# The Zoologist/4th series, vol 6 (1902)/Issue 734/Notes on the Nesting of the Indian Dabchick (''Podicipes capensis,'')

Published in: The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 6, issues 734 (August, 1902), p. 300–304
NOTESON THE NESTINGOF THEINDIAN DABCHICK (PODICIPES CAPENSIS, B.M. Cat.).
By F. Finn, B.A., F.Z.S.
The Indian Dabchick is not common on the "tanks" about Calcutta—at any rate, I have never seen one myself except on that in the Indian Museum grounds, where I have from time to time turned out many specimens procured in the Bazaar, most of which soon disappeared. At last, however, a pair stayed, and in the autumn of 1900 built a nest in some bulrushes, a few feet only from a masonry platform. Four young were hatched, but disappeared during the floods which took place during that autumn, having probably either fallen a prey to fish, or perished through exposure. The parents, however, took heart, and built again a few feet to one side of their previous site; and I took the following notes on their proceedings:—
October 3rd, 1900.—Saw one egg in Dabchicks' nest, freely exposed all day, and looking very large; one bird hanging about.
4th.—On going to see the bird, it pulled some weeds over the nest, in which no eggs were visible, being no doubt covered already. The bill was used in the covering process, not the feet.
5th.—The bird slipped off at my approach alone, leaving two eggs uncovered, but stayed near as on the previous day. Later, I went with Major Alcock, who was also interested in the birds, and the bird covered the eggs and stayed near, as on the previous day, when we had been together.
8th.—The bird covered the eggs, and got off when I approached.
9th.—The bird did not get off the nest when I went to see it. ​(The birds later on did not sit in the day, or even stay near the nest.)
24th.—Bird sitting very closely; she raised herself, and let me see the eggs (two only), now of a buff colour, and then spread out her feathers, and settled down on them.
25th.—About midday I saw the bird rise and cover the nest, and get off, when a young one crawled (on all fours) after her, and crept under her wing on the water. She was brooding in the evening.
26th.—I thrice saw the old bird go off, leaving still two eggs. On the first occasion I saw no young; on the others it crawled off, swam to her, and crept under her long flank-feathers, the legs disappearing last; on the third occasion I could see all this distinctly.
November 5th.—I saw for the first time the young birds swimming in the open water, and following the parent. Until now they have almost always been on its back, where one could see the two heads [one more bird had been hatched] sticking up, the bodies being under the old bird's wings. They were sometimes on the nest, but rarely just outside it. They could not walk or even stand up at first. The larger parent was the carrier.
7th.—Saw young birds, right over at the other side of the tank, dive for the first time.
11th.—Watched the old one go on to the nest at night, and one young one, which had been standing up, get under its parent's wing, but had to leave for fear of disturbing them. The old birds bullied some Ducks to-day, but not a Coot; while neither Coot nor Ducks took any notice of their young.
13th.—Saw the young—one with each parent—separate, at opposite ends of the pond.
16th.—I saw the smaller young bird pecked away by one parent which it was accompanying, and crying very loudly; while the other young was on good terms with its attendant old bird. Later, I saw both together with one old bird, which drove both away; but then more than once fed the smaller one, deliberately driving the other off; this larger chick was ​hunting for itself. Later, saw them all near each other; both young hunting. [The food was shrimps and insects; no fish given as yet.] One parent—the smaller—was sometimes alone now.
21st.—Saw only one old Dabchick, feeding one young bird, but repelling the other larger chick. The nest has now disappeared.
25th.—I found the bigger young bird some little way out of the water, near the servants' quarters. The men said they had put it back, but it persisted in coming out again. I took it indoors. It only showed the striped down on the head, and the quills were growing. The beak was buff and black, not pink as when new hatched. I had seen it hunting for itself for some time, but only on the surface, although both young were more ready to dive on alarm than the parents. Only one parent was in company with the other.
26th.—The young bird taken out yesterday died this morning, although I had fed it; it proved on skinning to be very thin, with no fat even on the skin.
27th.—The other young bird still with the one parent now remaining on the tank, and being fed; it is still more ready to dive in fear than the old one, and keeps very close to it, though nearly as large.
December 1st.—Young Dabchick still with parent, and on the most familiar terms, trying to climb on its back. [They often did this when first compelled to paddle their own canoes at an earlier age.]
8th.—Saw the old bird feed the young one with a fish, the first time I have observed this food given.
15th.—Saw the old bird driving the young one.
16th.—Saw the young bird first fed and then driven off.
17th.—Saw the young bird fed simply,
22nd.—Saw the young bird well chased by its parent, and trying to associate with Coots (now two). It crouched somewhat when frightened by its parent, as when wanting to be fed.
23rd.—The two Dabchicks near each other, but the young one evidently in fear of the old.
24th.—The young bird chased by the old one, which I saw, later on, feed it nevertheless.
​A few days later I saw the young bird, which was now fullwinged, trying to fly.
January 7th, 1901.—I saw two old birds on the tank (the absentee having evidently returned) on good terms, meeting and chattering; no sexual display, however, though both are in full plumage, equally showing rufous on neck. [I have since watched them through another winter (1901-1902), and seen them retain full plumage all the time.] Young bird apart, flying once or twice, as well as an adult.
March 2nd.—Both old birds still present, in summer plumage, and carrying nesting material. When courting, the bigger bird chatters most, and expands the flank-feathers slightly. A new bird, in almost complete winter or immature plumage, which I put on, was chased by one old bird at least, as their young one has always been of late when they are near it. I saw this not long since, when threatened, stoop supplicating, as when about to be fed.
After this I took no systematic notes, but one or two occurrences which I have not dated seem to me to deserve notice. On one occasion I saw one of the young—then very small, and being carried by one parent while the other hunted for them—trying to swallow a large bright red dragonfly, which was obviously too big for it. The parent carrying it, on this, turned round and took the insect away.
On another occasion the carrying parent, on my approach, swam away from the nest with the young on its back, and the other hastened to it, and there was much chattering. Then the unburdened parent swam to the nest, made a peck at it—I being there all the time on the platform overlooking it—and then went back to its partner, when there was more chattering. The whole performance looked as if this bird had inquired as to the cause of ​its partner's alarm, and had gone to reassure it by examining either me or the state of the nest! I have no doubt that the old birds know me.
I could not see that the very beautiful striped colouring of the tiny pink-billed young was at all protective, and the brooding old bird, with the young on its back under the wings, was more conspicuous than when not so occupied, owing to the partial distension of the wings causing the white secondaries to appear in a very noticeable patch.
* ↑ I do not know how I could have overlooked the third egg, but probably it was covered on the 24th, when I saw the other two.
* ↑ It is obvious, from what has been said above, that the so-called winter plumage is merely that of immaturity in this species. I have never seen the pair of birds whose actions I have here noted in any but full adult summer plumage at any time. It is possible, of course, that this pair are abnormal, or very old individuals, but there is no proof of this, and they are free birds leading a perfectly normal life in every way. (See B.M. Cat. vol. xxvi, p. 517, on Podicipes tricolor.)
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