Checklist and nesting patterns of avifauna in and
around Mayiladuthurai region, Tamil Nadu, India
A. Mohamed SamsoorAli 1, S. Asokan 2, R. Manikannan 3 & P. Radhakrishnan4
1 New No.12,
Old No. 3/10, New Street, Kollapuram, Tiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu 609608, India
2 Associate
Professor, 3Lecturer, & 4Ph.D. Research Scholar,
Department of Zoology & Wildlife Biology, A.V.C. College (Autonomous), Mannampandal, Mayiladuthurai,
Tamil Nadu 609305, India
Email: 1 amsamsoor@yahoo.co.in (corresponding author), 2 beeasokan@gmail.com,3 manikannanr@yahoo.co.in, 4 samyradhakrishna@yahoo.co.in
Date of publication (online): 26 June 2011
Date of publication (print): 26 June 2011
ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893
(print)
Editor: Ignacy Kitowski
Manuscript
details:
Ms # o2299
Received 28
August 2009
Final revised
received 01 May 2011
Finally
accepted 12 May 2011
Citation: Ali, A.M.S., S. Asokan, R. Manikannan& P. Radhakrishnan (2011). Checklist and nesting patterns of avifauna in and around Mayiladuthurai region, Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of
Threatened Taxa 3(6): 1842–1850.
Copyright: © A. MohamedSamsoor Ali, S. Asokan, R. Manikannan & P. Radhakrishnan2011. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 UnportedLicense. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this
article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by
providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.
Acknowledgements:Authors are thankful to the Principal, the Management
and the Head of the Department of Zoology & Wildlife Biology, A.V.C.
College (Autonomous), Mannampandal, Mayiladuthurai for facilities and
encouragements. We sincerely express our thanks to the Subject Editor and
anonymous referees for their valuable comments on the manuscript.
Abstract:Seventy-five taxa of birds
belonging to 41 families were recorded in the Mayiladuthurairegion, Tamil Nadu, India during January 2006 to December 2006. Sixty-two species of these were
residents and 13 were local migrants. Among the birds recorded in this study, about 26 species were
insectivores and other dominating types included omnivores, predators, granivores and frugivores. Breeding habits of 30 species were
recorded, of five different nesting types, viz., cup nesters, cavity / hole nesters, platform nesters, pendant nesters and
ground nesters. The birds used a
variety of nesting materials, mostly twigs, fibres,
sticks, leaves and grasses for nest construction. Thirteen species laid pure white eggs without any markings
and nine species laid white eggs with various colourcombinations and markings. Some
species laid glossy blue, blue green, red and brown colouredeggs.
Keywords: Avifauna,
eggs, nesting birds, nest types.
For images, tables -- click
here
The Indian subcontinent has diverse avifauna with 1300
bird species (Grimmett et al. 1999). Recently there
is an increased awareness of the need to prepare checklists of birds on a wider
scale, although such work is often confined to sanctuaries and forest ranges (Kannan 1998; Mahabal 2000). Collective checklists of birds for
specific regions like lakes (Sahu & Rout 2005;
Reginald et al. 2007), wetlands (Ravindran 1995; Sivaperuman & Jayson 2000),
mangroves (Pandav 1997; Oswin1999), wildlife sanctuaries (Relton 1998; Mahabal 2000; Aravind et al.
2001; Chhangani 2002) and university campuses and
institutes (Jayapal 1995; Sundar1998; Nameer et al.2000; Ramitha & Vijayalaxmi2001; Dookia 2002; Praveen & Joseph 2006) have
also been published.
The information on checklists and nesting patterns of
birds in Mayiladuthurai region is scattered. A few reports that exist (Asokan 1998 a,b;Chandru & Asokan, 1999;Asokan et al. 2003, 2009b; Sivakumaran& Thiyagesan 2003; Neelanarayanan2007) are chiefly related to the population and feeding ecology of birds. Barring a few observations on the
nesting behaviour of birds (Thiyagesan 1991; Sivakumar & Jayabalan 2004; Asokan et al. 2008, 2009a) there are no detailed studies of
their nesting patterns. We present
in this paper a detailed account of our observations on checklists and nesting
patterns of avian species in Mayiladuthurai region.
