Some Studies on Bio-Ecology of Pheasant Tailed Jacana, Hydrophasianus Chirurgus in Punjab, Pakistan

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Some Studies on Bio-Ecology of Pheasant Tailed Jacana, Hydrophasianus Chirurgus in Punjab, Pakistan SOME STUDIES ON BIO-ECOLOGY OF PHEASANT TAILED JACANA, HYDROPHASIANUS CHIRURGUS IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN ZAHID IQBAL KHAN 008-GCU-Ph.D-Z-2005 Department of Zoology Faculty of Sciences GOVERNMENT COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY Lahore, Pakistan. 2009 SOME STUDIES ON BIO-ECOLOGY OF PHEASANT TAILED JACANA, HYDROPHASIANUS CHIRURGUS IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN by ZAHID IQBAL KHAN 008-GCU-Ph.D-Z-2005 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in ZOOLOGY Department of Zoology Faculty of Sciences GOVERNMENT COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY Lahore, Pakistan. 2009 ii In the Name of Allah, The Most Compassionate, The Most Merciful This dissertation is dedicated to the memories of my Beloved Parents iv DECLARATION I, Mr. Zahid Iqbal Khan Roll No 008-GCU-Ph.D-Z-2005 student of department of Zoology in the subject of Zoology session 2004-2009, hereby declares that the matter printed in the thesis tilted Some studies on Bio-Ecology of Pheasant Tailed Jacana, Hydrophasianus chirurgus in Punjab, Pakistan is my own work and has not been printed, published and submitted as research work, thesis or publication in any form in any university, Research institution etc in Pakistan or abroad. Dated: ________________________ Zahid Iqbal Khan v RESEARCH COMPLETION CERTIFICATE Certified that the research work contented in this thesis titled “Bio-Ecology of Pheasant Tailed Jacana, Hydrophasianus chirurgus in Punjab, Pakistan has been carried out and completed by Mr. Zahid Iqbal Khan Roll No 008-GCU-Ph.D-Z-2005 under my supervision Supervisor:_____________________________ Prof. Dr. Muhammad Sharif Mughal Co-Supervisor:_____________________________ Prof. Dr. Afsar Mian Chairperson :___________________ Prof. Dr. Muhammad Sharif Mughal Department of Zoology GC University, Lahore Controller of Examination :____________________ GC University, Lahore vi LIST OF CONTENTS TITLE Page No. List of table List of figures Acknowledgment Abstract Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1. RATIONALE OF STUDY 1 1.2. PHEASANT-TAILED JACANA 3 1.3. OBJECTIVES 7 Chapter 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 9 2.1. POPULATION DYNAMICS 9 2.1.1. Population distribution 9 2.2.2 Population size 9 2.2.3. Population Fluctuation 10 2.2.4. Sex ratio 11 2.2.5. Migration 11 2.2. HABITAT 12 2.2.1. General 12 2.2.2. Physical Factors 13 2.3. FOOD AND FEEDING 14 2.4. BREEDING 16 Courtship 16 Egg Laying 17 Nesting 17 Habitat 18 Parental care 18 Territoriality 19 2.5. GENERAL BEHAVIOUR 20 2.6. POPULATION STRESS 21 Chapter 3: MATERIAL AND METHODS 23 3.1 STUDY AREA 23 3.2 POPULATION BIOLOGY 29 3.3. HABITAT 30 3.3.1. Sampling 30 3.3.2. Habitat Analysis 30 3.4.Food 32 3.5. Breeding 33 vii TITLE Page No. Chapter 4: RESULTS 35 4.1.POPULATION BIOLOGY 35 4.1.1.Distribution and Estimates 35 4.1.2.Population Fluctuation 35 4.1.2.1. Annual fluctuation 35 4.1.2.2. Seasonal fluctuation 38 4.1.3 Sex structure 42 4.1.4.Age Structure 43 4.2.HABITAT 44 4.2.1. Physical factors: 44 4.3. Food and Feeding 51 4.3.1 General food consumption 51 4.3.2. Feeding behavior 53 4.4. Breeding 55 4.4.1 General Behavior 58 4.4.2 Defensive Response 58 4.4.3 Nest Site Selections 58 4.4.4 Agonistic Behavior 59 4.4.5 Parental Care 59 Chapter 5: DISCUSSION 60 5.1. POPULATION STUDIES 60 5.2. HABITAT 63 5.3. FOOD 66 5.4. BREEDING 67 5.5. MANAGEMENT 68 6. LITERATURE CITED 69 7. ANNEXURE ANNEXURE 1, Mean ±standard error of mean of different physico-climatic 81 parameters of water bodies during different calendar months between April 2003 to March 2007 at Marala (Punjab, Pakistan). ANNEXURE 2, Mean standard error of physico-climatic parameters of 82 water during April 2003 to March 2007 at Head Qadirabad. ANNEXURE 3, Mean standard error of physico-climatic parameters of water during April 2003 to March 2007 at Head Balloki. 83 ANNEXURE 4. Mean standard error of physico-climatic parameters of 84 water during April 2003 to March 2007 at site 2 (Head Sulemanki) viii LIST OF TABLES TITLE Page No. Table 3.1. Mean maximum (Max) and minimum (Min) temperature and rainfall 25 (mm) recorded at four study sites during the last ten years. Table 4.1 Population density of Pheasant-tailed Jacana in different water 36 bodies during different years 2004 – 2006 Table 4.2 Monthly Variation of Pheasant-tailed Jacana Population at study 39 sites in years 2004 – 2006 Table 4.3 Sex Ratio in as exhibited by pool 2004 – 2006 population of 42 Pheasant-tailed Jacana at four study sites Table .4.4 Juvenile adult ratio for total Pheasant-tailed Jacana at four sites 44 Table 4.5 The rooted vegetation population structure at study area. 48 Table 4.6: The natural organization of rooted vegetation observed at different 49 study sites. Table 4.7: Vegetation types on the basis of dominant plant species with their 50 own composition at each site. Table 4.8 Feeding preference of Pheasant-tailed Jacana observed at study 52 sites during summer months. Table. 