The Painted Stork An opportunist at the zoo

The zoo is home to many free living creatures too and birds’ top this list. As reported by Zoolander in an earlier feature - Airport in the Zoo, the zoo feeds fish to the pelicans daily. There are other opportunists too who come to snatch a free meal and painted storks are leaders of this set.

Visit Minneriya National Park; you would surely  see  hundreds of painted storks waiting on the edges of the Minneriya Tank like statues. Some of them who start feeling hungry would be wading in the shallow murky waters of Minneriya trying to catch a fish ot two. Visit the famous paradise sanctuaries for birds - Bundala or Kumana  - and wherever you go, this bird - the Painted Stork would be a soothing and relaxing sight. But you try to get closer, and they would take wing. However, there is one place where you can observe them very closely. You guessed correctly - it’s  the Zoo.

Living free

The painted storks at the zoo are not caged. They live freely in the old quarry pit and come into the feeding area everyday at around 2 O’clock. Yes - they do not miss this opportunity to get a free meal, earning them the reputation of being opportunists. It is not unfair to call them opportunists as the zoo’s give-away fish meal is meant mainly for the pelicans which visit the zoo following in the foot-steps (wing beats?) of their ancestors which were released from the zoo in the 1970s.
The painted stork is the most beautiful of the stork family. As its name indicates, the bird is colourful and looks very much nicer at close range. Painted storks have a long orange-yellow coloured bill with a down-curved tip. The head of the adult is bare and orange or reddish in colour. There is a distinctive black breast band with white scaly markings. The band continues into the underwing feathers and the white tips of the black coverts give it the appearance of white stripes running across the underwing lining. The rest of the body is whitish in adults and the primaries and secondaries are black with a greenish gloss. The legs are yellowish to red and have sow webbed feet to make it easier for these birds to live by wading in shallow waters. The short tail is black with a green gloss.

But the most beautiful feature of this stork is its long tertials or flying feathers that are tipped in bright pink -- and at rest they extend over the back and rump. As feathers overlap on each other, it makes a gradient effect adding more beauty to the bird. Perhaps this coloration has led to the bird  being named the painted stork.But this unique feature is barely visible at a distance. To observe the gradient effect on these pink feathers, you must visit the zoo to meet the painted stork at closer range. It is indeed one of nature’s beauties and you can’t resist clicking on these birds, when   seen at a close range.

At feeding time near 2 O’clock at the Old Quarry, you can meet up to 6 - 10 painted storks. Some of them are even bold enough to ascend to the top of the old hut setup in front of the quarry in search of the tractor which brings the basketfuls of fish to feed the pelicans, oblivious to the onlookers who are observing them closely. When the fish is being unloaded to the feeding area, they too join the feeding frenzy trying to grab a fish as if it is the last fish in the whole wide world. The painted storks get the upper hand against the pelicans, as they can use their height and aim straight for the fish, and bend and snatch in a quick motion.

Painted Storks in nature

Though the painted storks at the zoo have become opportunistic feeders, at other times they have to be wading in shallow water to catch fish. The painted stork finds fish, in a unique way. They sense the fish by touch, while slowly sweeping a half open bill which is submerged in water. They walk slowly and also disturb the water with their feet to flush fish. The movement of the feet flushes the fish and other little creatures such as frogs. Once the fleeing creature touches the open beak, it automatically closes, triggered by the slightest touch of the fleeing creature.

The preferred depth for painted stork for hunting fish is about 12 to 25 cm of water and deeper waters are avoided. Sometimes, they feed in groups in shallow wetlands and this is  something interesting to watch.  Zoologists have found that painted storks forage mainly during the day, but also may do so late at night under exceptional conditions. After they are fed, they  stand still on the shore for a long duration and the best place for seeing such a relaxing group is at the Minneriya tank.

The painted storks breed on trees along with other water birds. Their platform nests are typically placed on a tree on an island or in an otherwise undisturbed area. As observed by zoologists the best nesting sites are at the tops of trees and birds fight for these locations

Near threatened

Although the most abundant sites for the Asian storks can be found in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and even in China, their populations are said to be declining the world over and are tagged a ‘Near Threatened’ species. The painted stork still remains a common bird in Sri Lanka even recording sightings in suburban areas of the capital city of Colombo. This species is classified as ‘Near Threatened’ because it is thought to be undergoing a moderately rapid decline in population owing to hunting, loss of wetlands and pollution.

On your next visit to the zoo make a point to observe this beautiful stork at close range; also be mindful not to be a polluter of the environment or destroy their habitats, unnecessarily contributing to the decline of this bird specie.

Published on LakbimaNews on 17.06.2012 http://www.lakbimanews.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5806%3Acrowned-queens-of-the-night&Itemid=56

IT’S Black-naped ...AND Lanka’s ‘hari hawa’ is a hare

Mating Dance of a Hare couple (c) Susan Yeomans

Hawa hari Hawa’ the Sinhala version of Bugs Bunny is a popular cartoon character even today. This animated cartoon character was created in the 1930s in America and  won the hearts of Sri Lankan children with the transmission of the of the Sinhala dubbed version created by Titus Thotawatte, on Rupavahini in the 1980s. Then there was also the Russian adaptation of the cartoon character of a rabbit in ‘Just You Wait’ based on a battle between  a bad wolf outwitted by a smart rabbit; a cartoon character created in 1969, which still frames the rabbit as a popular hero ...

Rabbits have a very close affinity to our culture and they are even mentioned in the Jathaka stories and other folklore. In Sasa Jathakaya the Bodhisathva had been born as a rabbit and had sacrificed himself in offering its body and flesh to provide nourishment to a hungry beggar. In another story, a sleeping rabbit  awakened by the sound of a palm leaf falling on to a pile of dried palm leaves had  started running assuming that the sky is falling. And the story goes that the rabbit  continued running shouting that the sky is falling and all the other animals in the jungle joined in, until a wise lion had decided to verify the story; it’s testimony to the rabbits’ easily frightened nature.

Rabbits are also known to have inspired poets in ancient times, where the patterns of craters on the moon as seen at ground level on earth had been compared to a rabbit – and this rabbit on the moon legend still lives on, particularly for children’s amusement.

A Black-naped Hare at Yala NP (c) Susan Yeomans

A popular animal in legends and folklore, it is also known to be a gentle harmless creature of the animal kingdom which has to run for its life most of the time, being hunted by many predators. Their cute and cuddlesome appearance adds strength to a distinctive nature as an innocent creature that does not harm anyone. But do we have rabbits in Sri Lanka? Well, we have bunnies that hop around on the grasslands, but they are called ‘hare’ - to be precise, and the species is the “Black-naped Hare”.

It owes its name to the blackish patch that can be seen on its neck or the nape. The hare has a grayish-white coat and a short and grayish tail. The under parts are whitish. The Black-napped hare measures about 40-50 cm which is quite large for a member of the rabbit family. Hares like to live solitarily or in pairs, but they can also be present in groups. When ever they move in a group, it is called a “drove”.

Good Runners and Good breeders

The Black-naped hare is on the lower level of food chains, where many predators would like to hunt it; with predators not confined to land, but also in the sky, such as the flesh eating raptors - eagles and kites.  It is a precautionary habit of rabbits to flee whenever there is an apparent threat. As the hares’ eyes are positioned on the sides, their vision covers larger areas, and they can even see behind, without turning their heads. Their long ears too help in taking in danger signals around them.
Hares generally move by hopping around, but when the need arises, can be very fast-moving. Some of the European hares, when necessity demanded have clocked speeds of up to 72 km/h (45 mph).
A prolific breeder, hares, generally give birth to 4 to 8 litters each year. This helps them  compensate for the high level of predation.

Rabbits and Hares
There are differences between rabbits and hares even though in Sinhala we call both - ‘Hawa’. Both belong to the same family, but there are prominent differences. One of the major differences is that hare babies are born with their eyes open and with a fur coat for protection and safety, from day one. But rabbits give birth to blind naked babies that do not have a fur coat. The babies born with their eyes open and who can fend for themselves are called precocial and the blind and hairless at birth are called as altricial.

Nests of the hare and the rabbit are also notably different. Hares do not have underground hideouts - burrows as do other rabbits, but rather give birth to the young in a shallow depression or flattened nest of grass called a ‘form’. Hares adapt to the lack of physical protection, relative to that afforded by a burrow, in being born fully furred and with eyes open.

Hares are also generally larger and faster than rabbits. The large feet of the hare compared to those of the rabbit, makes them faster runners. The prominent ears of the hare are also longer than those of the rabbit.

