Science Letters

Population estimation of kites and crows by roost count method in Lahore, Pakistan

Muhammad Naeem Iqbal a,b,d*, Shahzad Ali c, Muhammad Irfan d, Ali Muhammad d, Ghazanfar Mujtaba d

a The School of Life Sciences, Fujian Agricultural and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, P R China

b Department of Microbiology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 54000, Lahore, Pakistan

c Department of Wildlife and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 54000, Lahore, Pakistan

d Department of Zoology, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, 46000, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Abstract

Birds of prey had a large home range and inhabit areas which are far away from human access so it is difficult to estimate their population. Kites (Milvus migrans) and crows (Corvus splendens) often gather in large communal roosts during migration at a site for food and breeding. The present study was done to estimate their population by Roost Count Method. Four sites were visited and population of kites and crows was estimated. It was found that 356 kites and 224 crows were present on an average at any roost. The soaring kites in the high skies and crows in the forenoon and afternoon sessions were more or less absent. In addition, these birds were less common on huge Garbage sites. Shockingly, it seems that like vultures, black kites and crows are on their way to elimination in Lahore.

Keywords: Population; kites; crows; Roost count; Lahore.

Received August 15, 2013 Revised October 05, 2014 Published online first November 09, 2014

*Corresponding Author Muhammad Naeem Iqbal Email driqbalnaeem@hotmail.com