4.9 Feeding behavior of different age groups of Pheasant-tailed 53 Jacana observed at study sites. Table 4.10 Food intake to body weight ratio at different life stages of 54 Pheasant-tailed Jacana in Punjab (Pakistan). Table 4.11 Time consumed for feeding and resting during early and late 55 breeding seasons by Pheasant-tailed Jacana in Punjab (Pakistan). Table 4.12 Overall Breeding period of Pheasant Tailed Jacana during 2004 to 56 2007. Table 4.13 The overall breeding activity budget of Pheasant tailed jacana 57 marked peak activity observed at four study sites. ix LIST OF FIGURES TITLE Page No. Figure 1.1 & 1.2: Map showing Location of the Punjab and rivers of Punjab 24 (Pakistan) Figure 2.1. Map showing the location of site 1 (Head Marala) 27 Figure 2.2. Map showing the location of site 2 (Head Qadirabad) 28 Figure 2.3. Map showing the location of site 3 (Head Balloki) 28 Figure 2.4. Map showing the location of site 4 (Head Sulemanki) 29 Fig 3.1 Population size of Pheasant-tailed Jacana at different localities 40 (A=Marala, B=Qadirabad, C=Balloki, D=Suleimanki) during different calendar months of different years (2004-2006) Fig 4.1 (a) Air temperature (C) recorded during different calender months 45 at different study sites during 2004-2007. Fig 4.2. Water temperature (oC) recorded during different calendar months 46 at different study site during 2004-2007. Fig 4.3. pH of the surface water recorded during different calendar months 47 at different study site during 2004-2007. x LIST OF PICTURES TITLE Page No. A male pheasant tailed jacana 85 A female pheasant tailed jacana 85 Female pheasant tailed jacana in trapanut habitat 85 Male pheasant tailed jacana with chick 85 A male pheasant tailed jacana in Eichhornia habitat 85 A Female pheasant tailed jacana near bank 85 A male pheasant tailed jacana with chick 86 An alert male pheasant tailed jacana to protect chick 86 A clutch of 4 Eggs of pheasant tailed jacana 86 A male pheasant tailed jacana at incubation 86 A one day old chick of pheasant tailed jacana 86 Two days old chick of pheasant tailed jacana 86 Four days old chicks of pheasant tailed jacana 87 Six days old chicks of pheasant tailed jacana 87 A chick jumping into water to avoid danger 87 A chick with complete motionless during danger 87 A chick with fully drowned body except nostrils 87 A chick in disturb habitat 87 Pheasant tailed jacana (juvenile) 88 Pheasant tailed jacana (Feeding) 88 Pheasant tailed jacana (Sub- adult) 88 Pheasant tailed jacana (Food) 88 A chick watching a coming danger 88 A chick fully camouflage during danger 88 A clutch of four eggs in Echhornia leaves 89 An alert male pheasant tailed jacana approaching danger 89 xi Habitat destructions by human beings. 89 Habitat destructions for growing trapanut 89 Habitat destructions by human beings. 89 Habitat destructions by human beings. 89 xii ABSTRACT Pheasant Tailed Jacana, Hydrophasianus chirurgus is only beautiful bird maintain its presence in abandoned wetlands of Punjab during summer season. This study was designed to study the population status and its future potentials to estimate the threats and to propose the measures for its conservation if required. Literature suggested sites were selected and schedule of visits month and year wise was developed and sites were visited accordingly, data gathered was analyzed statistically. The population distribution appears, between 298 and 347 highest (83-96) at Marala and lowest (21-57) at Balloki, while density found highest (3/km2) and lowest (0.3/ km2), being the migratory bird March was observed as start of arrival and October was observed as completion of departure from the study areas. Female to male ratio appears 1:0.75 while juvenile to adult ratio observed 1:0.35 are sign of population stability. Physical factors of the habitat such as temperature, pH and phytosociological studies of the habitat distribution and frequency of rooted vegetation species were recorded to understand their association with the species. This shows 32 species distributed in 4 vegetation types within the habitats lies in study areas. The studies on biology of this bird were focused on food and feeding, food consumption which revealed that 56.3% of its food is consists of plant matter and 27.3% on animal matter. Breeding biology studies suggests the clutch size remains between 1-4 eggs, and most of the fertile females laid 2 consecutive clutches to hand over two different males for hatching and chick rearing, incubation calculated of 25-29 days hatchability found around 80%.
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