BEHAVIOUR OF MIGRANT SHOREBIRDS DURING SOUTHWARD MIGRATION IN PANTAI REMIS MUDFLAT OF SELANGOR COAST, WEST COAST OF PENINULAR MALAYSIAK.M. RIAK, A. ISMAIL, A. ARSHAD AND A.K. ISMAILAbstract Focal individual sampling was used to collect behavioural data (i.e. time activity budget) on three species of migrant shorebirds; Eurasian curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), Mongolian plover (Charadrius rnongoius) and Common redshank (Tringa tetanus) in the intertidal mud flat Pantai Remis of Selangor coast, west coast of Peninsular Malaysia during southward migration period. The behaviours activities investigated were feeding (pecking, probing or scything), locomotion (walking, flying or running), resting (stationary position with either their bill under wing, or neck and head kept without motion), body maintenance (preening, wing stretching) and alert (stationary position with bird visually scanning surrounding). Overall result indicated that these behaviours were significantly different among shorebird species (Wilk's X.0.102, P<0.001) and that all three species spent most of their time feeding and considerable time spent in resting/sleeping on the intertidal mudflat. In conclusion the activities proved that mudflat on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia provide important stopover and wintering sites for migrant shorebirds to replenish energy and nutrient reserves and perhaps as important resting sites.
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