Nesting behavior of red vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer, Linnaeus 1766) in Udaipur District, Rajasthan, India

Red vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer, Linnaeus 1766) constructs cup shape nest by using fine twig and midribs of dead leaves and with the help of grass hairs. Generally bulbul construct nests on shrubs, hedges, stunted date palms, on slender branches of trees, at the butt of pollarded trees or sometime inside the building. It has been observed that height of nests ranges from 1 to 9 meter while mostly constructing their nests at height less than 3 meter but exceptionally up to 12 meters. More than 38 nests were observed which were used by bulbul to understand structural analysis and construction dynamics of their nests. The cotton fibres were used commonly in nest preparation due to its easy availability and also it provides strength to the nest. It was also observed that in some cases spiders has woven web on the nest at its external surface, while internal surface was cleaned by bulbul from tine to tine. Structural analysis of 38 nests was done after the breeding period was over and it was observed that, externally nests were composed of the withered stems of the little Asteraceous plant, interwoven with a few jhow-shoots or tamarisk (Tamarix dioica) and a little tow-like fibre of the Deccan jute (Hibiscus cannabinus), while a good deal of cobweb was applied externally here and there by spider itself. The interior of the nests were lined with excessively fine stems of some herbaceous exogenous plant. THe bulbul also utilized the twigs (aerial roots) of Giloy or Heart Leaved Moonseed (Tinospora cordifolia) with fine knitting of cotton fibres interwoven with grass fibres.