Parakeet Damage to Marigold

SANDHU P. S., SANDHU Jaswlnder S.

doi:10.3838/jjo.43.73

Blossom-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala and Rose-ringed Parakeet P. krameri were recorded to cause 64.7% damage to a seed crop of African Marigold Tagetes erecta cv. Cracker Jack. This is the first ever report on the parakeet damage to marigold. The Blossom-headed Parakeet was the major depredator, whereas, the Rose-ringed Parakeet was occasional visitor to the crop. This was probably due to the difficulty the latter species faced in feeding on the tiny seeds of marigold with its larger beak and availability of more profitable alternative food for its consumptiori. The parakeets did not feed randomly, but preferred the flowers nearer to their perching site. Consequently, the damage caused at a particular point was negatively related to the distance from the perch. The damage was positively related to the distance from road. The side towards road suffered minimum damage (28.7%) which was significantly less than the damage inflicted on the other three sides (80.3%, 84.8% and 69.9%) this confirming the tendency of the parakeets to keep away from human disturtance. The results of this study may be helpful in planning more effective and less expensive strategies for reducing bird damage to a crop in a particular situation.

Parakeet Damage to Marigold

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