Fecal Pellet
Though they tend to run-away whenever they spot you, the presence of the black-naped hare is not hard to determine, as they leave their trace, with unmistakable fecal pellets wherever they have fed on. When you step on the lawn, it is not hard to find out who the trespasser is. Presence of these fecal pellets is used even by scientists to determine the presence of rabbits and hares. On one occasion researchers on the Seychelles island had studied the habitat use and feeding ecology of the introduced Indian black-naped hare with a view to assessing the impact of the hares on vegetation –  and vicariously on several other rare endemic land birds and on some seabird species. By studying fecal pallets present in an area, the number and abundance of hares had been determined.

In addition, they had also analyzed these fecal samples to determine the kind of plants the bunnies feed on. Analysis of fecal pellets showed that at least 24 of the 130 plants recorded in these remote islands were eaten by hares. They also determined that, the hare aids in plant seed dispersal, and browsing may prevent the regeneration of some invasive trees, but which are also  important foraging for several rare endemic land birds and is used as nest sites by some seabird species. So a little bunny that grazes innocently can impact ecology in a big way.

A Black-naped Hare at Yala NP (c) S.Davis

IUCN Listed ‘Least Concern’

Black-naped hare is distributed throughout Sri Lanka except in high altitudes. They are also present in India and are also called the Indian hare. The Black-naped hare is still common in many parts of Sri Lanka, even outside protected jungles. It was not a long time ago that many lawns of suburban gardens around Colombo were feeding grounds for these black-naped hares. Even today they are recorded in some areas very close to the capital city, but their population has declined with the rapid urbanization.

The black-naped hare is not threatened and is listed as of ‘least concern’ in the red list of IUCN. But lately, this abundant species has become the target of poachers, making the animal’s life vulnerable and hastily raising concern for the future of the animal. You would also wonder how the hares in your areas are no longer a common sight. Perhaps, your pet animals like cats and dogs too could have helped to wipe out the black-naped hare population from your area. Cats and dogs which are introduced animals can be disastrous for hare populations, especially by hunting their young ones.

Differences between Hare and Rabbit

Differences in Physical features

l    There are several differences in the physical features of hares and rabbits that allow us to distinguish between the two.
l    Hares are generally larger and faster than rabbits.
l    Hares have longer ears and larger feet than rabbits.
l    Hares have black markings on their fur.
l    Rabbits are altricial i.e. their young are born blind and hairless. In contrast, hares are generally born with hair and are able to see (precocial). Young hares are therefore able to fend for themselves very quickly after birth.
l    A young hare is called a leveret and a young rabbit is called a kitten, kit, or, the least correct but very commonly- a bunny.
l    Hares have very long and strong hind legs, more  than the rabbits.
l    Rabbits and hares both molt and then grow new hair. This happens in both spring and in fall. Rabbits’ brown summer fur is replaced with fur that is more grey. Hares, especially those living in cold, snowy regions, turn white in the winter.
l    Hunters say that the hare has a much stronger, gamier flavour than rabbit (which actually does taste like a milder version of chicken).
l    Both rabbits and hares have short tails.
Comparison of Lifestyle and Behaviour
l    Hares have not been domesticated, while rabbits are often kept as house pets.
l    All rabbits (except the cottontail rabbit) live underground in burrows or warrens, while hares live in simple nests above the ground (as does the cottontail rabbit). Rabbits also have their litters underground. Hares rely on running rather than burrowing for protection.
l    Rabbits are very social animals; they live in colonies. Male rabbits even fight within a group to become the dominant male. The dominant male rabbit then mates with most of the females in the area. In opposite, hares live most of the time by themselves. They come together in pairs for mating only. There is almost no fighting among hares - they just pair off.
l    Rabbits prefer soft stems, grass or vegetables; hares eat more hard food: bark and rind, buds, small twigs and shoots.

Similarities

l    Both rabbits and hares breed prolifically, bearing four to eight litters each year.
l    A litter of rabbits generally has three to eight young. The gestation period is  about a month, and are sexually mature in about six months, and live in the wild for about six years.
l     Although rabbits and hares are valued as game by hunters, both for their food and fur, they are also pests to farmers and gardeners. They can destroy crops and trees.

Trivia

l    A male rabbit is called a buck, a female
- a doe, babies - kittens.
l    Rabbit’s eyes remain black when reflecting a bright light. In comparison human eyes appear red, cats and dogs - green, and deer eyes turn orange.

Source: http://www.diffen.com/difference/Hare_vs_Rabbit

Published on LakbimaNews on 03.06.2012