FOOD HABIT AND MORPHOMETRICS OF THE ROSERINGED PARAKEET PSITTACULA KRAMERI SCOPOLI
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Date
1991
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AAU, Anand
Abstract
Studies on food habit of the Roseringed Parakeet psittacula krameri Scopoli based on the gut content analysis of adult parakeet regurgitate analysis of nestling food and food preference of the parakeet among some wild as well as cultivated and among both the groups (24 h and 1 h exposure) in captivity and morphometrics were carried out at Anand Campus of Gujarat Agricultural University during 1989 and 1990. The diet of nestling comprised of almost the same components as in adult diet. Occurrence of sunflower and radish in nestling diet was the effect of study area. The relative proportion of bark in the nestling diet was more than that in adult diet. Manila Tamarind was also one of the major constituent of nestling diet during both the years. Parakeets exploited a wide variety of plant flora, both the cultivated and wild species largely depredating on seeds. However, tree bark leaf pieces and anthers of maize were non-seed materials. Cereals was the major group of the parakeets diet. Occurrence of almost all the materials was strictly confined to their availability in the field. However, the parakeet fed on leat over paddy in the field after harvest, sorghum and pearl millet occurred in the diet for considerable part of the year which was because of year round cultivation of fodder sorghum and biseasonal cultivation of pearl millet over extensive area. Occurrence of wheat was restricted only to the period of its availability. Low availability of maize, chickpea and pigeonpea was reflected in the diet. Peanut and sesamum occurred in their diet in considerable quantity during the period of their availability. No farmer in this area cultivates sunflower though it has occurred in its diet indicating positive preference for sunflower. Besides Manila Tamarind, neem, babul and khirni appreciably contributed to the parakeet diet during their fruiting seasons. Other eight wild plants were recovered from parakeets gut. The occurrence of tree bark in low quantity was also consistent whereas grit occurred irregularly in 6.74% of the guts. Parakeets had the highest preference for sorghum among some wild and cultivated plants tested. The daily average consumption of the parakeet ranged from 22.5 to 25.0 g in the captivity. Sexual dimorphism in the parakeet was evident from the study. Males are larger in body size than females. Neither physical measurements nor colour of the lower mandible were found to be of any help in separating the two subspecies. In this situation it was suggested not to subdivide the species into sub-species. Key words : Roseringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri Scopoli, manillensis/ borealis, Food habit, Morphometrics.
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AGRICULTURAL ENTOMOLOGY, AGRICULTURE, A STUDY