Foraging Behaviour and Host Selection of Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) Among Different Host Species in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)

Abstract

The main focus of the study was to investigate the host selection behaviour in the foraging strategy of Bubulcus ibis with their feeding rate. Methods: Study was carried out to analyze the host steps rate, B. ibis steps rate, attempt success rate and the number of switches, with different host at different lands i.e. grassland, marshy land and agriculture land in the associated areas of Lucknow from 2018 - 2019, was recorded through visual observations, digital video camera and binoculars. The host steps rate, B. ibis steps rate and the attempt success rate was analyzed by the Spearman correlation (SPSS version 21) and the number of switches per hour were calculated by using the formula an Average number of switches/Average time of observation x1/60 Findings/Application: B. ibis with Buffalo showed highly significant positive correlation in steps and attempt success at all three lands with less number of switches per hour. In agriculture land with horse it’s showed less significant correlation in steps and attempt success with high number of switches per hour. Results show that foraging success could be the reason for good association between cattle and B. ibis