Bill Length Research Articles

Extra-pair paternity in socially monogamous Streaked Shearwaters: forced copulation or female solicitation?

Seabirds are long-lived birds that invest in offspring at very high levels, for which male parental care is indispensable. These characteristics are thought to explain seabirds’ generally low level of extra-pair paternity (EPP). Although the Streaked Shearwater (Calonectris leucomelas) is a socially monogamous seabird, it is known to copulate outside its social pair bond, which implies the frequent occurrence of EPP. In the closely related Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris borealis, cuckoldry is related to body size of the social male. To determine whether body-size-related EPP occurs among Streaked Shearwaters, we established 39 new microsatellite markers for parentage analysis and compared body size between cuckolded and non-cuckolded males. With the new markers, we found that extra-pair males sired 17 (15.0%) of 113 offspring during the 2014–2016 study period, which included three 1.5-month chick-rearing periods. This percentage is among the highest recorded for seabirds. We also found the bill and wing length of cuckolded males to be significantly shorter than those of non-cuckolded males, and that females can reject attempted copulations. These observations imply that EPP in this species is size related and involves female acceptance.

A morphometric sexing approach for the Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri in Italy

ABSTRACTOnly one fact is certain when sexing the Ring-necked Parakeet visually: adult males have a rose-coloured ring and a black bib that is fully developed by their third year. Sexually immature males (those <3 years old) and females are considered impossible to separate without using biometric measures, some additional to those in previous literature. While the biometrics of males and females overlap broadly in value, males tend to be slightly larger than females in all measurements. We tested the possibility of sexing individuals of this species using a series of biometric measurements. A total of 97 parakeets were captured and measured in 2016–17. Measurements of wing length, tail length, bill length, height and thickness, tarsus length, mass, third-primary length and number of yellow underwing coverts were recorded for these individuals. In addition, photographs of the head and wing were taken. Feather samples were taken from all individuals for DNA extraction and 45 of these birds (26 females and 19 males) have been sexed. The measurements from these known-sex individuals were pooled with the measurements for adult males and a logistic regression of the known sexes was performed to verify whether the mean value of the biometric variables was statistically different between females and males. We found that it is possible to separate the sexes using morphological measures of wing, tail, bill length and thickness, tarsus and the number of yellow underwing coverts.

Climate, isolation and intraspecific competition affect morphological traits in an endangered steppe bird, the Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti

ABSTRACTCapsule: We assess biometric variation in the threatened Dupont’s Lark along a wide fraction of its distribution area analysing the largest data set for this bird species available to date, comprising a 28-year period and including birds captured in Spain, Morocco and Tunisia.Aims: To analyse Dupont’s Lark morphology evaluating five potential sources of divergence: (I) sexual dimorphism, (II) macro-regional differences, (III) climate, (IV) isolation and (V) intraspecific competition.Methods: Multivariate analysis was used to summarize biometric data. Sexual dimorphism and macro-regional divergence were assessed by generalized linear mixed models. Climate, isolation and intraspecific competition effects on phenotype were explored by means of model averaging.Results: Sexes differed in wing shape suggesting a sexual selection pressure on males for aerial displays. Males showed longer bills after controlling for body size. We found an increasing Spain < Morocco < Tunisia trend in body size and bill length and volume. Tunisian populations showed more pointed wings than Moroccan and Iberian ones. Maximum temperature increased bill size as predicted by Allen’s rule. We found support for Bergmann’s rule in relation to temperature in the breeding season and water availability. Intraspecific competition was associated with more rounded wing shapes suggesting a pressure related to breeding display performance. Isolation reduced wingtip pointedness.Conclusion: We found convincing results for wing morphology variation in relation to intrasexual competition, as males seem to be subjected to a sexual selection pressure for aerial display and this adaptation strengthens when intraspecific competition increases. We also found solid support for Allen’s rule, with results suggesting that bill size plays an important role in the bird’s thermoregulation, which does not occur in the case of tarsus. Although Bergmann’s rule is not supported in relation to minimum annual temperature, we found a relationship with thermal conditions in the breeding season, as well as water availability.

