Nest success of the Indian House Crow Corvus splendens: An urban invasive bird species in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

Nest success of the Indian House Crow Corvus splendens was studied in the urban area of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in late March to early May 2011. The study  investigated nest success of the Indian House Crow in different tree species with varying canopy covers and heights. Fifty-five active nests and 38 inactive nests were observed and inspected from six species of trees. Details of tree species, heights and canopy covers are provided. Apparent repeat clutches were found but there was no evidence of double brooding. Chi-square analysis of the distribution of the observed nests on trees with different characteristics revealed that nest success of the Indian House Crow was not significant with the selected nesting trees of particular species and height. Bonferroni simultaneous confidence intervals revealed that two exotic tree species, mango Mangifera indica and madras thorn  Pithecellobium dulce, were the preferred tree species for nesting. The findings of this study showed that despite the selective behaviour of the House Crow, their nest success does not depend on the height, crown cover or type of tree species selected.

Keywords: canopy cover, Dar es Salaam, Indian House Crow, nest success, tree height