SPATIO-TEMPORAL VARIATION IN HOUSE CROW (CORVUS SPLENDENS) POPULATION COUNTS ACROSS FIVE URBAN SITES IN JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN: A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS (JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2026)

Abstract

Daily counts of House Crow (Corvus splendens) were recorded at five urban sites in Jaipur, Rajasthan Albert Hall Museum Area, Hawa Mahal Surroundings, Jal Mahal Vicinity, Johari Bazaar, and Central Park (Rambagh) — over a continuous 59-day period from 1 January 2026 to 28 February 2026 (n = 59 census days). A total of 1,820 individual bird-sightings were logged across all sites. Descriptive statistics, normality testing (Shapiro–Wilk), non-parametric and parametric comparisons (Kruskal–Wallis, one-way ANOVA), inter-site Spearman correlation, and linear trend regression were used to characterize spatial and temporal patterns. Site-level counts differed significantly (Kruskal–Wallis H = 69.91, p < 0.001; ANOVA F = 15.42, p < 0.001), with Johari Bazaar (31.3% of total counts) and Albert Hall Museum Area (28.1%) contributing the largest shares, while Jal Mahal Vicinity and Central Park contributed the least (~8% each). A significant, though modest, increasing temporal trend was detected in the combined daily total (r = 0.29, p = 0.024), driven primarily by Site 1 (r = 0.27, p = 0.039). February counts (mean = 35.5 birds/day) were significantly higher than January counts (mean = 26.6 birds/day; Welch's t = -2.28, p = 0.028). No statistically significant day-of-week effect was found (Kruskal–Wallis p = 0.069), although Tuesdays showed a numerically higher mean. These findings are consistent with clustered, site-fidelity-driven roosting and foraging behaviour typical of synanthropic corvids in dense urban habitats.