The time budget and behavioural traits of young and adult Indian Eagle Owl Bubo bengalensis (Franklin, 1831) (Aves: Strigiformes: Strigidae) in and around a nesting site: a preliminary report

Article Sidebar

PDF/A HTML Supplementary
Published: Nov 26, 2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2429.7.14.8139-8147
Keywords:
Behavioural traits, biomass, comfort movements, descriptive approach, ethograms, long-term activities, short-term activities.

Main Article Content

M. Eric Ramanujam
Principal Investigator (Faunistics), Pitchandikulam Bioresource Centre / Pitchandikulam Forest Consultants, Auroville, Tamil Nadu 605101, India
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0877-541X

Abstract

A family of the Indian Eagle Owl Bubo bengalensis was monitored at their nest site at Nanmangalam Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Chennai City from 5 January to 8 March 2011.  Various behavioural patterns were identified and the time spent on each activity was noted.  All three types of subjects (viz.: breeding male, brooding/incubating female and young) showed different behavioural characteristics. In the breeding female, high intensity activities were incubation, brooding, vigilance and out of sight (construed to be out hunting) and low intensity activities comprised comfort movements, feeding, pellet regurgitation, feeding young, prey delivery and disturbed at the nest.  In the young, high intensity activities were resting and moving, while low intensity activities were feeding, pellet regurgitation and wing flapping.  In the male, the bulk of time was spent in vigilance and the other high intensity activity was out of sight (construed to be hunting).  Low intensity activities included comfort movements and prey delivery. The male hunted more than the female.  Forty-five prey items were delivered by the two parents and these items were identified to the species or generic level.

 

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 7 No. 14 (2015)
Section
Short Communications

Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT.  This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership.  Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.

References

Anonymous (2009). Nanmangalam Reserve Forest - A little known biodiversity reserve of Chennai. Tamil Nadu Forest Department (Research Wing), 16pp.

Asokan, S. & A.M.S. Ali (2010). Time activity budget of White-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon smyrensis in Cauvery Delta Region, Tamil Nadu, India. Advances in Biological Research 4: 288–291.

Aumann, T. (2001). Habitat use, temporal activity patterns and foraging behavior of raptors in the south-west of the Northern Territory, Australia. Wildlife Research 28: 365 – 378.

Bosakowski, T. (1989). Observations on the evening departure and activity of wintering Short-eared Owls in new jersey. Journal of Raptor Research 23: 162–166.

Cain, S.L. (2010). Time budgets and behavior of nesting Bald Eagles. In: Wright, B.A. & P. Schempf (eds.). Bald Eagles in Alaska. Hancock House Publishers, WA, USA, 436pp.

Chipman, E.D. (2006). Behavioral ecology of Western Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) in northwestern Texas. MSc thesis, Texas Tech University, 99pp.

Collopy, M.W. & T.C. Edwards (1989). Territory size, activity budget, and role of undulating flight in nesting golden eagles. Journal of Field Ornithology 60: 45–51.

Delaney, D.K. & T.G. Grubb (1999). Activity patterns of nesting Mexican spotted owls. Condor 101: 42–49.

Errington, P.L. (1930). The pellet analysis method of raptor food habits study. Condor 32: 292–296.

Errington, P.L. (1932). Technique of raptor food habits study.

Condor 34: 75–86.

Evers, D.C. (1994). Activity budgets of a marked Common Loon (Gavia immer) nesting population. Hydrobiology 279 & 280: 415–420.

Fischer, D.L. (1986). Daily activity patterns and habitat use of coexisting Accipiter Hawks in Utah. PhD dissertation, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 70pp.

Hamilton, A.J., I.R. Taylor & G. Hepworth (2002). Activity budgets of waterfowl (Anatidae) on a waste stabilization pond. Emu 102: 171–179.

Haug, E.A. & L.W. Oliphant (1990). Movements, activity patterns, and habitat use of Burrowing Owls in Saskatchewan. Journal of Wildlife Management 54: 27–35.

Jimenez, J.E. & F.M. Jasic (1989). Behavioral ecology of Grey eagle-buzzards, Geranoaetus melanoleucus, in central Chile. The Condor 91: 913–921.

Johnson, D.H. (1999). The insignificance of statistical significance testing. Journal of Wildlife Management 63: 763–772.

Jonsson, J.E. & A.D. Afton (2006). Different time and energy budgets of Lesser Snow Geese in nice-praries and coastal marshes in southwest Louisiana. Waterbirds 29: 451–458.

Krivtsov, S. (1988). Daily time and energy budgets in Snowy Owls at low density of small rodents, pp. 34–39. In: Ecological Energetics of Animals. Sverdlovsk, Ural Branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.

Kumar, T.S. (1985). The Life History of the Spotted Owlet (Athene brama brama Temminck) in Andhra Pradesh. Monograph of the Raptor Research Centre, Hyderabad, 241pp.

Kurup, G.U. & A. Kumar (1993). Time Budget and Activity Pattern of the Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus). International Journal of Primatology 14: 27–39.

LaFever, D.H., K.F. LaFever, D.C. Catlin & D.K. Rosenberg (2008). Diurnal time budget of Burrowing Owls in a resident population during the non-breeding season. The Southwestern Naturalist, 18pp.

