42

CHAPTER- III

Materials and Methods

Study area

The area selected for the present study of white breasted

water hen, Amaurornis phoenicurus phoenicurus was the wetland

habitats in Mannar village in Alappuzha District, Kerala state, India.

It is a low land area at the bank of the river Pampa and lies between

9 01’ N latitude and 76 03’ E. longitude.

Household ponds, temple ponds, swamps, small stretches of

paddy fields and natural canals connecting water bodies were the

major wet lands in the study area. Wild vegetation and sacred groves

associated with these wet lands provided good habitat for white

breasted water hen. Screw pine ( Pandanus odoratissimus), Ochlandra

scriptoria and Bamboo (Bambusa bambos) were abundantly present

near the banks of water bodies. Coconut trees ( Cocos nucifera ),

Arecanut trees ( Areca catechu), mango trees ( Mangifera indica )

cashew trees ( Anacardium occidentale ), Thespesia populnea,

Ailanthus malabaricus, and jack fruit tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

BROOD NESTS OF WHITE BREASTED WATER HEN

On Pandanus

In a swamp

PLATE - 17 PLATE - 1

×

MAP OF THE STUDY AREA

43

were the common garden trees. Banana plants and vegetables were

cultivated in the garden lands of the study area. Paddy fields were

almost uncultivated.

The study site had a total area of 1.545 sq. km. divided into

three sectors, viz., sector - I. Kuttamperoor – Kurattikkattu – (South)

sector-II. Kuttamperoor– Kurattikkattu – (North), sector-III.

Thrikkorati Temple – Kottakal kadavu comprising a total of 24

habitats; 7 in sector I, 8 in sector II and 9 in sector III. (plate -1)

Selection of the three sectors in the study area was based on the

prevailing varied ecological conditions.

1. Kuttamperoor – Kuratikkattu ( south) sector

This sector extended from Kuttamperoor bridge to

Kurattikkattu lying south to the Chengannur - Mannar road covering

an area of 0.528 sq. km. with 7 habitats.

2. Kuttamperoor – Kuratikkattu ( north) sector

This sector also extended from Kuttamperoor bridge to

Kurattikkattu lying north to the Chengannur - Mannar road covering

an area of 0.508 sq. km. with 8 habitats.

3. Thrikkorati temple – Kottakkal kadavu sector

This sector extended from the east of Thrikkorati temple to

Kottackalkadavu covering an area of 0.509 sq. km. with 9 habitats.

HABITATS OF KUTTAMPEROOR KURATTIKATTU

SOUTH SECTOR (SECTOR 1)

PLATE - 2

HABITATS OF KUTTAMPEROOR KURATTIKATTU

NORTH SECTOR (SECTOR 2)

PLATE - 3

44

Methodology

General habits and roosting behaviour, population, food and

feeding behaviour and breeding and breeding behaviour were studied

during the period 2002 to 2005.

A Carls- Zeiss binoculars of the power 8 x 30 was used for all

field the observations.

General habits and roosting behaviour

Study of the general habits and roosting behaviour was car-

ried out in three pond habitats in the sector II. Gullion, (1952b

&1953b) and Krantz & Gauthreaux, Jr. (1975) were followed for this

study. For these studies weekly observations both in the morning

and in the evening were carried out from the month of January to

December in 2002. Adult birds were closely followed during morn-

ing and evening hours in the study area. The practice was to reach

the roost site early in the morning before the bird had moved out of

the roost it had settled the previous night. In the evening the roost

was located by the following the birds till they stopped for the last

time.

Awakening time ( time of the first sign of activity of the bird

in the morning), roost exit time ( time at which the bird flew out of

the roost ) and first feeding time ( time at which the bird began to

feed for the first time in the morning after flying out of the roost)

were noted in the morning.

Similarly in the evening, last feeding time ( time at which

the bird stopped foraging for the day ), roosting time ( time at

HABITATS OF KUTTAMPEROOR KURATTIKATTU

SOUTH SECTOR (SECTOR 1)

PLATE - 2

HABITATS OF KUTTAMPEROOR KURATTIKATTU

NORTH SECTOR (SECTOR 2)

PLATE - 3

45

which the bird entered the roost ), sleeping time ( time when the

activities such as moving and calling stopped ) were noted. The

common plants used for roosting and the height at which they roost

were also noted.

Vocalisations, displays and maintenance activities of the bird

were also studied.

Ecology of Population

Population studies of white breasted hen was carried out in

the in the whole study area during the period 2002 to 2005. A

regular monthly count of adults, chicks and juveniles was conducted

from January 2002 to December 2005 in the three sectors, (i)

Kuttamperoor – Kurattikkattu – (South) sector, (ii) Kuttanperoor –

Kurattikkattu – (North) sector, (iii) Thrikkuratti Temple - Kottackal

Kadavu Sector. Observations were carried out in the morning on a

suitable day in the first week of every month. Simple total count

method was followed for the observation (Verner, 1985; Manual &

Carey, 1991). A count consisted of recording all the birds seen or

heard for 5 minutes at a time. Counting of same birds more than

once was avoided. All adults, chicks and juveniles were enumerated

separately. Loud and frequent vocalizations during the breeding

period was very much helpful in locating birds day after the

observation.

Food and feeding behaviour

Food and feeding behaviour of white breasted water hen were

studied from April 2003 to March 2004 in four habitats in sector III

of the study area.

