International Research Journal of Environment Sciences________________________________ ISSN 2319–1414Vol. 2(6), 85-87, June (2013) Int. Res. J. Environment Sci. International Science Congress Association 85 Short Communication Feeding Ecology of House Crow (Corvus splendens) in Open Agricultural fields in Jammu (J&K), IndiaKoul S.* and Sahi D.N. Department of Zoology, University of Jammu, Jammu (180006), J&K, INDIAAvailable online at: www.isca.in Received 6th May 2013, revised 18th May 2013, accepted 15th June 2013 AbstractThe present paper documents the various aspects of the feeding ecology of House Crow which is a common resident bird of Jammu region. It was observed to be an omnivorous feeder and exploited a wide variety of food resources without any predilection in the study area. Observations on various food resources exploited by House Crow in open agricultural fields were made as well as feeding association with various other birds were also recorded during the study period. Keywords: House Crow (Corvus splendens), diet, open agricultural fields, pesticides. Introduction Feeding ecology of a bird constitutes the basic ecology of that species and the way in which they exploit their resources. This is often of immense help to understand how they utilize their environment and to identify the characters of the environment which are indispensable for their survival.The House Crow, belonging to the Corvidae family, is considered to be one of the most intelligent and adaptable birds that exhibit sophisticated social behavior and are common in and near areas inhabited by peoples. House Crow is very well adapted in the urban areas where ample food resources and suitable nesting and roosting sites are available¹². The presence of food resources available to and exploited by birds in defining the trophic structure of the community is also well emphasized. Although very dependent on man’s rubbish, scraps, offal, garbage and sewage, it consumes anything edible; insects, termites, grains, nectar, fruits, carrion, groundnut, kitchen scraps, road kills and small animals including lizards, fish land crabs, fiddler crabs, locusts. Several workers5,6,7,8 studied the feeding of House Crow and recorded it to feed on dead sewer rat, offal, carrion, kitchen scraps and refuse, locusts, termites Thus, the present study is an attempt to chalk out the various food resources on which the House Crow feeds. Material and Methods Study area: To study the feeding ecology in House Crow Crovus splendens) the area selected was open agricultural fields which were further categorized into sub stations (figure 1). Stn-1:R.S. Pura: It is situated between 3236’51.52” N latitudes and 7438’58.15” E longitudes. The main source of water at this station is Ranbir Canal. Most of the area is surrounded by lush green fields of Wheat (Triticum aestivum) and Rice (Oryza sativa). Dominant vegetation included trees like Eucalyptus, Melia, Acacia, Eugenia jambolana (Jamun), Morus alba. The area was observed to be least disturbed by transportation, thus providing a good habitat for birds. Stn-2:Gho Manhasa: It is positioned at a latitude of 320 43’39.59”N and a longitude of 7445’41.36” E with an elevation of 311 meters from mean sea level. It is at a distance of 10.9 km from the Jammu city in Marh tehsil. At this station, the main source of water is Gho Manhasa Stream which is itself an off-shoot of the river Chenab. Methodology: In order to record the feeding ecology of House Crow (Corvus splendens), periodic surveys were carried out in the area under inquisition by adopting systematic field procedures and techniques. All surveys were conducted early in the morning and late in the evening. Besides this, some irregular visits were also made during different hours of the days. To identify the food resources, direct observations were made but in case where food item was not visible through naked eyes, binoculars were used without disturbing the bird. Tools used: i. Digital Camera (Sony) DSC-HX 100V with 16.2 Mega Pixels and Optical Zoon 30x. ii. Canon EOS 600D with 18.0 Mega Pixels and Optical Zoom 70x30. iii. Digital Camera (Sony) DSC H-55. iv. Binoculars Olympus 10x50 DPS I, Field 6.5. Results and Discussion The distribution of birds in a particular area depends upon various factors such as food, roosting and nesting sites. But, most important among these is the quality and quantity of food. House Crow (Corvus splendens) is an opportunistic feeder and much of its success is due to its omnivorous feeding habits and it was found to feed individually or in a group of 2-20 or more. International Research Journal of Environment Sciences______________________________________________ ISSN 2319–1414 Vol. 2(6), 85-87, June (2013) Int. Res. J. Environment Sci. International Science Congress Association 86 Large portion of its diet consisted of insects, mollusks, leftover cooked food and carrion. Besides, it was also detected to feed on dead decaying animals thereby playing