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LITTLE CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax Nigervieillot) and NIGHT HERON (Nycticorax Nycticoraxlinnaeus)

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LITTLE CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax Nigervieillot) and NIGHT HERON (Nycticorax Nycticoraxlinnaeus) ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR OF LITTLE CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax nigerVieillot) AND NIGHT HERON (Nycticorax nycticoraxLinnaeus) AT THE RAIGANJ WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, WEST BENGAL, · By ASHIS KUMAR DAS, M. sc. DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH BENGAL, DARJEELING WEST BENGAL, INDIA Thesis Submitted FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (SCIENCE) OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH BENGAL 2007 6DOZ d3S L0 toG ~J:?, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH BENGAL P.O. NORTH BENGAL UNIVERSITY RAJA RAMMOHUNPUR, SILIGURI - 734430 DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY DIST. DARJEEt:.ING WEST BENGAL, INDIA Dr. Bikas Chandra Pal M. Sc. (Cal.), Sc. D., Johns Hopkins, USA Retired Professor, Department of Zoology UNIVERSITY OF NORTH BENGAL. I certify that Sri Ashis Kumar Das, M. Sc., has worked under my supervision and guidance in the Department of Zoology, University of North Bengal for his Ph. D. studies entitled, "Ecology and Behaviour of Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger Vieillot) and Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax Linnaus) at the Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal, ". I am forwarding his thesis for Ph. D. degree (Science) of the University of North Bengal. I recommend that he has fulfilled all the requirements according to the rules of the University of North Bengal regarding the words embodied in his thesis. Phone : (0353) 2582124 Fax : (0353)2581546 e.m<Jil : [email protected] Visit us at : www.nbu.ac.in ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Investigation presented in this thesis were carried out by the author at the Departmenl of Zoology, University of North Bengal, Raja Rammohanpur, Dist. Darjeeling. I express my deep sense of gratitude to Dr. Bikas Chandra Pal, Retired Professor Department of Zoology, Uniersity of North Bengal for his constant guidance and encourage 111 en t. ! am also gratefitl to Professor A. K. Chakraborty, Professor D. C. Deb, Professor J l'ai Professor A. Mukhopadhyay. Dr. Tapas Chowdhury, Dr. S. Barat, Dr. Min Buluu/u' the Department (~f Zoology and to Professor A. P. Das, Department of Bur on; University of North Bengal for support and encouragemenT. I wish ro express my thanks to the authorities of North Bengal University for aiiowing me to conduct research work as a part time scholar in the Zoology Departlllent. I (11/l also thank/it! to the Librarians. North Bengal Uni1·ersity: National Lil>run, Ko!kula, Lnological Surver of fndia. Ko!kata: Asiatic Societv. Kolkatu for .1!/o\l·ing nze to consult nect'sswT literature. I ll'ish to express my thanks /() /Ill' f(>/loH' /'I!St.'Cli'Chers. Dr. r Dutta, Mr K K na.\ .\Jr 11 }/zu. und o!her \\'orkcrs of the Department (or helping in various way.\ (/Ill t h till kfil l Ill lvf r. A K Oas. D.FO. Raiganj Social Forestn lJzvision and Ill '·/w rgc 0/ Ruigunl !f/ifdlitc Sunctzwn and other sta(j memhers of Raigan; Wildli/c .Sancluarv j(Jr their kind lzelp during the course of studr. I wish to thank Director of Agriculture, Govl of' West Bengal. Principal Agriculture Ojjice1~ Uttar Dinajpur District for the meteorological data, Agricultural Chemist. 5'oil testing Laboratory Maida and Raiganj for analysis of' soil samples. It is a proud privilege ro expre.1·s !Ill' deep \'e/1.\c' of gratitude to Ill\' parents M1· .!adab Chandra Das and Mrs. Bani Das. to my elder brother Mr. Alok Kumar Ous and his family memhers .fin· their constant inspiration during the course of this studr f an1 \'ery much gratefit! to my wife Mrs. Chumki Das j(Jr /zer sacrifice and encouragement throughout the course of this study. Raja Rammohanpur A~ K\.A..w\o..v 0~ Date : 01· 01. "l...eTO"f Ashis Kumar Das CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Excellence and importance of Little Cormorant and Night Heron 5 1.2 Systematic position of Little Cormorant and Night Heron 6 1.3 Distribution oflittle Cormorant and Night Heron 7 1 .4 Objectives of present study 8 2. LITERATURE REVIEWED 9 3. STUDY AREA 11 3.1 Location 11 3.2 Establishment of sanctuary 11 3.3 Area 12 3.4 Boundary description 12 3.5 Mett.Wology 13 3.6 River and waterbodies 14 37 Geology 15 3.8 Soil 15 3.9 Vegetation 15 3.10 Fauna 16 4. GENERAL METHODS FOR OBSERVATION 17 4. 