Madders, M. & D. Whitfeld (2006). Upland raptors and assessment of wind farm impacts. Ibis 148: 43–56.

Mahabal, A. (1991). Activity time budget of the Indian Myna Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus) during the breeding season. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 90: 96–97.

Marchesi, L. & P. Pedrini (2002). Biases associated with diet study methods in the Eurasian Eagle Owl. Journal of Raptor Research 36: 11–16.

Natarajan, V. (1991). Time budgeting by the Southern Crow Pheasant (Centropus sinensis) at Point Calimere, Tamil Nadu. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 90: 92–95.

Pande, S. & N. Dahanukar (2011). Ecological effects on morphometric development of the Indian Eagle Owl Bubo bengalensis. Journal of Threatened Taxa 3(4): 1677–1685; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2609.1677-85

Pauls, S.L. (1998). Time activity budgets of Mottled Ducks in Louisiana in winter. Journal of Wildlife Management 52: 711–718.

Penteriani, V., M. Gallardo & P. Roche (2002). Landscape structure and food supply affect Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) density and breeding performance: a case of intra-population heterogeneity. Journal of the Zoological Society of London 257: 365–372.

Penteriani, V., A. Kuparinen, M. del M. Delgado & R. Lourenco (2011). Individual status, foraging effort and need for conspicuousness shape behavioural responses of a predator to moon phases. Journal of Animal Behaviour 82(2): 413–420; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.05.027

Plumpton, D.L. & R.S. Lutz (1993). Influence of vehicular traffic on time budgets of nesting burrowing owls. Journal of Wildlife Management 57: 612–616.

Potapov, E. & R. Sale (2012). The Snowy Owl. T. & A.D. Poyser, London, 336pp.

Ramachandran, N.K. (1998). Activity patterns and time budgets of the Pheasant-tailed (Hydrophasianus chirugus) and Bronzewinged (Metopidius indicus) Jacanas. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 93: 234–245.

Ramanujam, M.E. (2004). Inter-specific intimidatory behaviour of adult Indian Eagle Owls Bubo bengalensis (Franklin) in defence of their nestlings. Zoos’ Print Journal 19(2): 1343–1345; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.ZPJ.19.2.1343-5

Ramanujam, M.E. (2007). A catalogue of auditory and visual communicatory traits in the Indian Eagle Owl Bubo bengalensis (Franklin, 1831). Zoos’ Print Journal 22(8): 2771–2776; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.ZPJ.1572.2771-6

Ramanujam, M.E. (2010). Some observations on the spread-winged agnostic displays of the Indian Eagle Owl Bubo bengalensis (Franklin, 1831). Journal of Threatened Taxa 2(9): 1147–1152; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2249.1147-52

Ramanujam, M.E. & T. Murugavel (2009). A preliminary report on the development of young Indian Eagle Owl Bubo bengalensis (Franklin, 1831) in and around Puducherry, southern India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 1(10): 519–524; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o1762.519-24

Ramanujam, M.E. & B. Verzhutskii (2004). On the prey of the Spotted Owlet Athene brama (Temminck) in a forested ravine in Auroville, Pondicherry. Zoos’ Print Journal 19(10):1654-1655; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.ZPJ.1093a.1654-5

Reinecke, K.J. (1979). Feeding ecology and development of juvenile black ducks in Maine. The Auk 96: 737–745.

Sheilds, G.F. (1969). Activity cycles of snowy owls at Barrow, Alaska. Murrelet 50: 14–16.

Simmons, R.E., D.M. Avery & G. Avery (1991). Biases in diets

determined from pellets and remains: correction factors for a mammal and bird-eating raptor. Journal of Raptor Research 25: 63–67.

Sivakumaran, N. & K. Thiyagesan (2003). Population, diurnal activity patterns and feeding ecology of the Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis). Zoos’ Print Journal 18(5): 1091–1095; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.ZPJ.18.5.1091-5

Sovern, S.G., E.D. Forsman & B.L. Biswell (1994). Diurnal behaviour of the Spotted Owl in Washington. Condor 96: 200–202.

Sproat, T.M. & G. Ritchison (1993). The nest defence behavior of Eastern Screech Owls: effects of nest stage, sex, nest type and predator location. The Condor 95: 288–296.

Verzhutskii, B. & M.E. Ramanujam (2002). On the prey of the Collared Scops Owl Otus bakkamoena (Pennant) at Auroville, Pondicherry. Zoos’ Print Journal 17(11): 939–940; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.ZPJ.17.11.939-40

Wallin, K. (1987). Defence as parental care in Tawny Owls (Strix aluco). Behaviour 102: 213–230.

Watson, J.W., M.G. Garrett & R.G. Anthony (1991). Foraging ecology of bald eagles in the Columbia River estuary. Journal of Wildlife Management 55: 492–499.

Wiklund, C.G. & J. Stigh (1983). Nest defence and evolution of reversed sexual diomorphism in Snowy Owls Nyctea scandaica. Ornis Scandinavica 14: 58–62.

Yoccov, N.G. (1991). Use, overuse, and misuse of significance tests in evolutionary biology and ecology. Bulletin Ecological Society of America 72: 106–111.