BREEDING ECOLOGY OF ASIAN KOEL (EUDYNAMYS SCOLOPACEUS) IN AGROECOSYSTEM OF PUNJAB
Keywords:
Active nests, agricultural field area, calls, brood parasitism, competition, courtship display, residential area,, plumage, eggs, diversity, host, parasiteAbstract
The present study was designed to study the breeding biology of Asian koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) that belongs to order cuculiformes. It does not build its own nest and depends upon host to raise their young ones. This is called brood parasitism. This behavior of Asian Koel in relation to its host, house crow (Corvus splendens) was noted. The study was divided into three different habitat types. Type A (agricultural field area), type B (tree plantation area) and type C (residential/ roadside area). Breeding activities like calling, competition and mate selection/ courtship display were observed and found maximum at type B. The trees species utilized for nesting by house crow was noted. The proportion of parasitized nests was found maximum at habitat type B (0.10) whereas no parasitism was observed at type A and C. The combined proportion of all the types was recorded as 0.05.