Morphometric Variation of the Sand MartinRiparia ripariaPopulations in Serbia

This study describes the morphometric variation among Sand Martin Riparia riparia populations in Serbia and assesses the relationship between breeding habitat characteristics and morphometric traits. Univariate and multivariate morphometric analyses based on 11 morphometric characters were performed on 233 adult Sand Martins from five populations. The populations showed differences in five morphometric traits: claw length, bill length, bill width, sternum length, and body weight. The differences were most pronounced in populations breeding at high densities in habitats under least human impact compared with urban habitats. Individuals from the Deliblato Sands Special Nature Reserve differed from all other populations in having distinctive characteristics (lower body weight, longer claws and wider bills). The morphological traits we analyzed are related to nesting, foraging and predator avoidance. Thus observed morphological variation might reflect differences in habitat characteristics.

Heritability estimates from genomewide relatedness matrices in wild populations: Application to a passerine, using a small sample size.

Genomic developments have empowered the investigation of heritability in wild populations directly from genomewide relatedness matrices (GRM). Such GRM-based approaches can in particular be used to improve or substitute approaches based on social pedigree (PED-social). However, measuring heritability from GRM in the wild has not been widely applied yet, especially using small samples and in nonmodel species. Here, we estimated heritability for four quantitative traits (tarsus length, wing length, bill length and body mass), using PED-social, a pedigree corrected by genetic data (PED-corrected) and a GRM from a small sample (n=494) of blue tits from natural populations in Corsica genotyped at nearly 50,000 filtered SNPs derived from RAD-seq. We also measured genetic correlations among traits, and we performed chromosome partitioning. Heritability estimates were slightly higher when using GRM compared to PED-social, and PED-corrected yielded intermediate values, suggesting a minor underestimation of heritability in PED-social due to incorrect pedigree links, including extra-pair paternity, and to lower information content than the GRM. Genetic correlations among traits were similar between PED-social and GRM but credible intervals were very large in both cases, suggesting a lack of power for this small data set. Although a positive linear relationship was found between the number of genes per chromosome and the chromosome heritability for tarsus length, chromosome partitioning similarly showed a lack of power for the three other traits. We discuss the usefulness and limitations of the quantitative genetic inferences based on genomic data in small samples from wild populations.

Post-mortem examinations of New Zealand birds. 2. Long-tailed cuckoos (Eudynamys taitensis, Aves: Cuculinae)

ABSTRACTLittle is known about the biology of long-tailed cuckoos (Eudynamys taitensis). In this study, 79 dead cuckoos, mostly from the wider Auckland region, New Zealand, were examined and dissected to shed light on the sex ratio, morphology, breeding season and diet. There were no statistically significant sexual differences in the means for weight or body measurements. However, immature birds had significantly shorter bill, wing and tail lengths than adults. In adults, gonads were enlarged (for breeding) from October to January, while all cuckoos identified (from plumage) as immatures had small gonads. Of 888 food items identified from 62 gizzards, 94% were insects. The main foods were cicadas and shield-bugs (Hemiptera, 48% of food items), stick-insects (Phasmatodea, 19%) and wētās and katydids (Orthoptera, 13%). Small vertebrates (lizards and birds’ eggs and nestlings) were a minor dietary element (1% of food items; 13% of stomachs). Cicadas, stick-insects and praying mantids (large insects abundant in late summer) made up 57% of the immature diet; in adults these three categories made up just 13% of food items. Immatures leave New Zealand on migration several months after adults, and this delay in late summer and autumn coincides with an opportunity to exploit a seasonal abundance of large insects.

Age-dependent changes in biometrics indicate senescence in the European Blackbird Turdus merula

ABSTRACTCapsule: A 19-year study of European Blackbirds Turdus merula confirms that senescence is associated with a decrease in condition measured by wing length but bills become progressively longer with age.Aims: To explore the correlations between biometrics of Blackbirds and age, to identify possible links with senescence.Methods: During the 19 years of the study, 801 birds of known age were measured: 431 males and 370 females, aged from 2 to 10 years. Among these 91 males and 50 females were retrapped at least one moult later. For each bird, there were at least one set of measurements when fully grown.Results: Wing length increased until the sixth year of life after which it started to decrease. An increase in bill length throughout the lifetime was found in both sexes.Conclusion: Changes in wing length correspond with an earlier study of this population suggesting the onset of senescence after the fifth to sixth calendar year of life.

Genomic associations with bill length and disease reveal drift and selection across island bird populations.

