Incidence of decreasing population of house crow (Corvus splendens) in some pockets of Malwa region of Punjab, India

Not long ago, House Crow was the most wide-spread member of the Corvidae family in Punjab. Then, scattered observations revealed a decline in the population of this species, even so, that very few could be seen in many parts of Punjab. Till now there is no study on the House Crow disappearance from Punjab or any other part of the world. The present study was conducted for two continuous years from June 2015-May 2017 to obtain data on the current status of the House Crow population and to determine the possible reasons for their decline in three selected locations, viz. Ludhiana, Sangrur, and Bathinda districts falling in the Malwa region of Punjab. The survey showed that the population of House Crow in some pockets of Punjab has shown a considerable decline. These declines are troubling because the disappearance of House Crow means loss of cost-free scavenger services provided by them. This study could be used to predict and investigate the population of House Crow in other parts of Punjab and provide the baseline information for conservation practices to be adopted for the species in the state.

HIGHLIGHTS

Study was conducted on the dynamics of house crow population in some pockets of Malwa region of Punjab.

It was observed that population of House Crow was significantly low at the Sangrur and Bathinda villages as compared to PAU, Ludhiana.