Manjit S. Dhindsa

Agricultural ornithology: an Indian perspective

Agricultural ornithology aims at obtaining scientific information on birds in relation to agriculture and using this information for their management. Most of bird species play a useful role in agriculture by having a potent check on insect and rodent pests. However, some granivorous bird species, having adapted to the agricultural habitats and increased in numbers, are conflicting with our goals of agricultural production by inflicting economic losses to crops, fruits and stored grains. Bird management involves both the conservation of useful species and control of pests. Agricultural ornithology is of special importance in predominantly agricultural countries like India. Although a good deal of work has been done in this discipline in India, a lot remains to be done and, in fact, the discipline is still in its infancy. This paper reviews the progress made in agricultural ornithology in India, points out important problems and gaps in knowledge, and suggests approaches for future research.

Roadside Birds in Punjab (India): Relation to Mortality from Vehicles

Roadside bird mortality is a new environmental dimension in developing countries. With the recent increase in the number of high-speed cars and the simultaneous improvement of roads in India, bird-car strikes and the resultant bird mortality are becoming important. To know how many species frequent roads in Punjab and thus may be prone to be killed by fast vehicles, we censused birds along 420 km of roads of different widths and traffic volumes from a vehicle moving at 50–60 km per hour. We also counted birds along transects c. 1 km away from roads, for comparison. In all, 35 species of birds were recorded on the road proper or within 3 m of either edge. Common Myna ( Acridotheres trisitis ) was the most abundant species (34.8% of all birds), followed by House Sparrow ( Passer domesticus ) (29.5%), Ring Dove ( Streptopelia decaocto ) (13.1%), and House Crow ( Corvus splendens ) (9.7%). These four species together accounted for c. 87% of the total of all bird species. The off-road community consisted of 68 species. The species-richness of granivorous, insectivorous, omnivorous, and some other birds, was less on or near roads than in the off-road transects, but within each community, species having different feeding habits were in similar proportions. About 93% of the total birds on or near roads (as against 66% off-road) were either granivorous or omnivorous. Our results suggested that granivorous birds are attracted, but insectivorous and other birds are repelled, by roads. Omnivores were equally abundant on and off roads. Food (such as spilled grain) seemed to be the main factor attracting birds to roads. Species diversity and equitability of the bird community on roads (1.82 and 0.51, respectively) were less than those off-roads (3.11 and 0.74, respectively). Wider roads had lower species-diversity and equitability, probably because of the greater volume of traffic on them compared with narrower roads. Species richness and bird abundance seemed not to be affected by roadwidth. Bird mortality on roads is discussed, along with the possibility of roads acting as “ecological traps” for foraging birds.

House crow damage to sprouting sunflower

Abstract In an experiment, house crows (Corvus splendens) were estimated to damage 65.1% of sprouting sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seedlings at Ludhiana, Punjab (India). Seed treatments with 0.5% thiram (tetramethylthiuram sulphide) and 0.5% copper oxychloride [3Cu(OH)2 CuCI2], both commonly used fungicides, did not reduce bird damage. The number of seedlings in a plot from which birds were excluded by netting was significantly greater than, that in any of the chemical treatments as well as in the untreated control.

Evaluation of methiocarb and thiram as seed treatments for protecting sprouting maize from birds in Punjab (India)

Abstract Methiocarb (4(methylthio)3,5‐xylyl‐N‐methyl carba‐mate), a pesticide, and thiram (tetramethylthiuram sulphide), a fungicide, significantly reduced bird damage to sprouting maize (Zea mays) when used as seed dressings at 0.5% a.i. w/w concentration. Statistically, both the treatments were at par though, numerically, thiram appeared better. About 26% of germinating seedlings were estimated to be lost to birds in the untreated control plots. In the laboratory evaluation, no significant effect of the treatments was found on germination percentage, whereas significant reduction in early seedling vigour was recorded with thiram.

Wrapping leaves around cobs to protect ripening maize from rose-ringed parakeets

Abstract Covering maize cobs by wrapping maize leaves around them reduced damage by rose‐ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri) by 97% in the field and 82% in aviary experiments. Being hidden and camouflaged, the wrapped cobs may have escaped detection by birds and thus were not damaged. The wrapping treatment also provided some protection to uncovered cobs within the treated plot, possibly by reducing the density of visible cobs in this plot compared with the control. There was no adverse effect of the wrapping treatment on grain yield.