Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Affinity of House Crows (Corvus splendens) with Nesting Trees occurring in and around Kolkata, India

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Proceedings of the Zoological Society Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The house crows Corvus splendens Vieillot are accustomed to construct nest in suitable trees belonging to certain species. In the present study an attempt was made to draw the affinity of crows with the nest-tree species occurring in and around Kolkata (22°34′N, 88°24′E), West Bengal, India. Accordingly, survey was conducted in different road side trees during the period of eight consecutive breeding seasons from 2006 to 2013. Of the recorded 46 nest-tree species belonging to 27 families, irrespective of Ivlev’s and Jacobs preference indices, 13 were of ‘exclusive selection’, 2 were of ‘no active selection’ and 16 were of ‘complete avoidance selection’ by C. splendens for nesting. The status of the remaining 15 nest-tree species were either avoiding or no active selection in nature. Out of 13 exclusive/complete selection nest-tree species 8 species harboured 85.65 % of the total 1,171 nests recorded out of 3,083 nests in course of studies. Apart from canopy configuration, leaf phenology and food resource mobilization these nest-tree species had a number of spots, amongst the ramifications, presenting a platform because of agglomeration of 2–3, 4–5 or more than 5 suitable branches. As such kinds of spots were the sites for construction of nest by C. splendens; it is imperative that the said factor determines the affinity of house crows with the nest-tree species.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ali, S. 2002. The book of Indian birds, 13th ed. New Delhi: Bombay Natural History Society, Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ali, S., and S.D. Ripley. 1972. Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan, Corvideae. Bombay: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allan, D.G., and G.B. Davies. 2005. Breeding biology of house crows (Corvus splendens) in Durban. South Africa. Ostrich 76(1–2): 21–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berruti, A., and G. Nichols. 1991. Alien birds in southern Africa: The crow must go. Birding in Southern Africa 43: 52–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bijlsma, R.G., and P.L. Meininger. 1984. Behaviour of the house crow, Corvus splendens, and additional notes on its distribution. Le Gerfaut 74: 3–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, R.C. 1989. Statistics for biologists, 3rd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Dolenec, Z. 2006. Nest density, clutch size and egg dimensions of the Hooded Crow (Corvus carone cornix). Natura Croatica 15: 231–233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutta, S.K. 2007. Nest site selection by house crows on Diamond Harbour Road in Kolkata, India. http://voices.yahoo.com/nest-site-selection-house-crows-diamond-harbour-573390.html?cat=10. Accessed 10 Nov 2013.

  • Dutta, S.K., and S.K. Raut. 2010a. Height of the nesting spots of the house crows Corvus splendens in the nest-building trees in Kolkata, India. Enviroment & Ecology 28(1): 194–197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutta, S.K., and S.K. Raut. 2010b. On the significance of selection of corner-point trees for nesting by the crows, Corvus splendens occurring in greater Kolkata, India. Journal of Natural History (India) 6(1): 46–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutta, S.K., and S.K. Raut. 2010c. Chase-responses to human intruder by the chick-bearing nesting crows Corvus splendens. Environment & Ecology 28(3A): 1734–1739.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutta, S.K., and S.K. Raut. 2013. Nesting site of house crow: Tree versus light-post-an impact assessment. Proceedings of the Zooogical Society of Calcutta 66(2): 141–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feare, C.J., and Y. Mungroo. 1989. Notes on the house crow Corvus splendes in Mauritius. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 109: 199–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fry, C.H., S. Keith, and E.K. Urban. 2000. The birds of Africa, vol VI. London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gadgil, M. 2001. Project lifescape: 9. Crows. Resonance, February 2001: 74–82.

  • Ivlev, V.S. 1961. Experimental ecology of the feeding fishes. New Haven: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, J. 1974. Quantitative measurement of food selection. Oecologia 14: 413–417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kasprzykowski, Z. 2003. Habitat preferences of foraging Rooks Corvus frugilegus during the breeding period in the agricultural landscape of eastern Poland. Acta Ornithologica 38(1): 27–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Löhmus, A. 2006. Nest-tree and nest-stand characteristics of forest-dwelling raptors in east- central Estonia: implications for forest management and conservation. Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Science Biology and Ecology 55: 31–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Löhmus, A., and U. Sellis. 2003. Nest trees a limiting factor for the the Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) population in Estonia. Aves 40: 84–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Madge, S., and H. Burn. 1993. Crows and Jays. London: C. Helm.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meininger, P.L., W.C. Mullie, and B. Bruun. 1980. The spread of the house crow, Corvus splendens, with special reference to the occurrence in Egypt. Le Gerfaut 70: 245–250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mudappa, D. 2000. Breeding biology of the Malabar Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros griseus) in southern Western Ghats, India. Journal of Bombay Natural History society 97: 15–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mudappa, D., and R. Kannan. 1997. Nest-site characteristics and nesting success of the Malabar Grey Hornbill in the Southern Western Ghats, India. Wilson Bulletin 109: 102–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura, S. 2000. Nest site comparisons between the Carrion Crow Corvus corone and Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos in Takatsuki city. Japanese Journal of Ornithology 49: 39–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nitawriter 2009. http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/the-indian-house-crow-should-not-thrive. Accessed 2 Nov 2013.

  • Runde, D.E., and D.E. Capen. 1987. Characteristics of northern hardwood trees used by cavity- nesting bird species. Journal of Wildlife Management 51: 217–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryall, C. 1994. Recent extensions of range in the house crow Corvus splendens. Bulletin of the British Ornithoogists’ Club 114: 90–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryall, C. 1995. Additional records of range extension in the house crow Corvus splendens. Bulletin of the British Ornithoogists’ Club 115(3): 185–187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Santoshkumar, E., and P. Balasubramanian. 2010. Breeding behavoiur and nest tree use by Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris in the Eastern Ghats, India. Forktail 26: 82–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seig, C.H. 1991. Geographic affinity of bird species associated with Rocky Mountain Juniper Woodlands and adjacent grassland in Southwestern south Dakota. Prairie Naturalist 23: 25–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soh, M.C.K., N.S. Sodhi, R.K.H. Seoh, and B.W. Brook. 2002. Nest site selection of the house crow Corvus splendens, an urban invasive bird species in Singapore and implications for its management. Landscape and Urban Planning 59: 217–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vorgin, M. 1998. Abundance and habitat selection of breeding Corvus corone cornix on agricultural land in Central Slovenjia. Acta Zoologica Literature of Ornithology 8: 127–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yahner, R.H., and J.W. Grimm. 1993. Nest tree use by hawks in Pennsylvania. Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science 67: 40–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zduniak, P., and L. Kuczyński. 2003. Breeding biology of the Hooded Crow Corvus corone cornix in Warta river valley (W Poland). Acta Ornitholigca 38: 143–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the Head of the Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta for the facilities provided and grateful to Prof. B. N. Bhattacharyya and Prof. B. Manna for valuable comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecology and Ethology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, 700019, India

    Saikat Kumar Dutta & Srimanta Kumar Raut

Authors
  1. Saikat Kumar Dutta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Srimanta Kumar Raut
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Saikat Kumar Dutta.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dutta, S.K., Raut, S.K. Affinity of House Crows (Corvus splendens) with Nesting Trees occurring in and around Kolkata, India. Proc Zool Soc 68, 96–108 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-014-0101-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-014-0101-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation