Patterns and diversity in locomotor activity in spotted munia (Lonchura punctulata)

Abstract

In a population, the individuals exhibit temporal spacing of their behaviours to avoid conflict with the environment and conspecific. In the present study, we have analysed the diversity in activity patterns in spotted munia (Lonchura punctulata) under laboratory conditions. Birds (n = 101) kept under 12L:12D and constant temperature conditions during summer and winter solstices of the year were monitored for their locomotor activity. All birds showed diurnal activity and exhibited different patterns such as unimodal (U), bimodal (B), trimodal (T) and amodal (A). Of these, U and B showed their subtypes (unimodal morning, UM; unimodal evening, UE; bimodal morning, BM; bimodal morning-evening, BME; bimodal evening, BE) also. The offset but not the onset of activity differed significantly among different types. These activity patterns appeared to be season independent. The results suggest that the diverse activity patterns in munia could be the result of “environmental imprinting” which may have ecological significance.

Keywords:

• Activity pattern
• amodal
• bimodal
• munia
• unimodal

Acknowledgements

Financial supports from Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, through IRHPA Center for Excellence in Biological Rhythm Research grant is gratefully acknowledged. Neha Agarwal received University Grants Commission senior research fellowship (UGC SRF) and Garima Yadav received Council of Scientific and Industrial Research senior research fellowship (CSIR-SRF).