Podoces
Volume:10 Issue: 1, 2015

A study on the nesting biology of the House Crow Corvus splendens was conducted at Hazara University, Garden Campus (50 hectares), Mansehra, during the 2013 breeding season (June to September). Details about nest locations, tree characteristics, nest and egg characteristics were recorded. The mean nest density of House Crow was 0.9 nests/ ha. Mean tree and nest heights were 14.8±6.30 and 11.8±5.42m. The mean tree canopy spread 9.5±2.48m. The mean maximum and minimum nest diameters were 42.3±2.08 and 39.0±1.73cm respectively, while maximum and minimum diameters of nest cup were 15.6±1.52 and 13.3±1.15cm respectively. Nest depth and nest cup depths were measured as 19.3±2.08 and 8.3±1.15cm respectively. The mean nest weight was 1.4±0.24 kg while the mean clutch size was 4.0 (range 1–6). The mean egg length was 38.6±0.69mm, breadth 26.0±0.69mm, egg volume 13.3±0.83cm3 and egg shape index 1.42±0.83. The mean egg weight was 12.3±0.70g. Egg and nest success were calculated to be 55.1% and 69.0%. Hatchlings and fledglings produced per nest were 2.20 and 1.44 respectively. The main reasons for reproductive failures were unhatched eggs, poor nest construction, bad weather conditions and observer’s disturbance.

Pleske’s Ground Jay Podoces pleskei whose range extends throughout arid and semi-arid open plains of the Iranian plateau, is the only Iranian endemic passerine. This study analyzes home range size and overlap among three pairs using radio-tracking data during the breeding season in Touran Biosphere Reserve. We collected data of coordinates from nine captured individuals (three males, three females and three juveniles) in three nesting sites from early April to late June 2010. All individuals were equipped with tail-mount and backpack radio transmitters. A Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) was then generated and a Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) analysis was performed to delineate home range boundaries. Home ranges varied from minimum 34.8 to maximum 73.6 (MCP), minimum 283.5 to maximum 307.1 ha (KDE 95%), and minimum 82.9 to maximum 103.3 ha (KDE 50%) for males, females and juveniles. No significant difference was found between home range sizes of males and females. No core-area overlap was recorded among nonpairs. However, no breeding pairs exhibited territorial aggression at the edge of their home ranges, which seems to indicate non-territoriality of the species. We found that the core areas of males and females, as well as juveniles, were centred on the nests and on food resources availability.

We investigated nest characteristics and the diet of the Red-headed Merlin Falco chicquera, Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus and Saker Falcon Falco cherrug inhabiting Chakwal district, Potohar Plateau, Pakistan. Nests of the three falcon species in the study area were searched for at eight different sampling sites and active nests were recorded for their composition and measurements. Results showed two active nests that were parasitized by the Red-headed Merlin constructed on Acacia nilotica, only one active nest utilized by the Common Kestrel constructed on Tamarix aphyla while the Saker Falcon utilized two active cavity nests on a rocky ledge on a hill. Analysis of regurgitates and prey remains of the three species revealed birds and small mammals as their main prey items, with a very small percentage of insects, vegetation and seeds. The small mammals in the diet of the Red-headed Merlin and Common Kestrel included Short-tailed Mole Rat Nesokia indica while bird prey species of the three falcon species included House Sparrow Passer domesticus, Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto, and Blue Rock Dove Columba livia.