Island species provide excellent models for investigating how selection and drift operate in wild populations, and for determining how these processes act to influence local adaptation and speciation. Here, we examine the role of selection and drift in shaping genomic and phenotypic variation across recently separated populations of Berthelot's pipit (Anthus berthelotii), a passerine bird endemic to three archipelagos in the Atlantic. We first characterized genetic diversity and population structuring that supported previous inferences of a history of recent colonizations and bottlenecks. We then tested for regions of the genome associated with the ecologically important traits of bill length and malaria infection, both of which vary substantially across populations in this species. We identified a SNP associated with variation in bill length among individuals, islands, and archipelagos; patterns of variation at this SNP suggest that both phenotypic and genotypic variation in bill length is largely shaped by founder effects. Malaria was associated with SNPs near/within genes involved in the immune response, but this relationship was not consistent among archipelagos, supporting the view that disease resistance is complex and rapidly evolving. Although we found little evidence for divergent selection at candidate loci for bill length and malaria resistance, genome scan analyses pointed to several genes related to immunity and metabolism as having important roles in divergence and adaptation. Our findings highlight the utility and challenges involved with combining association mapping and population genetic analysis in nonequilibrium populations, to disentangle the effects of drift and selection on shaping genotypes and phenotypes.

Age estimation of black stork (Ciconia nigra) nestlings from wing, bill, head, and tarsus lengths at the time of ringing

Black stork nestlings were measured (wing, bill, head, and tarsus lengths) at weekly intervals in central Poland in 2012, 2014, and 2015. The aim of the study was to provide growth equations based on nestling measurements to allow age estimation of black stork nestlings. The hatching hour and date of nestlings in five nests were determined using trail cameras. The age of the measured nestlings ranged from 18 to 53 days. Wing, bill, and head lengths showed linear growth, while tarsus growth was only linear for nestlings not exceeding 35 days old. Within the age range studied, wing length grew 9.6 mm per day, head length grew 2.3 mm per day, and bill length grew 1.8 mm per day. The study provides the first growth parameters for the black stork.

The roles of geography and environment in divergence within and between two closely related plant species inhabiting an island‐like habitat

AbstractAimIn island‐like habitats, geographic isolation facilitates population and species divergence by constraining gene flow, while environmental isolation can enhance divergence. We tested the relative contribution of geographic and environmental isolation in genetic and phenotypic divergence within and between two species of the figwort Ameroglossum (Scrophulariaceae) inhabiting spatially isolated habitats, known as inselbergs.LocationBorborema Plateau, north‐eastern Brazil.MethodsMultivariate models of redundancy (RDAs) and partial redundancy analyses (pRDAs) were used to partition the geographic and climate components of genetic variation in 48 microsatellite alleles, and phenotypic variation in 11 leaf and flower traits. We also used linear mixed‐effect models (LMEs) to test independent associations of floral tube length variation among inselbergs with local pollinator phenotypes, climate and geography. In each approach, we analysed the data for each species separately and in pooled models for both species.ResultsRDAs revealed that genetic variation within and between the species of Ameroglossum was associated similarly with geography and climate. Phenotypic variation within A. manoel‐felixii and between species was also associated similarly with geography and climate but, within A. pernambucense, phenotype was more strongly associated with climate. Linear mixed‐effect models revealed that flower divergence in A. manoel‐felixii was associated only with the bill length of local hummingbirds, whereas floral variation in A. pernambucense was associated with geography, bill length and climate. Only climate was associated with flower divergence between species.Main conclusionsGenetic and phenotypic variation in Ameroglossum are associated with geographic and environmental isolation. These findings indicate a significant role of ecological factors shaping plant divergence among inselbergs, irrespective of their spatial distances.

Clinical Pathology of the Vulnerable Gough Moorhen (Gallinula comeri)

