Seasonality in house sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Seasonality is a compulsory adaptation for survival of many species. Birds are seasonal. Adult birds exhibit seasonal cycle in several functions including bill and plumage colors, molt, body fattening, parasitic load, body mass, gonadal growth and development, hormone levels, immune system, song production, nest building, parental care and migration. Most seasonal events are centered on seasonal reproduction. It is of considerable importance to study how an organism¿s short-term and long-term events are timed to occur at the most favorable season of the year. In a seasonal environment, light-dark (LD) cycles are the most consistent variable at given latitude. Various characteristics of the natural LD cycle, such as the amplitude of LD cycle, the length of the photoperiod, and the duration of twilight, vary systematically with the season, and hence provide reliable cue to organisms to adapt to changes in the environment. This book includes investigations on house sparrow seasonality in relation to the photoperiodic environment at Lucknow.