NESTING SITE SELECTION OF WOOLLY-NECKED STORK (Ciconia episcopus episcopus, BODDAERT 1783) IN KERALA
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Date
2023-03-22
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KVASU CENTRE FOR WILDLIFE STUDIES KERALA VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY POOKODE, WAYANAD
Abstract
The present study was carried out to document the nesting status and factors affecting nest-site selection of the Woolly-necked Storks (Ciconia episcopus) in Kerala. Woolly-necked Storks preferred to breed in Malappuram, Palakkad, and Thrissur of Central Kerala along the stretch of Bharathapuzha River basin apart from one site in Periyar Tiger Reserve of Idukki. The breeding reports in Kerala suggested that the bird begins its nesting season after monsoon rains. Nest sites in earlier reports were visited, and the adjacent areas expected for nesting are surveyed simultaneously.
Out of the 24 nesting sites studied, 21 were found to be active. Majority of the nesting sites were found in Thrissur, followed by Palakkad and then Malappuram. The tree species preferred by the Woolly-necked Stork included Mangifera indica, Alstonia scholaris, Ficus religiosa, and Ficus callosa. Cell phone towers also hosted an almost equal number of nests as trees. Anthropogenic factors such as the distance of the nests from nearest roads, buildings, and human settlements showed no impact. Old trees with an average height of 19.61 m, were found to be preferred by the species for nesting. Nests were located at an average height of 30.1 m in towers and 15.15 m in trees. A strong positive correlation was found between nest height and substrate height (R=0.80). As the nesting sites in Central Kerala fall outside the protected area, conservation of these nesting sites could be challenging