Both intraspecific and heterospecific animal groups are common in nature. Heterospecific animal groups allow individuals to be similar to group members so as to avail the benefits of group living but be dissimilar enough to avoid competition. Mixed-species flocks of birds are one of the most common heterospecific associations in different regions of the world. My aim is to determine how mixed-species flocks assemble and how interactions within these affect participation of flock members. Although similar species tend to associate more with each other in flocks in general, large flocks are often composed of species that are very different from each other. Moreover, some species in mixed-species flocks are important for benefit provision and maintenance of the flock – known as nuclear species. Intraspecifically gregarious species are very often nuclear species in flocks and are also known to be the main benefit providers in flocks. Some other species, although attractive to flock participants, may impose costs on flock participatnts by stealing food found by them (eg. the greater racket-tailed drongo *Dicrurus paradiseus*). We aim to study each of these functional types to understand what traits make them attractive to other species and what factors influence their presence in flocks.
My specific objectives are: 1) To understand the process of formation of mixed-species flocks by examining the changes in flock composition at different stages in flock formation. 2) To understand what traits of intraspecifically gregarious species predict their importance in mixed-species bird flocks. 3) By using the greater racket-tailed drongo as a model for species that impose costs on flock participants, I aim to understand what flock features influence the drongo’s behaviour (whether to steal or forage independently) and what influences the participation of species which are common targets of the drongo in mixed-species flocks.
My study site is Anshi National Park situated in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. I will use a combination of primary and secondary data to address the different objectives in this study.