PIPER, S.E. & SCHULTZ, D.M. 1989. Type, dimensionality and size of Longtailed Wagtail territories.Ostrich suppl. 14:123-131.The Longtailed Wagtail Motucillu cluru is the only southern African wagtail to inhabit evergreen forests.Data from a dozen marked pairs, over a one year study period, were collected to elucidate territory type, dimensionality and size. It is shown that (i) breeding birds held linear territories confined to an arboreal river course, (ii) the territories were of type A (Hinde 1956), i.e. "all purpose", used for foraging, courtship, mating, nesting, feeding young and roosting, (iii) territories varied in length from 400 to 900 m with a mean of 590 m per pair (i.e. 11,l to 25,O pairs / 10 km, with a mean of 16,9 pairs/ 10 km), (iv) territories were held all year, (v) both birds of the pair used the same territory and (vi) the pair tended to be in close proximity to one another while movin throu hout the territory. Descriptions are ven of territorial displays and a new technique is presente%where%y observations of End-Of-Territory $.e. EOT) behaviour may be used to conduct a census of a population of unmarked birds. The most important method of maintaining territory was via a simple avoidance rule rather than by vigorous inter-pair interactions; the latter being infrequent. A comparison with the Palaearctic Grey Wagtail M. cinereu is presented.
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