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. 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 MISCELLANEOUSNOTES leucophaeus, common rosefinch Carpodacus Sanctuary (Balasubramanian, 1996). Ali and erythrinus and Blyth’s myna Sturnus Ripley(1983),andCramp(1992)mentionedonly malabaricus blythii feeding on nectar from the insects as the food ofBlyth’s reed warbler. It is flowers ofan Erythrina indica tree, whichstood interesting to note that nectar also forms a food on the Merchinston Tea estate fence. Interes- ofthisspecies. Amongtheplantmaterials, seeds tingly,oncloseobservation,IsawaBlyth’sreed of Umbelliferae andCruciferae andblackberry warbler Acrocephalns dumetorum feeding on Rubus were recorded as food (Cramp 1992). nectar in the same tree. As the bird dipped its beakinsidethe flowers forarelativelylongtime July 13, 1999 S. BALACHANDRAN and raised it up to swallow, it is evident that it Bombay Natural History Society, drank nectar. The insectivorous Blyth’s reed Hornbill House, warbler was observed to feed on Salvadora Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road, persicafruitsatPointCalimereWildlifeandBird Mumbai 400 023, India. Refer iNCES Ali. S. & S.D. Ripley(1983): Handbookofthebirdsof Tropical DryEvergreenForestofPointCalimere. India and Pakistan, (compact edition), Oxford South India.J.Bombaynat. Hist. Soc. 93(3):428- UniversityPress,NewDelhi. 441. Balasubramanian,P.(1996): Interactionsbetweenfruit- Cramp,S.(1992):BirdsoftheWesternPalcarcticVol.VI. eating birds and bird-dispersed plants in the OxfordUniversityPress,London. SHORT-TOED LARK CALANDRELLA CINEREA FEEDING ON PEARL MILLET 14. PENNISETUM TYPHOIDESIN RAJASTHAN, INDIA. Short-toedlarkisacommonandabundant Therewere7-8largeflocksofbirdshovering winter visitor throughout the northwest desert nearthepearlmilletpanicles. The average height andsemi-desertportionsof India(AliandRipley of the millet plants was about 2 m. The birds 1986). They are gregarious in winter, preferring were pecking at the panicles while flying/ to feed in bare fallow fields in relatively arid hovering to dislodge the grain. After each bout desert tracts, avoiding cropland (Roberts 1992). of pecking activity lasting 5-10 seconds, they On October 3, 1993 while surveying the would descend to the ground to feed on fallen avifaunaoftheDesertNational Park, Rajasthan, grains. One ortwobirds were sitting on halfbent near Bama village,just outside the boundary of stems to pluck grains from the panicles. the park, I saw a farmer driving away ‘clouds’ Considerabledamagewasdonetothepaniclesand ofshort-toed lark Calandrella cinerea from his a large numberoffallengrainswere foundonthe small field ofpearl milletPennisetum typhoides ground, duetothe feeding activityofthesebirds. bybeatingametalbox. Apparentlyhiseffortsto driveawaythebirdswereunsuccessful,asthebirds February 23, 1998 HARKIRATS. SANGHA werenotleavingthefieldbutmerelysettlingsome B-27, Gautam Marg, distance away from the farmer to resume their HanumanNagar, feeding activity. On closer investigation, unusual Jaipur 302 021, feedingbehaviourwasobserved. Rajasthan, India. References All S. & S.D. Ripley(1986): Handbookofthe Birdsof Roberts, T.J. (1992): Birds ofPakistan, Vol. 2. Oxford IndiaandPakistan,Vol.5.2ndEdn.OUP,Delhi. UniversityPress,Karachi. 474 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 96(3) DEC. 1999