The Gough moorhen (Gallinula comeri) is native to Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha, and listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to its restricted range and susceptibility to introduced predators. A planned ecosystem restoration by eradication of introduced house mice (Mus musculus) via aerially delivered rodenticide requires a reproductively balanced population of Gough moorhens to be held in captivity to avoid primary and secondary poisoning. To aid disease detection during the period of captivity, Gough moorhens (n=43; 25 adult females and 18 adult males) were captured, measured and sampled to determine ease of sexing by morphometrics, to establish reference ranges for routine haematological and biochemical parameters and to identify any intestinal and haemoparasites as well as determine which faecal bacteria were present. Male Gough moorhens had significantly greater mean body mass (P=0.019) and head and bill length (P=0.001) compared with females, but the overlapping ranges showed genetic identification of sex was required for accurate determination. Plasma globulin and total protein concentrations were significantly greater in female compared with male birds (P=0.032 and P=0.012, respectively) and probably related to egg yolk production. No haemoparasites or gastrointestinal parasites were found in any bird and there were no sex-related differences in the haematology. Multiple bacterial taxa were isolated from the faeces of all birds including Enterococcus spp. (n=42), Klebsiella spp. (n=40), Staphylococcus aureus (n=33), Staphylococcus intermedius (n=16), Escherichia coli (n=41) and Pseudomonas spp. (n=7). No clinical or subclinical disease was found in any of the birds examined, suggesting they are suitable for short-term captivity but rapid on-island genetic-based sex determination will be essential to ensure a reproductively balanced population.

How do seasonality and host traits influence the distribution patterns of parasites on juveniles and adults of Columba livia?

Parasites may influence host fitness and consequently exert a selective pressure on distinct phenotypes of the host population. This pressure can result in an evolutionary response, maintaining only individuals with certain traits in the population. The present study was aimed at identifying the morphological characteristics of juveniles and adults of Columba livia that may influence the distribution patterns of lice, Pseudolynchia canariensis and Haemoproteus columbae and how the populations of these parasites vary throughout the seasons of the year. Between July 2012 and July 2014, 377 specimens of C. livia were captured. We observed a significant increase in the mean intensities of infestation by pigeon flies and lice, as well as in species richness of ectoparasites during the warmest seasons, suggesting a reproductive synchrony between ectoparasites and host species. Bill length, body mass, and body length did not affect the infestation levels of ectoparasites on adults and juveniles of C. livia with three distinct plumage colors. In juveniles, plumage color affected only the mean intensity of infestation by lice, with Spread individuals as the most infested. This indicates that melanin in feathers was not an effective barrier against ectoparasites.

Insights into the genetic architecture of morphological traits in two passerine bird species

Knowledge about the underlying genetic architecture of phenotypic traits is needed to understand and predict evolutionary dynamics. The number of causal loci, magnitude of the effects and location in the genome are, however, still largely unknown. Here, we use genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from two large-scale data sets on house sparrows and collared flycatchers to examine the genetic architecture of different morphological traits (tarsus length, wing length, body mass, bill depth, bill length, total and visible badge size and white wing patches). Genomic heritabilities were estimated using relatedness calculated from SNPs. The proportion of variance captured by the SNPs (SNP-based heritability) was lower in house sparrows compared with collared flycatchers, as expected given marker density (6348 SNPs in house sparrows versus 38 689 SNPs in collared flycatchers). Indeed, after downsampling to similar SNP density and sample size, this estimate was no longer markedly different between species. Chromosome-partitioning analyses demonstrated that the proportion of variance explained by each chromosome was significantly positively related to the chromosome size for some traits and, generally, that larger chromosomes tended to explain proportionally more variation than smaller chromosomes. Finally, we found two genome-wide significant associations with very small-effect sizes. One SNP on chromosome 20 was associated with bill length in house sparrows and explained 1.2% of phenotypic variation (VP), and one SNP on chromosome 4 was associated with tarsus length in collared flycatchers (3% of VP). Although we cannot exclude the possibility of undetected large-effect loci, our results indicate a polygenic basis for morphological traits.

Complex relationships among environmental conditions and bill morphology in a generalist songbird

The selective pressures acting on phenotypes are complex and can vary both spatially and temporally. To elucidate relationships among environmental conditions and selection on a complex morphological trait, we explored spatial and temporal variation in avian bill structure in a common generalist songbird, the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). We measured bill length, width, and depth, and calculated bill surface area for >800 museum specimens collected in California from 1905 to 1980. We then determined which environmental variables (precipitation, temperature, habitat type) acting over which temporal scales (seasonal, annual, hemi-decadal, decadal) explained variation in these measures of bill morphology. Although we had predicted that relationships between environmental parameters and selection on the bill structure would reflect either foraging ecology or thermoregulatory needs, the patterns that we found were more complex and varied with season and among the different bill traits examined. Temperature was consistently a more important predictor of bill morphology than precipitation, although overall support for temperature was still weak. While bill surface area was related to habitat type, linear measures of bill morphology were related to temperature maxima, minima, and variability. Bill morphology was related to temperature maxima in summer; in contrast, both temperature maxima and minima were supported in winter models. Of the climate variables identified as important in our analyses, support was strongest for the measure of decadal temperature variability. The strong relationship between vegetative community and bill surface area revealed by our analyses as well as the unexpected role of decadal temperature variability indicate that consideration of the large-scale context—ecology and climate—in which complex phenotypic traits occur may reveal important patterns of selection that are not evident from studies of more isolated components of natural systems.

