ABSTRACT
This present study focuses on the biology and ecology of
sympatric raptors Madagascar's sparrowhawk Accipiter madagascariensis
and Madagascar's Banded kestrel Falco zoniventris, in the dry
forests of Mangily, namely the private reserve Reniala and Parc Mosa (baobab
forest), Southwest of Madagascar. The field study lasts four months, November
2019 to early March 2020. As a methodology, survey methods in the form of
dialogue with the villagers and listening were used for the location of the
nests; direct counting by following the transect to know the number of
individuals, direct and continuous observation using measuring equipment such
as telescopes, GPS, scales, chronometers, etc. were adopted during
bioecological data collections. Two pairs of each species were studied during
this study. According to the results, 29 individuals were identified including
11 Accipiter madagascariensis and 18 Falco zoniventris. These
two species frequent in the protected forest environment. The results also
revealed that the breeding season for these species occurs during the summer.
The number of eggs per nest varies from 3 to 4 (n = 3 nest1 and n = 4 nest2)
for Accipiter madagascariensis and 2 to 3 (n = 2 nest 3 and n = 3 nest
4) for Falco zoniventris and the hatching period is between the months
of November and December for both species. All the colored eggs white, weigh on
average, 32g and measure 39.25 * 36.2 mm for Accipiter madagascariensis
and 24.4g and 38.2 * 32.2mm for Falco zoniventris, are all
hatched giving 12 chicks, unfortunately the one of the Banded kestrel chicks
could not reach the mid-flight stage during the heavy rain, which finally gives
the productivity rates 100% for Accipiter madagascariensis and 80% for
Falco zoniventris. Activities such as incubation, brooding and feeding
of the chicks are carried out by the females while the defense of the territory
and hunting are responsible for the males, and the delivery of prey between the
pair takes place outside the tree nesting. The type of prey hunted and
delivered by the Madagascan Hawk is based primarily on small birds, but this
species also hunts reptiles and insects while the Madagascar's Banded kestrel
hunts only the latter two types. Threats of these species are hunting by local
people due to the avoidance of pest control of domestic chicks for
Accipiter madagascariensis and exploitation of nesting trees for
Falco zoniventris. The data obtained from this research helps us to
provide information on these two sympatric raptors to enable and assess
conservation.
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