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Four Insectivorous Birds in Search of Foraging Niche in and Around an Agricultural Ecosystem of Nalgonda District of Telangana, India



Buddi Laxmi Narayana, Vaidyula Vasudeva Rao, Jaganathan Pandiyan

Abstract

Foraging niche of Small Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis, Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis, Common Myna Acridotheres tristis and Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus was studied in and around agricultural landscapes of Sherpally, Nalgonda District of Telangana, India. Data on perch types, perching height, foraging height, foraging substrates types and foraging methods were transformed into percent use. Small Green Bee-eater predominantly perched on electric power lines (67.21%), Common Myna used plants (75.44%) as a substrate and gleaning was the common feeding technique used by all the birds with height of 0-3m, Indian Roller fed mostly at 3-6m (30.91%). Black Drongo and Indian Roller had the highest niche overlap (O=0.96) for perch types while the lowest overlap was observed for small Green Bee-eater and Common Myna (O=0.34) in the foraging substrate.


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    • DOI:10.21276/ambi.2016.03.1.ra01

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