Leaf presenting As Possible Courtship Behaviour by Pied Falconets Microhierax Melanoleucos

3 Pages·2002·2 MB·

by  Desmond Allen

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
References
&
Ali, S. (1984): Birds ofKerala. Oxford University Press, Neelakantan, K.K., C. Sashikumar R. Venugopalan
Delhi. Pp. 444. (1993): A BookofKeralaBirds. World WideFund
Ali, S. & S. Dillon Ripley (1983): Handbook ofthe Birds for Nature-India. Trivandrum. Pp. 146.
of India and Pakistan. Oxford University Press. Zacharias, V.J. & A.J. Gaston (1993): The birds of
Delhi. Pp. 737. Wynaad, Southern India. Forktail8: 11-23.
BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE ELANUS CAERULEUS VOCIFERUS (LATHAM)
1 1 .
PREYING ON WOOD SANDPIPER TR1NGA GLAREOLA LINNAEUS
During our studies on wetland birds ofKole Lamba (1970) had reported black-
area in Thrissur district, we observed a black- shouldered kite catching a wounded green pigeon
shouldered kite Elanus caeruleus vociferus (yellow-legged green-pigeon) Treron
(Latham) capturing a wood sandpiper Tringa phoenicoptera in flight. According to Ali and
glareola Linn, from a paddy field on January 6, Ripley (1983), locust, grasshopper, crickets, other
2000. After capturing the prey the kite landed insects, lizards, field rats, mice, young and sickly
on a nearby bund. The sandpiper was alive and birds are the recorded food items of the black-
the kite tried to kill it. Observing through a shouldered kite. Its feeding on migratory species
telescope (20x) we saw the kite removing the like the wood sandpiper is not reported so far
feathers from the wings and feeding on the flesh and this is an addition to its list of prey.
and bones. It took 35 minutes to completely
consume the prey. The wood sandpiper was March 3, 2001 C. SIVAPERUMAN
caught from a flock of birds numbering around E.A. JAYSON
50. The Kole wetland covering an area of Division of Wildlife Biology,
11,000 ha is spread over Thrissur and Kerala Forest Research Institute,
Mallapuram districts. The area lies between 10° Peechi, Thrissur 680 653,
20’-10° 40‘ N, and 75° 58'-76° 11' E. Kerala, India.
Refer NCES
&
Ali, S. S.D. Ripley (1983): Handbook of the Birds of vociferus (Latham) taking in flight a wounded green
India and Pakistan. OUP, Delhi. Pp. 737. pigeon Treronphoenicoptera(Latham).J. Bombaynat.
Lamba, B.S. (1970): Blackwinged kite Elanus caeruleus Hist. Soc. 66(3): 622.
LEAF-PRESENTING AS POSSIBLE COURTSHIP BEHAVIOUR
12.
BY PIED FALCONETS MICROHIERAX MELANOLEUCOS
Pied falconets Microhierax melanoleucos a trip to Northeast India in 1998 (Hombuckle et
(Blyth) are distributed from the foothills of the al. 1998).
eastern Himalaya through southern China, Laos A small group ofat least four pied falconets
and northern Vietnam. Despite this wide range, Microhierax melanoleucos was observed on the
HQ
rather little is documented about their breeding top of a tall, open tree near the Deban of
behaviour, and Grimmett et al. (1998) comment Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh,
thatthejuvenile remains undescribed. We present on February 24, 1998 at c. 0800 hrs. JH observed
here incidental observations of behaviour one with a large leafin its bill, which it proceeded
apparently connected with breeding, made during to offerto a neighbouring bird. This bird accepted
518 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 99(3), DEC. 2002
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
the leafin its bill, but soon dropped it and neither (1978-83) also refer to the nest being of insect
bird made any attempt to retrieve it. The other remains, while Delacour and Jabouille (1931)
birds, perched a little further away, soon flew state that the eggs always lie on a bed of insect
off, as didthe presenting bird a few minutes later. debris, beetle elytra and butterfly wings. Neither
DA
Shortly after, also saw this behaviour they nor La Touche (193 1) or Baker mention any
reenacted on some dead, bare branches in the leaves being present in nests of pied falconet,
canopy of probably the same tree. At least one though Baker comments on leaves in the nest
falconet was seen flying with a large leaf holes of the collared falconet. This is puzzling,
(c. 15 cm long) held in its feet, before alighting since the behaviour we observed would seem to
on a bare branch. It transferred the leafto its bill be stereotyped.
and presented it to another bird, which then At 0923 hrs on March 15, in Panbari Forest
dropped the leaf almost immediately. near Kaziranga National Park, PIH observed two
m
Three weeks later, on March 12, in the pied falconets perched together about 20 up a
Kolomi area of Dibru-Saikhowa Wildlife tree on a dead snag. The pair was about 20 cm
DA
Sanctuary, Assam, saw two pied falconets apart, with the female facing away from the male.
land on the top ofa deadtree and again witnessed He was bobbing from an exaggerated vertical
this unusual behaviour. position to the horizontal about once per second,
Presenting of food items as a courtship and calling frantically. This was a fairly loud, very
ritual is well known among raptors (Cade 1982); excited, rapid-fire sequence of slightly hoarse,
-
moreover, leaves are used by several species as chattering notes 'jiffjiffjiffjiffjiff-.' which
nest material. However, the presenting of leaves gradually slowed, and reminded PIH ofthe food-
seems to be very unusual. begging calls of fledglings ofseveral other raptor
The first record of this kind of behaviour species. This behaviour continued for a few
is by Naoroji (1997) who observed the courtship seconds, after which copulation occurred, with the
behaviour of collared falconets Microhierax male continuing to call for about 20 seconds
caerulescens on April 16, 1993. He commented afterwards. The pairthen flewoff. Thiswas a rather
that, prior to mating, there would be an extended brief observation by PIH, and neither leaf-
courtship ritual in which the female would presenting nor clumping and allopreening,
usually remain perched on a bare branch while (thought byNaoroji to help maintain the pair bond
the male would fly off. Prior to returning, the ofcollared falconets), were seen.
male would often pluck a dried sal leafwith his Closely perched collared falconets were
feet and deposit it in the nest hole, sometimes noted by Sparks (1965) to often face away from
perching alongside the female with the leafbefore each other in captivity, probably to prevent
depositing it in the nest. agonistic responses.
Pied falconets are recorded as breeding in Our observations are presumably earlier in
old barbet and woodpecker holes from March to the breeding cycle than those witnessed by
May (Delacour and Jabouille 1931, Ali and Naoroji, but suggestthat pied falconets may show
Ripley 1987). Caldwell and Caldwell (1931) some similarities in courtship and mating
remark that (in China) the eggs are laid ‘upon a behaviour to collared falconets. The offering of
bed of leaves and bits ofgrasses in a cavity ofa leaves, presumably by the male, may be a first
tree.’ However, Baker (1935) while noting that stage in initiating interest ir. mating and nesting
their nesting behaviour was poorly known, behaviour in the female.
recorded only beetle elytra and other insect Kemp and van Zyl (1998) recorded collared
remains as nest lining. Etchecopar and Hue falconets breeding cooperatively. Etchecopar and
JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 99(3), DEC. 2002 519
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
Hue (1978-83) notethatpied falconets can be seen November 25, 2000 DESMOND ALLEN
in groups of 5 or 6, and this together with our PAUL I. HOLT
observation of a group at Deban in February JONHORNBUCKLE
suggests that pied falconets may also sometimes 1158 NoGa YaCho,
breed cooperatively. Clearly this species, regarded Machida Shi,
as ‘Vulnerable’ by BirdLife International (Collar Tokyo 195-0053,
et al. 1994), requires considerable further study. Japan.
References
Ali, S. & S.D. Ripley (1987): Compact edition of the Grimmett, R., C. Inskipp& T. Inskipp(1998): Birds ofthe
A&C
Handbook ofthe Birds ofIndia and Pakistan. 2nd Indian Subcontinent. Black: London.
&
edn. Oxford UniversityPress, Delhi. Hornbuckle, J., D. Allen, P. Holt K. Kazmierczak
Baker, E.C.S. (1935): The Nidification of Birds of the (1998): North-East India: 20th February-13th
Indian Empire. Vol. 4. TaylorandFrancis, London. March 1998. OBC Unpublished report.
&
Cade, T.J. (1982): The falcons of the world. Collins, Kemp, A.C. A. van Zyl (1998): Cooperative breeding
London. by Collared Falconets Microhierax caeruiescens.
&
Caldwell, H.R. J.C. Caldwell (1931): South China Forktail 13: 131-132.
birds. Hester May Vanderburgh, Shanghai. La Touche, J.D.D. (1931): A Handbook ofthe Birds of
&
Collar, N.J., M.J. Crosby A.J. Stattersfield (1994): Eastern China, 1. Taylor and Francis, London.
Birds towatch2,theworld listofthreatenedbirds. Naoroji, R. (1997): First breeding record ofthe collared
BirdLifeInternational, Cambridge, UK. falconet Microhierax caeruiescens for the
&
Delacour, J. P. Jabouille (1931): Les oiseaux de Indian subcontinent in Corbett National Park,
1’Indochine fran^aise, 1 p. 62 Paris: Exposition Uttar Pradesh. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 94(2)
Coloniale Internationale. 267-272.
Etchecopar, R.D. & F. Hue (1978-1983): Les oiseauxde Sparks,J.H(1965): Clumpingandallopreeninginthe Red-
Chine deMongolieetde Coree,Papeete. Editions thighed Falconet Microhierax caeruiescens
,
du Pacifique, Tahiti. burmanicus. Ibis 107 247-248.
:
UNUSUAL ASSOCIATION BETWEEN A PAIR OF SARUS CRANES
13.
GRUS ANTIGONE AND SIBERIAN CRANE GRUS LEUCOGERANUS
AT KEOLADEO NATIONAL PARK, BHARATPUR
A
strongbond was observed between apair feeding with the sarus without evoking any
ofsarus cranes Grus antigone Linn, and a female agonistic reaction from them, and by the second
Siberian crane Grus leucogeranus Pallas during week ofSeptember she had also started roosting
1997-98. It was first observed in September with them. They would roostjust a few feet aw^y
1997, a few days after the two captive bred from each other. The cranes vocalised, displayed,
Siberian cranes left the Park and one died. Four foraged androosted together as a close-knit flock
captive bred Siberian cranes had been released by early October. The sarus cranes would threat-
in the Park during February 1997, as part of an display if their conspecifics attacked Baharami
International effort to augment the dwindling and would chase them away. They would even
population of Siberian cranes. attack the wild Siberians if they tried chasing
The lone female Siberian crane, Baharami, Baharami. An approaching dog or man would
foraged in block F in the northeast region ofthe elicit loud unison calls and the two sarus cranes
Park and a pair of sarus was regularly seen in would alert each other. Most ofthe time, at least
the same block. Baharami gradually started one ofthe three cranes would look around while
520 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 99(3), DEC 2002