Of the four habitats two were large ponds fully covered by

Salvinia and the other two were swamps. A mixed vegetation of

46

grass and herbs were present both on the floating plants and in the

margins of the water bodies. Three substrata, (i) Grass sward in the

wet lands and garden lands (ii) Exposed mud floor and (iii ) Shallow

water were recognized in the study area where the white breasted

water hen continuously fed. (plate 8 & 9)

For measuring the frequency of activities and feeding intensity,

the birds were observed from temporary hides for three days every

month from April 2003 to March 2004. Observations covered two

hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset. Most of the birds

were observed within 50 m of the hide while some were less than 30

m distant. The standard work of Fordham (1978 ) was followed for

this study .

Feeding and associated activities

Activities of white breasted water hen associated with its

foraging behaviour were : (a) Feeding (b) Look at ground (c) Look

about (d) Bodily care (e) Agonistic (f) Courtship (g) Alarm and ( h)

‘Other’.

Components included in these activities were the following.

(a) Feeding : Peck at food while standing or walking

(b) Look at ground : Look at ground with head and neck turned

downwards while walking, sitting or standing which invariably

preceded feeding.

(c) Look about : Look around while walking, sitting or standing

(d) Bodily care : Preening, scratching, stretching and bathing

(e) Agonistic : Fight, challenge and mutual retreat

(f) Courtship : Meet and pass, courtship chase, bow and nibble

HABITATS OF THRIKKORATTI TEMPLE -

KOTTACKALKADAVU SECTOR (SECTOR 3)

PLATE - 4

WHITE BREASTED WATER HEN -

CHICKS, JUVENILES & ADULTS

CHICK (10 days old)

JUVENILE

(2 months old)

ADULT

PLATE - 5

47

(g) Alarm : Sudden and sharp stopping of activity resulting from

the perception of an imminent danger.

(h) Other activities : Fly, sit, swim and drink

Activity for each bird was catergorised at 5 minute intervals .

The frequency of each activity was scored by hour, period of day and

month. This indicated the proportion of time spent on any particular

activity. The probability of scoring an activity depended upon the

amount of time the bird spent on it before switching over to another.

The 5 minute interval was taken based on the assumption that it did

not parallel any natural periodicity of behaviour. Therefore the

summed frequencies of activities were equivalent to the proportion

of time spent on each activity by an average bird.

The rate of food collection was monitored by counting the

number of pecks at the substrate made in 30 seconds as measured

by an automatic timer. This interval was chosen because pilot

observations suggested that white breasted water hen did not feed

consistently for as long as one minute. Only uninterrupted 30 seconds

intervals were used for the analysis. The pecking movements in which

the beak did not contact the plants or substrate were not counted as

pecks. Since swallowing was found to be too difficult to record

accurately, the measurement of pecking rate could have included

some unsuccessful pecks. The pecking counts were ignored if the

bird was disturbed or changed activity during the 30 seconds. The

pecking of each feeding bird was recorded only once during a five

minute period. Counts of pecks per 30 seconds interval were started

only when a bird had taken some pecks and was therefore confirmed

to be in the feeding activity. Counts were ignored if the bird was

disturbed or changed the activity during the 30 seconds.

An index of overall feeding intensity was prepared by combining

48

pecking rates and frequency of feeding. Assumptions implicit in the

index were that the frequency of feeding was equivalent to the time

spent on that activity by an ‘average‘ bird and that rates of pecking

were representative of the specific one hour period in which it

occurred. The amount of time spent on feeding was obtained by

expressing the proportional occurrence of feeding in terms of 30

second interval.

Food

Food of white breasted water hen was determined by analyzing

the data procured from field observation ( Clarke et al., 1986 ),

stomach contents, droppings and regurgitation samples

(Mathew,1980). Four dead specimens ( two adults and two chicks )

obtained during the study were dissected for the gut content analysis.

The gut contents were dried on the blotting papers for 15 to 20

minutes and plant matter and animal matter were sorted out. Plant

matter was preserved dry and animal matter was preserved in 70%

alcohol for further identification.

Samples for the analysis from the foraging area of white

breasted water hen were collected from the grass sward, mud and

water. Sweeping method using an insect net was employed for

collection from the grass sward. 180 sweep samples, 140 mud

samples and 112 water samples were taken.

Breeding and breeding behaviour

Breeding and breeding behaviour of white breasted water hen

were studied in all habitats in the study area during the period 2002-

2005 . Keen attempt was made to locate all nests in the study area

during the breeding season, April to October. Ten to fifteen hours

were spent per week searching for nests. Many of the nesting sites

were located by hearing loud and noisy calls( Andrews, 1973) and

49

some were located by tracing the activities of the breeding pair. A

few nests were located while being built by watching the birds carrying

the nesting materials. As far as possible nests were visited daily

noting the progress in nest building, egg laying and incubation.

Distribution of nests and their height of location on plants were also

noted.

The nest building activities and rhythms of incubation were

studied by continuous observation on selected nests. Total number

of initiated and completed nests, initiated and completed clutches,

eggs laid and hatched and chicks fledged were noted. Hatching

success was calculated by taking the % hatching of eggs from the

total eggs laid (Rizi et al., 1999) where as % of fledging from the total

eggs laid was taken as the breeding success (Vijayan, 1978). Nest

desertion and predation of eggs and chicks were also noted The

detailed structure of the nests were studied from the deserted ones.

Eggs were measured with Vernier calipers and weighed with a two

pan field balance true to 100 mg. Incubation period was calculated

as the time elapsed between the laying of the last egg and completion

of hatching process in a clutch. Walk in traps ( Andrews, 1973)

were used to capture the adults, juveniles and chicks from the study

area.

Statistical analysis

The data collected on the variations in the population of white

breasted water hen in the different study sectors was subjected to

General linear model  (GLM ) – univariate analysis for ANOVA, Duncan

test and multiple regression analysis using SPSS  Version -11.0. The

Pearson correlations between the different roosting, feeding and

breeding activities were also derived .

50

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