Study on the daily activity of scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata) in the Indonesian rice field

Abstract

Abstract The Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata) is known as a common pest in the Indonesian rice field. However, there is no study on the daily activity of this species. This study aims to determine the daily activity of L. punctulata in rice field habitat. The research was conducted on April-May 2021 in Aceh Besar (Sumatera), Wonogiri (Central Java) and Tulungagung (East Java). Sixty-three hours of observations were carried out in seven days using scan sampling and data recorded using the continuous method. Observation time was divided into morning, afternoon, and evening for three hours each time. Data variation was analyzed with ANOVA and Kruskal Wallis, then the correlation between behavior and temperature was analyzed using Pearson and Spearman Correlation Test. Our results show that moving (35.9 – 65.2%) and feeding (16.9–44.69%) are the most frequently observed behaviors. Only sunbathing behavior in the afternoon was significantly different in three locations (p-value < 0.001). Correlation analysis shows that feeding and sunbathing behavior have an inverse correlation with temperature. However, resting behaviors increases with increasing temperature. Temperature affects daily activities due to the bird’s thermoregulatory system. The other factors also influence L. punctulata behavior, such as other bird species presence and bird scaring activities.