Materials
and Methods
Study area: The Mayiladuthurai Taluk is located
on the Cauvery River bank between 18018’N and 79050’E in Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu, India. Agriculture is the major economics of
this area, which contributes a high share of rice production to the state. Sugarcane, groundnut, green gram, black
gram, cotton, etc are the other major crops cultivated in this area. The Cauvery River and its tributaries
are major perennial water sources used for irrigation. Woody vegetation is sparse in the form
of groves and roadside trees. The
predominant tree species found in the study area are Coconut Cocos nucifera, Palm Borassus flabellifer, Iluppai Madhucaindica, Mango Mangiferaindica, Rain Tree Enterolobium saman, Tamarind Tamarindus indicus, Banyan Ficus benghalensis, Peepal Ficusreligiosa, Poovarasu Thespesia populnea, Karuvai Acacia arabica, Odhian Odina wodier and Neem Azadirachta indica. Important shrub
species are Kattukaruvai Prosopis juliflora, Kattamani Jatropha glandulifera and Adathoda Adathoda visica. Plantations
of Casuarina Casuarina equisetifolia, TeakTectona grandis and Bamboo Bamboosa arundinacea are
also found in the study area. Based on the northeast monsoon the study area is divided into four
seasons viz., post-monsoon, summer, pre-monsoon and monsoon. Summer ranges from April to June (with
a mean maximum temperature of 380C) and the northeast monsoon
between October and December. The
cold season starts in November and may last till January.
Bird survey: The
checklist is primarily based on field work conducted
in two habitats, viz., river banks (Cauvery River) and agricultural lands of Mayiladuthurai region from January 2006 to December
2006. Birds were observed between
0500 and 0900 hr with the help of 7x50 field binoculars. Birds sighted during the study period
were categorized according to their status as residents and local
migrants. The identification of
birds was done using field guides (Grimmett et al.
1999; Ali 2002). The checklist was
prepared using standardized common and scientific names by Manakadan& Pittie (2001).
Nesting patterns: The nesting
behaviour study was carried out during January 2006 to July 2006, when most
birds breed. Nests were located
and data on nest characteristics, eggs and nest sites were recorded with
standard methodologies as described by Pettingill(1985) and Soni et al. (2004). The photographs were taken with a NIKON
Digital Camera.
Results and
Discussion
A list of birds recorded from Mayiladuthurairegion and their common name, scientific name, vernacular name (Tamil) and
feeding habits is reported in Table 1. The study reveals the occurrence of 75 species of birds belonging to 41
families and 13 orders. Among the
13 orders, Passeriformes dominated the list with 35 species followed by Ciconiiformes, Cuculiformes and Coraciiformes with six species each; Falconiformeswith five species, Charadriiformes and Columbiformes with three species each; Galliformes,Strigiformes, Apodiformesand Piciformes with two species each; Podicipediformes, Gruiformes and Psittaciformes with one species each. Out of the 75 species, 62 species were
common residential birds and 13 species were local migrants. The local migrants, viz., Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis, Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis, Asian
Open-bill Stork Anastomus oscitans, Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, Common
Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos, Pied Crested Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus, Small
Green-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus viridirostris,
Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura, Common
Swallow Hirundo rustica, Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica, Blyth’s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum, Asian
Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi and Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fuscus were
recorded only in certain months of the year i.e. August–January. Birds of diverse food habits were observed, viz.,
insectivores (26 species), omnivores (22 species), predators (16 species), granivores (8 species) and frugivores(3 species).
A greater diversity of avian species was recorded at the
Cauvery River banks because of greater vegetation densities and food
availability. Along both sides of
the river banks, many wooded tree species, scrub and
bushy type stumpy vegetation were distributed and it provided roosting and
nesting-sites for many bird species. A number of birds were recorded in the agricultural fields. Paddy is the main crop of the study
area and is cultivated round the year. Birds such as the Black Drongo, Indian Roller,
Small Bee-eater, White-breasted Kingfisher, Common Myna,
Pond Heron, egrets, etc., are very common birds in the agricultural lands and
feed mostly on insects. Such birds
are useful in the control of injurious insects in various crops (Asokan et al. 2009b).