Sex-Specific Growth in the Imperial Cormorant (Phalacrocorax atriceps): When Does Dimorphism Arise?

Abstract. Cormorants and shags (Phalacrocoracidae) are sexually monomorphic in plumage but dimorphic in size with males larger and heavier than females. Such size dimorphism has been capitalized upon for several species in the family to sex adults by using discriminant analysis applied on the morphometric measurements. Despite that, few studies have analyzed the development of sexual size dimorphism during chick growth. In this study, sexspecific growth was assessed in chicks of the Imperial Cormorant (Phalacrocorax atriceps) by analyzing the development of body mass, bill length, head length, tarsus length and wing length measured on 80 chicks sexed by DNA-based technics. Fieldwork was performed during the 2004 breeding season at Punta Leon, Patagonia, Argentina. In addition, discriminant analyses were performed to obtain functions to determine the sex of fledglings. Males had higher asymptotic values and growth rates than females for all measurements considered, even though the arising of dimorphism var...

Long-term continental changes in wing length, but not bill length, of a long-distance migratory shorebird.

We compiled a >50‐year record of morphometrics for semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla), a shorebird species with a Nearctic breeding distribution and intercontinental migration to South America. Our data included >57,000 individuals captured 1972–2015 at five breeding locations and three major stopover sites, plus 139 museum specimens collected in earlier decades. Wing length increased by ca. 1.5 mm (>1%) prior to 1980, followed by a decrease of 3.85 mm (nearly 4%) over the subsequent 35 years. This can account for previously reported changes in metrics at a migratory stopover site from 1985 to 2006. Wing length decreased at a rate of 1,098 darwins, or 0.176 haldanes, within the ranges of other field studies of phenotypic change. Bill length, in contrast, showed no consistent change over the full period of our study. Decreased body size as a universal response of animal populations to climate warming, and several other potential mechanisms, are unable to account for the increasing and decreasing wing length pattern observed. We propose that the post‐WWII near‐extirpation of falcon populations and their post‐1973 recovery driven by the widespread use and subsequent limitation on DDT in North America selected initially for greater flight efficiency and latterly for greater agility. This predation danger hypothesis accounts for many features of the morphometric data and deserves further investigation in this and other species.

Body condition as a quantitative tool to guide hand‐rearing decisions in an endangered seabird

AbstractThe use of wildlife rehabilitation for conservation is growing, but quantitative criteria are rarely used to guide whether and when to remove animals from the wild. Since 2006, large numbers of African penguin Spheniscus demersus chicks have been abandoned annually when adults enter moult with dependent young still in the nest. As part of conservation initiatives for this endangered species, these chicks were collected and hand reared to fledging age. Post‐release survival has been well documented; in this study we develop models to predict survival of individuals during rehabilitation with the aim of improving hand‐rearing success and guiding the use of scarce resources. For 1455 chicks abandoned between 2008 and 2013, we assessed whether a chick body condition index (BCI) could predict outcome (death or release) and time spent in rearing. In addition, for a subset of 173 chicks in 2012, we assessed whether BCI at admission influenced chick growth rates during rehabilitation and examined whether the use of additional structural measurements and sex provided additional power to predict outcome. Models predicted an 82.9% (95% confidence interval: 73.3–89.5%) release rate for chicks admitted with a BCI &gt;0, the proposed guideline for removal from colonies. This fell below 50% for BCIs &lt; −1.05; 66% of chicks were admitted with BCIs between these thresholds. Adding bill length to BCI improved the relative model fit, but in both cases only ~70% of rehabilitation outcomes were correctly predicted. Chicks that grew more quickly were more likely to be released and, for those that were released, had lower BCI at admission suggesting compensatory growth. Chicks were generally removed at an appropriate time to ensure successful hand‐rearing. However, 32% were admitted in good condition, highlighting the importance of using adaptive management to guide wildlife rehabilitation and the allocation of conservation resources.

