Foraging Behaviour based Management Strategy to Minimize Crop Damage Caused by Indian Pea Fowl (Pavo cristatus)

Gradual increase of Indian peafowl population across low country dry zone of Sri Lanka and expansion of their distribution throughout the country caused many problems. Their omnivorous feeding habit leads to economic loss to the farmers. Objectives of the study were to investigate a management strategy based on the foraging behaviour (FB) to minimize crop damage and to understand the cultural significance in controlling them. A survey was conducted in 4 Divisional Secretariat (DS) Divisions in Vavuniya district based on a structured type questionnaire (n=160). Foraging behaviour was studied for 3 months covering morning (006-008 hrs), mid-day (11:30-13:30 hrs) and evening (1600- 1800 hrs) by direct visual scans of male, female and juvenile bird categories. There were significant differences (p<0.05) between the time of peafowl attack, the sex, the stage of peafowl with type of plant damaged. Peak activity (63%) was recorded during morning while it was 36% in the evening and 1% during mid-day. The food eaten is diverse and consisted of a mixture of plant and animal matter that includes variety of plants, beetles, snakes, snails, worms etc. in which bulk was consisted of plant parts. Rice (83.5%), cereals (62.5), spicy crops (33%) and leafy vegetables (19.5%), plantation crops (14%), vegetables (12.5 %), legumes (11%) were most affected by peafowl while less on tubers (6%). Young peafowl mostly attack (90%) lower level and adults mostly attack (67%) upper level vegetation. Furthermore, the other problems caused by peafowl recorded were as parasite spreader (40%), noisy problem (39.50%), damage vehicles (29.7%) and damage houses (6.5%). Irrespective of the ethnic group, all were respected peafowl due to religious reasons. Respondents were suggested chasing out (63.50%), hitting (9.50%), trapping (2.25%) and death (1%) as controlling measures. It is concluded that fixing water sprinklers and operate them in the morning along with cultivation of replant plants around boundaries of crops can be suggested as management strategy to minimize crop damage. Meantime it is suggested conserving them in forests by maintaining large tracts in scrub forests and associated grasslands with water bodies.