SOME NOTES ON THE BREEDING BEHAVIOUR OF THE ORIENTAL MAGPIE ROBIN (COPSYCHUS SAULARIS) FROM UTTARAKHAND, INDIA

Abstract

In order to develop ornithological science, collection and interpretation of feld data on different aspects of birds’ life are considered imperative. In this study, attempts have been made to understand the breeding behaviour of the Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis), a tropical song bird. Observations were made on 27 pairs (of which 9 males and 16 females were ringed) during 2008-2010 in fruit orchards of district Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. The observations revealed that the breeding season of the Oriental Magpie Robin ranged from March to August. The males delivered dawn chorus 38.2±9.1 minutes before sunrise during the breeding season. The males used continuous and discrete songs which seemed to play roles in inter- and intrasexual communication respectively. The bird nested in a variety of tree cavities such as Mango (Mangifera indica), Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia), Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica), Indian blackberry (Syzygium cumini), Kadamb (Neolamarckia cadamba), Mulberry (Morus alba) etc. The nest building was performed by female and the nest building period averaged 13.7±3.6 days. The clutch size averaged 4.8±0.8 eggs and the egg size and weight averaged 21.6 x 16.8 mm and 3.2±0.1 g respectively. The females developed the brood patch and incubated eggs for a mean of 12.4±0.5 days. Both sexes fed the young. Inter- and intra-specifc fghts for nesting cavities were common in the study area suggesting nest site scarcity for hole-nesting birds mainly due to habitat degradation.