The number of species recorded in the present study was
low when compared to some earlier studies in Tamil Nadu (Jayapal1995; Oswin 1999; Balasundaram& Rathi 2004; Reginald et al. 2007). The present study was carried out on
two selected habitats only, future studies will cover all the areas of Mayiladuthurai regions and list more numbers of avian
species.
In total, 30 species belonging to 22 families were
recorded nesting in the study area (Table 2; Image 1). A total of 125 nests were recorded
during the study period and the highest number of nests
observed were of the Common Myna (n=16)
followed by the Small Bee-eater (n=15) and the White-breasted Kingfisher (n=9).
Five different kinds of nesting patterns, viz., cup nesters (11 spp.), cavity / hole nesters (10 sp.),
platform nesters (5 sp.), pendant nesters (3 sp.) and ground nester (1 sp.)
were recorded.
The birds
used a variety of nesting materials for nest construction and most preferred
soft fibres, grasses, twigs, sticks and leaves (Table 2). The Common Mynaused more than five different varieties of nesting materials (twigs, roots,
leaves, polythene, bird feathers and snake skin) for nest construction. Birds
such as the Red-wattled Lapwing, Rose-ringed
Parakeet, White-breasted Kingfisher, Small Bee-eater and Indian Roller did not
use nesting materials and the Barn Owl laid its eggs on regurgitated pellets
(Table 2).
Nest construction and placement are correlated with the
breeding season, suitable nest sites, nesting materials availability, food
availability and predator’s interaction (Dial 2003). In the present study 11 species constructed cup nests with
various materials and in a variety of locations (trees, bushes and
shrubs). Many passerines and a few
non-passerines (White-breasted Waterhen and Palm
Swift) built this type of nest. Cavity / hole nests were used by numerous bird species and most bred
either in natural tree holes / cavities and holes in walls or buildings. Some birds, such as the Rose-ringed
Parakeet constructed their own nests and are referred to as primary cavity
nesters. Species that use natural cavities / holes constructed by primary
cavity nesters are called secondary cavity nesters (mynas,
roller, robins, spotted owlet). The White-breasted Kingfisher and the Small Bee-eater areburrow nesting species and they dig a horizontal tunnel into sandy river banks,
with a chamber at the tunnel’s end to house the eggs. Platform nests were constructed by one
raptor (Black Kite), two Columbiformes (Blue Rock
Pigeon and Spotted Dove) and two crow species (House and Jungle
crows). The Columbiformesconstructed simple platform nests with small sticks and fibres. The Blue Rock Pigeon nests were
man-made structures like temple towers and the Spotted Dove placed nests in
small, thick vegetation and trees. The Black Kite and crows used strong sticks, fibres, roots, cloth, etc.
and the nests were usually placed on tree canopy. The nests look like a jumble of
materials, but the sticks are usually placed in layers, beginning with a
triangle, followed by more rotated, triangular layers. The pendant nests
were constructed by the Baya Weaver, Streaked Weaver
and Purple-rumped Sunbirds. Pendant nests are elongated sacs woven
of pliable materials such as grasses and soft plant fibres. The BayaWeaver mostly preferred Palm trees for nest construction and the Streaked
Weaver preferred swampy and rain flooded areas, particularly where there were reeds
and tall grasses. The Red-wattled Lapwing laid eggs in open bare ground.
Most species laid pure white eggs or white with various
colour combinations. A few species
laid blue or blue green, red and brown coloured eggs. Generally white eggs are formed by calcium carbonate; the
pigments biliverdin and its zinc chelate give a blue or green and protoporphyrin produces reds and browns as the
ground colour (Kilner 2006). Lack (1968) stated that egg colour had
no taxonomic significance, but that did show a relationship with the type of
nesting-site. For example the hole
nesting species tended to have immaculate white eggs, ground nesters surrounded
by vegetation laid eggs of obscured brown, gray or olive, those nesting in
forks of tree branches had eggs with blotches or shadow-marks on a white or
blue background.
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