the role of a scavenger and thus cleaning the environment. Moreover, it was also found to show mutual beahviour with cattle by riding on their backs and providing them relief by feeding on ticks and mites present on their body. Live prey was also seen captured by House crows. Table 1shows the list of probable food items eaten by House Crow. Plant matter consumed by the specie reflects regional flora of the area in study. Besides, plant and animal matter it was also found to feed on other synthetic or natural matter such as Human excreta, soap, leftover pieces of chips etc. At feeding grounds, it was noted to share the site with the birds enlisted intable 2. Figure-1 Whole map of study area Table-1 List of food items taken by House Crow (Corvus splendens). S.No Plant matter Animal matter Other Food items (synthetic & natural) 1. Grains of wheat and rice Wasp Cloth washing Soap 2. Bajra Soil insects Paper soap 3. Pulses from drains Earthworm Uncooked Rice 4. Fruit of mulberry tree Small mollusks Leftover cooked Rice 5. Phalse Small fishes Small pieces from packet of left over chips 6. Seeds from pods of Albizia lebbeckSmall insects in taken out water hyacinth Cow dung 7. Berries of peepal Mites present on body of cattles Human excreta Garbage and kitchen refuse Eggs of Birds Leftover food from houses Chicks of birds Leftover aata Dead squirrel Eatables from garbage Dead rat Parshad Dead mongoose Dead decaying dog Dead decaying animals Chicks of hens Bones of animals Feathers International Research Journal of Environment Sciences______________________________________________ ISSN 2319–1414 Vol. 2(6), 85-87, June (2013) Int. Res. J. Environment Sci. International Science Congress Association 87 Table-2 List of the birds sharing same feeding site with House Crow (Corvus splendens)S.No Name of the bird Order 1. Jungle Crow(Corvus macrorhynchos) Passeriformes 2. Common Myna(Acridotheres tristis)Passeriformes 3. Bank Myna(Acridotheres ginginnianus)Passeriformes 4. Pied Myna(Sturlus contra contra)Passeriformes 5. House Sparrow(Passer domesticus)Passeriformes 6. Rook(Corvus frugilegus) Passeriformes 7. Black Drongo( Dicrurus adsimilis)Passeriformes 8. Rose Ringed Parakeet(Psittacula krameri)Psittaciformes 9. Blue Rock Pigeon(Columbia livia)Columbiformes 10. Indian Ring Dove(Streptopelia decaocta)Columbiformes 11. Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis) Coraciiformes 12. Red Wattled Lapwing(Vanellus indicus)Charadriiformes 13. Cattle Egrets(Bubulcusb ibis)Cicconiformes 14. Little Egret(Egretta garzetta)Cicconiformes 15. Indian Pond Heron(Ardeola grayii)Cicconiformes 16. Pariah Kite(Milvus migrans) Gruiformes As a herbivore, House Crow eats seeds, grains, groundnuts, fruits and berries and sucks sap from the trees like Erythrina, Salmalia, Butea, Sesbania, Spathodea. The data is supplemented with a broad range of other feeding strategies including predation on small vertebrates and invertebrates, both terrestrial and marine, domestic fowl and young livestock9, 10. It out-competes many species for food and nesting sites and directly feeds on chicks and eggs of other bird species11. It would attempt to steel food from even the largest eagles like Haliaeetus leucoryhus and Aquila rapax thereby depicting the process of food-robbing. It was also found that House Crow exploited rice fields because with the flooding of rice fields, greater number of prey items in the fields become available, thereby, providing ephemeral food availability of diverse prey items. During this time, they share their feeding sites of paddy fields with Cattle Egrets and Mynas exclusively. Crows were noted to feed without any competition as the prey was found to be temporarily abundant. With frequent use of pesticides and insecticides in open agricultural fields, a colossal decrease in insect population (as a food) was evident for Crows, so they were found to move near human habitation to feed on the all round the year available. So, House Crows were observed to prefer urban areas because of the easy availability of food resources. The population of House Crowseemed to be regulated by the abundance and availability of food resources in the area. It was also studied that as the season changed, there was a change in the food quantity and quality, thus, influencing the fluctuations in the population of House Crow. ConclusionDuring the study period, it was found that House Crow prefers both plant and animal matter without any predilection. To conclude, it can be inferred that the data, though preliminary can be of immense aid in designing the mitigating strategies for the management of these birds. It can be used to analyze the high acclimatization of the bird in the urban areas as urban areas are found to cater their feeding needs in all the seasons. References1.Ali S. and Ripley S.D.,Hand book of the Birds of India and Pakistan, Oxford University Press (1983)2.Whistler H., Handbook of Indian Birds. 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