Foraging association of white stork Ciconia ciconia with blackbuck Antilope cervicapra

1 Pages·1998·0.57 MB·

by  B M Parasharya

112 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 95 (1998)
a threat, poaching is taking its toll and unless course the wild buffalo and as an important
conservation measures are implemented the flyway of migratory waterfowl, including the
future ofthese animals is bleak. Parts ofDibang common crane Grus grus (Choudhury, 1996).
RF, Kerim RF and Sirkee proposed RF (totalling
ANWARUDDINCHOUDHURY
202 sq. km) I have been recommended for a April 1, 1997
national park for its importance as the habitat of The Rhino Foundation,
Bengal florican Eupodotis bengalensis white- c/o The Assam Co. Ltd.,
,
winged wood duck Cairina scutulata, tiger Bamunimaidam, G. Bordoloi Path,
Panthera tigris, elephant Elephas maximus of Guwahati 781 021. Assam.
,
References
Choudhury, A.U. (1994): The decline of the wild woodduckandtheBengal florican inTinsukiadistrict,
water buffalo in north-east India. Oryx 28(1): and adjacent areas ofAssam and Arunachal Pradesh.
70-73. The Rhino Foundation for Nature in NE India,
Choudhury, A.U. (1996): Survey of the White-winged Guwahati.
FORAGING ASSOCIATION OF WHITE STORK CICONIA CICONIA WITH
6.
BLACKBUCK ANTILOPE CERVICAPRA
We visitedVelavadar Blackbuck Sanctuary To capture disturbedprey, the white storks
and National Park (Bhavnagar dist. Gujarat) on are known to follow fire (Hancock et al. 1992),
November 5, 1988. At 0830 hrs, there were 500 plough in the crop field (Pinowski et al. 1991)
blackbuckAntilope cervicapra scattered in small and other mammals (Hancock et al. 1992, Dean
groups around the guest house. Though at a close and MacDonald 1981). In Africa, white storks
range, the blackbucks were camouflaged against are known to associate with Cape buffalo, white
almost dried grass whereas more than 50 white rhinoceros, blue wildebeest, impala and domestic
storks Ciconia ciconia which were either cattle (Dean and MacDonald 1981). However,
,
foraging in the grass or flying across a short in India, white storks are notreportedto associate
distance, were quite conspicuous. We saw atleast with any wild or domestic mammals and hence
6 storks walking behind the blackbuck within 2 this is the first such report.
m
distance and capturing disturbed prey. Since
PARASHARYA
the storks were attending separate groups of August 20, 1996 B.M.
blackbucks, this foraging association was not AINP on Agricultural Ornithology
easily noticeable. The storks frequently changed Gujarat Agricultural University,
the feeding site, pursuing one group of blackbuck Anand Campus, Anand-388 110.
RAJUVYAS
after another. This foraging association was
exactly the same as that ofcattle egret Bubulcus Sayajibaug Zoo
ibis following cattle. Vadodara-390 018.
Refer NCES
Dean, W.R.J. &I.A.W. MacDonald(1918): A review of Pinowski, J., B. Pinowski, R.D. Graff, J. Visser & B.
African birds feeding in association with mammals. Dziurdzik(1991): Influenceoffeedinghabitatonprey
Ostrich 52: 135-155. capture rate and diet composition of White Stork
Hancock,J.A., J.A. Kushlan&M.P. Kahl(1992): Storks, Ciconia ciconia (L). Zakland Ochrony Przyrody I,
Ibises and Spoonbills ofthe World. Academic Press, ZasobowNaturalnychPolskejAkademiiNauk, Studia
London. Naturae - Seria A 59-83.
: