Adescriptive Ethogram for the Behaviour of Balack Robin Saxicoloides Fulicatus Leucopterus(Liunaeus, 1766) in a Semi Developed, Intermediate Zone Habitat of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Ad-libitum and focal-animal behaviour sampling was used to construct an ethogram for the behaviour of Black Robin in the wild. The study recorded 53 be- havioural events, in 12 acts under five lypes of be- haviour (6 acts,29 events of self-maintenance be- haviour; 2 acts,10 events of locomotion behaviour; 2 acts, 6 events of reproductive behaviour; 1 act, 3 events of agonistic behaviour; and 5 events of the territorial display). The behavioural acts described here include foraging, elimination, shelter-seeking, resting, cleaning, vocal communication, terrestrial andaerial locomotion, defence, territorial display, pair bonding, nest building, nidification, and the ago- nistic act. The peculiar territorial display of the spe- cies is recorded here, in detail, for the first time. Courtship and mating acts could not be recorded during the study period spanned out side the peak of their breeding season.