Indian Council of
adaptabilityofthe species to a modifiedhabitat. Agricultural Research, New Delhi for financial
Such man-made structures, ifinstalled within a assistance, Dr. D. N. Yadav, officer in charge,
sanctuary,wouldprotectpeafowlfrompredators for constant encouragement and J.J. Jani for his
like the leopard, which ultimately may have critical suggestions on the manuscript.
certain management implications. We do not
know whethersome peafowl were also roosting March 31, 1999 B.M. PARASHARYA
on the trees in the same area. AESHITAMUKHERJEE
Theobservedroostingbehaviourprovides AINP on Agricultural Ornithology
\
safety against predators but makes the peafowl Gujarat Agricultural University,
vulnerable to local hunters known as ‘Dafers’, Anand388 110.
asbirdsonthepoleareeasytoshoot(P.P. Raval, Gujarat, India.
472 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(3) DEC 1999
.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
References
Gadgil, M. (1972): The function ofCommunal roost: JackdawsCorvusmonedulaatTampere,Finland.
relevanceofmixedroosts.Ibis114:531-533. OrnisFeen. 50:29-45.
Gadgil,M.&S.Ali(1975):Communalroostinghabitsof Trivedi,P.&A.J.T.Johnsingh(1996):Roostselectionby
Indianbirds.J.Bombaynat.Hist.Soc. 72(3):116- the Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus Linn.) in Gir
727. forest,India.J. Bombaynat. Hist. Soc. 93(1):25-
Gyllin,R.,H.Kallander&M.Sylven(1977):Themicro 29.
climate explanation of town centre roosts of Yom-Tov,Y.(1979):Thedisadvantageoflowpositionin
JackdawsCorvusmonedula.Ibis119:358-361 colonialroosts:anexperimenttotesttheeffectsof
Tast,J. &P. Rassi(1973): Roostand roostingflightsof droppingsonplumagequality.Ibis 121:331-333.
SIGHTING OF THE INDIAN REDBREASTED PARAKEET AT ANDHERI
11.
On the evening of December 7, 1997 at which they flew away. I spotted them again at
1630 hrs, I was at the residence ofa friend at about 1730 hrs, flying about in the same region.
Andheri (West) Mumbai, when I heard an Theyweremovinginagroupmaking loudcalls.
unusual call among the calls ofthe rose ringed They flew independent of the rose ringed
parakeet. On investigation, I found it to be a parakeets, though there were plenty ofthe latter
parakeet quite unlike any I had seen before. I in the region.
watched the bird through my binoculars. With Thesemusthavebeenescapedcagedbirds.
thehelpofa fieldguide, I wasable to identify it
as the male of the Indian redbreasted parakeet January 5, 1998 LILYNKAMATH
Psittacula alexandri. World WideFundforNature-Indict
Thebirdwasperchedontopofatreealong National Insurance Building,
with three other males of the same type. I 204. Dr. D.N. Road,
observed them for a total of 10 minutes, after Mumbai 400 00/. India.
Reference
Ali,S(1996):TheBookofIndianBirds,BombayNaturalHistorySociety,Mumbai, 12thedn,pp354.
12. ALBINO MYNA (ACRIDOTHERES TRISTIS)NEARVITA, IN MAHARASHTRA
Near Vita in Sangli dist., Maharashtra, I entire family flew away to a neighbouring hill
saw a nest ofthe common myna (Acridotheres (Sulkai).
tristis) with two eggs. Both eggs hatched, and
one was a pure albino. Both the chicks were September 24, 1998 P.S. SALUNKHE
successfully raised. The beak and legs were Department ofZoology'
yellow. Sadgunt Gadage Maharaj College,
A number of insects were successfully Karad, Satara Dist. Pin 4/5 103,
devouredbythealbinomyna.Afterfledging,the Maharashtra, India.
BLYTH’S REED WARBLERACROCEPHALUSDUMETORUMFEEDING ON NECTAR
13.
During my field visit to Ponmudi in Ghats on February 8, 1996, I observed several
Trivandrum forest division of Kerala Western species ofbirds, namely grey drongo Dicrurus
JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(3), DEC 1999 473
