Interaction Between Siberian Crane Grus Leucogeranus and Checkered Keelback Snake Xenochrophis Piscator in Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur

2 Pages·2002·1.3 MB·

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
suspect that these species would nest here at an (1.2-3m). However, we did not come across any
appropriate time. However, these birds were not instance ofmugger predating on adult orjuvenile
seen again during a trip on October 7. By now, birds ofthe heronry.
the chicks of all heronry birds had reached For ornithologically significant village
subadult proportions. Since the island is some ponds in the Ahmedabad region, a conservation
distance away from the bund walls surrounding and education strategy has been chalked out by
the pond from which observations can be made, Urfi and Nareshwar (1998). This plan envisages
it was not possible to ascertain the number of population monitoring of heronry birds and
nests ofeach species on any occasion. simple interpretation and community
Other than the heronry, the wildlife value sensitization programs.
ofTraj village pond has some other aspects too. I wish to thank Dilhaz Jaffrey, E.K.
On most ofour visits we encountered quite high Nareshwar and Narendra Nethwa for company
numbers of sarus crane, 68 in the shallow part on field trips. I am grateful to Mr. K.V. Sarabhai,
ofTraj pond on July 14 beingthe highestnumber. Director, Centre for Environment Education,
Other types of waterbirds viz, rails, kingfisher, Ahmedabad, for encouragement.
ducks etc. were also seen here. Another
interesting feature is the presence of mugger February 23, 2000 ABDUL JAMIL URFI
(Crocodylus palustris) in the deep part of the Sundarvan Nature Dicovery Centre,
Traj pond (Vijaykumar 1997). On our visits five S.M. Road, Jodhpur Tekra,
mugger were observed, ofwhich three were large Ahmedabad 380 015,
specimens c 3m) and two smaller individuals Gujarat, India.
( .
References
Singh, H.S. & K. Tatu (2000): A study on Indian Sarus Pond Heronry, NewsEE 4: 5.
Crane (Grus antigone antigone) in Gujarat state. Vijaykumar, V. (1997): Evaluation ofrestocked mugger
Gujarat Ecological Educational and Research crocodiles and its implication for long-term
(GEER) Foundation, Gandhinagar. conservationandmanagementofspecies inGujarat,
Urfi, A.J. & M. Nareshwar(1998): Interpreting avillage India. Gujarat Institute ofDesert Ecology, Bhuj.
INTERACTION BETWEEN SIBERIAN CRANE GRUS LEUCOGERANUS
10.
AND CHECKERED KEELBACK SNAKE XENOCHROPHIS PISCATOR
IN KEOLADEO NATIONAL PARK, BHARATPUR
OnJuly 1997 while collecting information foraging nearby stopped feeding and looked
1,
on the time budget and activity patterns of four nervously at the affected crane that struggled for
released Siberian cranes Grus leucogeranus in the more than ten minutes, before the snake loosened
KeoladeoNational Park, I noticedacranehurriedly its grip and dropped off. After the snake had left,
pacingup and down a distance ofc. 10 m. Through the crane splashed water on her face and neck for
my telescope I noticed a checkered keelback water some time and started preening. The other cranes
snake Xenochrophis piscator holding on to the also resumed their activities.
crane’s face. The one metre long water snake had In 996-97, the water hyacinth Eichhornia
1
wrapped itselfaround the crane’s neck. The crane crassipes had choked most ofthe marshes in the
tried hard to shake the snake offher face. She tried Park because ofwhich water snakes had become
removing by vigorously shaking her head and abundant. The Park Management was getting the
it
neck, and also with her feet. Three other cranes hyacinth removed manually as part ofthe Park’s
114 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 99(1), APR. 2002
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
Vegetation Management. On an average, 10-12 pythons Python molurus present in the Keoladeo
workers involved in this task were bitten every marshes could be considered as potential
day by water snakes (Park Director,pers. comm.). predators of cranes. I have not come across any
There were heaps ofwater hyacinth lying where reference on snake-crane interaction and think
the cranes were foraging. It is possible that the it is worth recording.
snake was lying in wait for prey.
Water snakes are known to be pugnacious, September 22, 1999 GARGI
not letting go of their prey till it dies, but not Bombay Natural History Society,
strangulating They are known to feed on small 331, Rajendra Nagar,
it.
mammals, birds, fish and amphibians (Daniel Bharatpur 321 001, Rajasthan,
1992, THE BOOK OF INDIAN REPTILES). The huge India.
TWO INTERESTING AVIAN RECORDS FROM KUTCH, GUJARAT STATE
1 1 .
This note concerns the occurrence of clear on what authority or evidence he did so.
Glareola pratincola (Linnaeus) and Monticola Dr. Ferdinand Stoliczka was the first to collect
cinclorhynchus (Vigors) in Kutch. Earlier bird specimens from Kutch. Apparently, Hume
records mention the occurrence of the former, also collected information on the birds of this
but since the nineteenth century it has not been region, and also had specimens collected through
recorded in this region. In recent years, it has his own sources. This was followed by a study of
been seen in 1992 (Himmatsinhji, JBNHS 96(2): birds by one Hugh Palin, who prepared the first
316-317) and 1999. The latter has been recorded edition ofthe birds of kutch in 1 878, which was
for the first time and it was seen on January 27, revised by Capt. C.D. Lester in 1904. None of
1985 and March 9, 1999. these gentlemen, nor the Salim Ali survey of
While MKH and SNV watched water birds 1943-44, make any mention of the occurrence
from a location on the Bhuj-Pachham road of G. pratincola.
(c. 30 km north ofBhuj) on October 18, 1992, a Stuart Baker also refers to the occurrence
pratincole flew in and settled down on the marsh. and breeding of G. p. maldivarum in Kutch and
Soon thereafter, a juvenile bird also came down Sind. Taking into account all the references
nearby. We remained there for some time, but available to us, we feel there is now less
saw no interaction between them. These likelihood of maldivarum occurring in Kutch.
individuals had deeply forked tails, and from Roberts (1991) also mentions that there are no
details ofthe adult coloration, observed through authentic recent sightings or records ofthis race
binoculars and a telescope, appeared to be in Pakistan. He further states that G. pratincola
Glareola p. pratincola. However, we preferred is met with mostly in lower Sind, particularly in
to wait for a good photograph or specimen to Badin district along the border with India in the
confirm our identification in the field. Great Rann of Kutch, and that too as a summer
We learn that Mr. Nitin Jamdar came breeding visitor from East Africa. Gallager
across this species in the Banni grasslands and (1980) describes the collared pratincole as a
in the vicinity of Chhari dhandh (pers comm.). passage migrant in Oman, the main passage
.
Besides this, on March 29, 1999 SNV counted being from August-October. That is after their
25 G. pratincola at Chhari dhandh. breeding is over.
Stuart Baker (1929) made the only mention The water regime in the northwest part of
ofthe collared pratincole in Kutch, but it is not the Great Rann (directly south ofBadin in Sindh,
JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 99(1), APR. 2002 115