Habitat suitability analysis based on the oil content for the medicinal shrub
Gaultheria fragrantissima Wallich in the Nilgiris, Western Ghats, India

Abstract :

The time-activity budgets of Spot-billed Pelican, Pelecanus philippensis, were determined from September 2008 to January 2009 in Karaivetti Lake, Tamil Nadu, India. As the sexes of Spot-billed Pelican were distinguishable during breeding season, behavioural data were collected during the peak breeding months-November, December and January. Time-activity budgets were based on 432 hours of behavioural observations made on 4540 focal individuals. The day was divided into three different time periods viz morning (0600–1000 h), midday (>1000–1400 h) and afternoon (>1400–1800 h). Data were collected on the basis of the time-budgets devoted for five states of behaviours namely comfort, breeding, resting, flying and foraging. The results exhibited a clear diurnal pattern of behaviour of Spot-billed Pelican despite some adult females forage even during night hours. Time of the day had a significant effect on behaviour, with the majority of adult male and female pelicans allocated the midday hours largely for flying (soaring) and the afternoon hours for preening. It is likely that the breeding behaviour of Spot-billed Pelican largely differs with the sexes in their time-allotment to perform various behaviours during the breeding season.