A comparison of food, roosting habits and behaviour of the rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) in the cultivations of Faisalabad [Pakistan]

Studies on the comparison of different food items of the rose ringed parakeet and different behavioural patterns were extended in the cultivations of the University Campus from January 2002 throughout June 2002. The studied food items after the randomization included the guava orchard, sunflower, brassica pods, citrus, harvested-wheat and maize. Parakeet by virtue of the wide feeding niche, have the potential to cause serious economic losses, thereby, rendering not only losses to the farmers but the economy of the country overall. In guava orchard, study commenced during January and the results depict that during the morning foraging rhythms, a total of 137 parakeets visited the guava orchard and the average number parakeets during the six intervals in the morning were 0.77. Similarly, in the afternoon the parakeet depredations of the same fruit crop were 131, the average number parakeets in the afternoon were 0.87. Observations on the sunflower were made during February. The morning and afternoon sessions depicted heterogeneity in the data with more parakeets attacking the sunflower crop in the afternoon as compared to the morning session. In all, 273 parakeets visited the field in the morning, while 473 were recorded leaving the sunflower field in the afternoon. Brassica like the sunflower is an oil seed crop which grown fairly abundantly throughout the region of Central Punjab: The University Campus also harbours with the brassica in the fields of Department of Agronomy and the observations recorded in March depict that the afternoon parakeet attacks were more intensified. In all 205 parakeets visited the field in the morning, whereas the number of parakeets visitations in the afternoon was 289. Citrus was sampled in December and likely previously sampled food crops the morning parakeet visits recorded were 191 with the average number parakeets for the morning hours was 1.07. A total of 191 parakeets visited the citrus orchard in the morning session, while the number was 278 in the afternoon. Observations on the fifth food item, that is, harvested wheat filed, augmented the attacks in very large numbers. This is because, after harvesting, sheaves of wheat being threshed left in the open field, grains falling on the ground, therefore, providing ample food opportunities to the birds. In the morning session, the parakeets visiting the harvested wheat field 350 for the afternoon, the number was 791. The last food item in the present study was that of maize. Maize is also immensely preferred by the rose-ringed parakeet and their attacks in the morning and afternoon sessions also exhibited a heterogeneity; in the morning 314 parakeets visited the maize field, while the number was 681 in the afternoon time period; the average number parakeets for both sessions were 1.74 and 3.82 respectively. The second aspect of this study involves the study different behavioral patterns for five months viz. January, February, March, April and May. There was heterogeneity in all the behavioral displays, but a slight uniformity existed among the short flights and call notes. An increased incidence of call notes along with the short flights was recorded during the early morning hours, and late afternoon hours. Regarding the tussles, allofeeding, allopreening and copulation, some differences in the data occurred, and all these four displays were eloquently exhibited in the spring . The final aspect of this study dealt with the diurnal, departures and afternoon returns of the parakeets from the central roost. There was a burst of activity of the parakeet in early morning hours followed by an almost quiescence in the mid day. Past the mid day the returns of the parakeets, resumed and during the late afternoon, large flocks of parakeet, were recorded entering the communal roost for the nightly rest. A communal roost is a broad term which also occupies the nocturnal roost with in it. The rest of the parakeet during the night was followed by the chattering sounds after the sun set for sometime before a complete silence took over.