DESCRIPTION OF BATHING BEHAVIOUR IN INDIAN SPOT-BILLED DUCK - Anas poecilorhyncha

Birds are intelligent, sociable creatures and exhibit a wide array of behaviours. The behaviours often do not occur in isolation and have Fixed Action Patterns (FAP). Indian spot-billed duck revealed certain FAP with regard to the bathing behaviour. Hence, bathing sequence in Indian spot-billed duck was recorded systematically to analysis the sequence of events, illustrate it using kinematic diagram. Data indicate that the probability of occurrence followed FAP. In the present study two bathing methods were recorded with differences between these two bathing methods. In this study, FAP analysis was done for head-dip bath and wing-thrashing. Further, somersault and wing thrash action was a part of FAP. Wing flap action was always recorded following head dip bath which was rare.