Nest Site Preference of Lonchura striata acuticauda, in Semi Urban Areas of Kollam District, Kerala, India: A Case Study

Disturbances caused by man-made structures significantly influence the nest site selection of birds. However, the remarkable adaptability of Lonchura striata acuticauda to such disturbances is a fascinating aspect of its behaviour. This adaptability leads to the unique nest distribution of a bird’s community, often favouring human-associated bird species. The present investigation into the nesting preference of Lonchura striata acuticauda for garden plants was conducted in a semi-urban village, Tazhava of Kollam district in Kerala, between August 2021 and September 2022. Nesting affinity of white-rumped munia to different garden plants, the number of nesting attempts and renovation on different plant species, and nesting parameters, such as the number of completed and incompleted nests, clutch size, egg predated, and chick fledged on each plant species were recorded during their breeding period. A total of 45 nests of Lonchura striata acuticauda were observed on different garden plant species in 25 homes with well-maintained gardens; thirty-seven were completed, while eight nests were abandoned in the helmet stage.  Lonchura striata acuticauda showed varying nest site preferences; with the highest nest site preference of 36 % on Callisia repens, followed by Epipremnum aureum (27%), Cleodendrum thomsoniae (18%), Bambusa multiplex (7%) and an equal preference of 4% for Plumeria pudica, Ixora taiwanensis and Melia azadirachta.  Most of the nests recorded an average clutch size of 3-5 eggs. Eighty-eight percent of the nests constructed on Callisia repens were completed, with 87% of eggs hatched and chick-fledged, with a predation rate of 13%. Nesting munias are protected from the dense foliage and vines of the garden plants where the birds build a nest which also minimises the energy wastage in finding materials for nest building. Repeated nesting attempts and nest renovation on the same plant were observed mainly in hanging ornamental plants.