1 Introduction 17 4.2 Selection of the study area 18 4.3 Study period 19 4.4 Daily observation schedule 19 4.5 Mode of observation 19 4.6 Equipment used 20 4.7 Methods in recording behaviour 21 5. PHYSICAL FEATURES 22 5.1 Introduction 22 5.2 Methods 22 5.3 Results and discussions 23 5.3.1 Age 23 5.3.2 Morphogical features 23 5.3.3 Sex 26 6. ECOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIOURAL ASPECTS OF FOOD AND FEEDING 27 6.1 Introduction 27 6.2 Methods 28 6.3 Results and Discussions 29 6.3.1 Traditional foraging grounds 29 6.3.2 Distance of foraging grounds from sanctuary 30 6.3.3 Time of foraging 32 6.3.4 Depth offoraging 33 6.3.5 Food items based on observations and stomach content and techniques of food capture in the breeding and non-breeding season. 33 7. BEHAVIOURAL ECOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION 41 7.1 Introduction 41 7.2 Methods 42 7.3 Results and Discussions 42 7.3.1 Arrival of Birds in the sanctuary 42 7.3.2 Activities following arrival 43 7.3.3 Age of pair-forming birds 45 7.3.4 Mating type 45 7.3.5 Mating display 45 7.3.6 Copulation 50 7 3. 7 Perpituation of pair maintenance 51 7.3.8 Pair dissociation 52 7.3.9 Extra pair copulation (EPC) 53 8. NESTING 54 8.1 Introduction 54 8.2 Methods 55 8.3 Results and Discussions 56 8. 3. 1 Nest-site selection 56 8.3.2 Nests at unusual site 58 8.3.3 Nest height 58 8.3.4 Role of sexes 58 8.3.5 Nest material 60 8.3.6 Nest construction 60 8. 3. 7 Nest distance 63 8.3.8 Nest defence behaviour 65 8.3.9 Nest sanitation 65 9. CLUTCH SIZE, EGG CHARACTERISTICS, LAYING AND INCUBATION 67 9.1 Introduction 67 9.2 Methods 67 9.3 Results and Discussions 69 9. 3.1 Laying 69 9.3.2 Laying in relation to nesting settlement 70 9.3.3 Time of laying 70 9.3.4 Laying inter.Jals 71 9.3.5 Factors affecting laying date 71 9.3.6 Behaviour of sexes 72 9.3.7 Egg 72 9.3.8 Clutch size 75 9.3.9 Incubation 76 10. HATCHING, GROWTH AND BEHAVIOURAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG 79 10.1 Introduction 79 10.2 Methods 79 10.3 Results and Discussions 80 10.3.1 Hatching 80 10.3.2 Hatchling growth 84 10.3.3 Behavioural development 85 11. PARENTAL CARE 87 11.1 Introduction 87 11.2 Methods 87 11.3 Results and Discussions 88 11. 3. 1 Brooding 88 11.3.2 Feeding of young 88 12. HUMAN INTERFERENCE, CYCLONIC STORMS AND MANAGEMENT 94 12.1 Introduction 94 12.2 Methods 95 12.3 Protective measures of the sanctuary 95 12.4 Human interference 96 12.4.1 Indirect interference 96 12.4.2 Direct interference 97 12.5 Discussion 98 12.6 Cyclonic storms 99 12.7 Suggestions 99 13. SUMMARY 101 14. REFERENCES 105 15. PUBLICATIONS 16. VITA 1. INTRODUCTION Mankind at present is passing through an extremely critical period. The suspicion of the environmentalists two to three decades back about severe environmental degredation is starting to surface now and is going to appear in a much bigger way if proper measures are not implemented right at this moment. The accumulation of Green-house gases due to ever in­ creasing utilization of fossil fuels is threatening to change the face of the earth due to meltdown of polar ice caps and glaciers. The environmental scientists are rather certain that the earth is going to loose large low lying coastal areas along with a significant portion of its biodiversity. The rise of the sea-level and change in oceanic wind and current current patterns in­ cluding monsoon, southern-wind and equitorial currents is going to severely affect the survival of not only resident organisms but also the migratory ones. Most animals and plants are affected by changes in environment that influence any facets required for their survival such as habitat, food items for both adults and youngs, nestings spots-trees, predator-parasite pres­ sure and so on. The birds in particular with very high metabolic rates are probably affected most because of their specialized requirements for sur­ vival. There are about 8600 bird species and nearly 30000 including sub­ species and geographical races of birds in the world (Aii,2002). Of which India alone accounts for more than 2100 species and subspecies (Saharia, 1998). Thus we have a rich heritage of bird life which must be con­ served in proper shape to be passed down to posterity. Indian avifauna require critical study to determine how many bird taxa are there which might actually mereit species status but which currently lan­ guish in the lower rank of subspecies or even geographical races. Not much has been done on this point after Ali (2002). It may be mentioned that mainly 1 because of burgeoning human population a large proportion of Indian birds are threatened with extinction. Among the birds regarded to have become extinct are : the Pink-headed duck, the mountain Koel and Jerden's Courser. The Great Indian Bustard and White-winged Wood-duck have dwindled to precarious numbers.
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