Ukuran Tubuh Entok di Tiga Kabupaten Provinsi Jawa Tengah

The study was conducted to identify the body measurements of Muscovy duck among three&lt;br /&gt;regency (Pekalongan, Magelang dan Demak) in Central Java. Material of the experiment was 210 muscovy ducks at 7 months of age (70 birds/regency, 35 males and 35 females). Parameters observed were body weight, bill length, bill width, head length, head circumference, high head, neck length, neck circumference, wing length, body length, breast circumference, body height, breast length, femur length, tibia length, tibia circumference, maxilla length, and length of third toe. Data of body measurement were analyzed through univariate and multivariate using SAS.Whereas the Mahalanobis distance were analyzed using MEGA 5 (UPGMA) to construct the phylogeny tree. Result showed that there were some differences (P&amp;lt;0,05) between male and female of muscovy duck in each regency at all variables. Wing length and breast circumference were the distinguishing variable between regencys. Muscovy duck from Magelang had a closer genetic distance to Pekalongan than Demak.&lt;br /&gt;Keywords: body measurement, muscovy duck

Ukuran Tubuh Entok di Tiga Kabupaten Provinsi Jawa Tengah

The study was conducted to identify the body measurements of Muscovy duck among three&lt;br /&gt;regency (Pekalongan, Magelang dan Demak) in Central Java. Material of the experiment was 210 muscovy ducks at 7 months of age (70 birds/regency, 35 males and 35 females). Parameters observed were body weight, bill length, bill width, head length, head circumference, high head, neck length, neck circumference, wing length, body length, breast circumference, body height, breast length, femur length, tibia length, tibia circumference, maxilla length, and length of third toe. Data of body measurement were analyzed through univariate and multivariate using SAS.Whereas the Mahalanobis distance were analyzed using MEGA 5 (UPGMA) to construct the phylogeny tree. Result showed that there were some differences (P&amp;lt;0,05) between male and female of muscovy duck in each regency at all variables. Wing length and breast circumference were the distinguishing variable between regencys. Muscovy duck from Magelang had a closer genetic distance to Pekalongan than Demak.&lt;br /&gt;Keywords: body measurement, muscovy duck

PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERISTICS AND BIOMETRICAL STUDY ON DIFFERENT BREEDS OF PIGEON IN NORTHERN BANGLADESH

The experiment was conducted to characterize different breeds of pigeon phenotypically and to study their body biometry, which are available in the northernBangladesh. During this study 30 farms were selected which have &gt;20 pair of pigeons in the three study area namely Rajshahi, Natore and Pabna districts ofBangladesh. There about 15 breeds have been selected for the observation of phenotypic characteristics such as color of bill, eye, eyelid, skin, shank, toe, egg, head feather, neck feather, body feather, down feather, wing feather, tail feather and shape of bill, body and egg. The biometrical data were collected from the measurement of length of bill, head, body, shank, middle toe, wingspan and mature body weight. In this study the highest mean bill length was found 2.83±0.05cm in Strasser and lowest mean head length 5.00±0.00cm in Kormona, Nun and Jacobin. The highest mean body length was found 41.60±0.38cm in Strasser and lowest mean body length 30.00±0.43cm in Owl. The highest mean wingspan was found 81.00±0.51cm in Jacobin and lowest mean wingspan 60.45±0.76cm in kormona. The heighest mean shank length was found 3.40±0.13cm in Homer and lowest mean shank length 2.50±0.00cm in Giribug, Kormona, Nun, Satinette and Suachandan. The heighest mean middle toe length was found 4.40±0.05cm in pouter and lowest mean middle toe length 3.00±0.00cm in kormona. The heighest mean mature body weight was found 748.20±8.96gm in Strasser and lowest mean mature body weight 265.10±7.03gm in Giribug. Phenotypic correlation among bill length, head length, body length, wing span, shank length, middle toe length and mature body weight of these breeds of pigeon ranged from 0.233 to 0.789. The experiment’s result may contribute to breed up gradation, helps to formulate the conservation and improvement strategies for the breed as genetic resource.