A review on brood parasitism in Passeriformes, with an emphasis on Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea) and House crow (Corvus splendens) in Pakistan Forest Institute Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

The Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea) does not develop its own nest and it exploits the nests of House Crow (Corvus splendens) for laying eggs which stay there till hatching as the egg-laying season of both the species takes place at the same time. The instant study was conducted by authors at Research Garden in Pakistan Forests Institute Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan during the months of August & September which fall during the peak breeding season of Asian Koel. The phenomenon of brood parasitism between Asian Koel and House crow was observed in the Bombax ceiba and Meliazedarach. During the field visits for this study, such association was also checked between Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea) and Jungle Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos), but nothing as such came into the observation of the authors at the study sites. In the study area; the sighting of both the species i.e. Asian Koel and House Crow was mostly noted at the same trees in the early morning as well as in the evening. A total of Eight nests of house crow were recorded in the area which was physically checked by the authors to witness the phenomenon of brood parasitism, but such association was only recorded in the two nests of Bombax ceiba and Melia azedarach, the sighting in the study area concluded with the success percentage of 25%.