SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN THE POPULATION STRUCTURE AND POPULATION DENSITY OF PEAFOWL, PAVO CRISTATUS LINNAEUS, 1758 IN DISTRICT KURUKSHETRA, HARYANA, INDIA

摘要

Blue peafowls (Pavo cristatus) utilized leaves/flowers/fruits of 7 species of herbs (Parthenium histerophoresus, Pisum sativum, Cicer arientum, Brassica compestris, Trifolium alexandrum, Triticum aestivum, Oryza sativa), 1 species of shrub (Chenopodium album) and 1 species of tree (Pyrus pyrifolia) for feeding. Besides, the peafowls also use 13 species of trees for roosting purposes. In addition dry leaves of 2 species of herbs, 2 species of shrubs and 4 species of trees for nesting purposes. Total number of sightings of peafowl varied from minimum 1 to maximum of 8 per fortnightly visit in all the study sites. Variable number of adult males, adult females, sub adults and chicks were recorded during autumn, winter summer and monsoon seasons in all the three study sites. The population density of blue peafowl, calculated fortnightly from September, 2008 to August, 2009, varied from 29.67 individuals/km(2) to 73.62 km(2) in SPWS, 32.75 individuals/km(2) to 93.10 km(2) in BSRF and 2.85 individuals/km(2) to 145.71 individuals/km(2) in JKAL. Seasonal variations in population density (Number of individuals/km(2)) were also computed which varied from 38.00 +/- 6.55 (autumn season) to 56.03 +/- 11.50 (monsoon season) in SPWS; 58.95 +/- 18.38 (monsoon season) to 72.12 +/- 17.96 (autumn season) in BSRF and 78.56 +/- 39.04.(winter season) to 118.09 +/- 122.10 (autumn season) in JKAL.