Nest site selection and breeding parameters of black - crowned night heron Nycticorax nycticorax in hokersar wetland Kashmir

The study of Nest site selection and breeding parameters of Black - Crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax was carried out during breeding season of 2012 in Hokersar wetland, North- Kashmir. Nest site characteristics and breeding parameters namely egg laying date, clutch and brood size, egg biometry and breeding success were examined. Breeding was initiated with selection of nesting sites. Nests were bowl shaped of dried willow twigs. Mean egg dimensions were 55.01 ± 0.77 mm × 35.41 ± 0.97 mm. Mean egg weight was 4.45 ± 0.83 g and average clutch size 4.00 ± 0.57. Both sexes incubated the eggs with major role of females and incubation period averaged 24.97± 0.80 days. Hatching was asynchronous and hatchlings were nidifugous. Hatching, fledging and nesting success calculated were 40.7%, 34.6% and 51.1% respectively. Main causes of low nesting success were predation, flooding and faulty incubation