DAILY ACTIVITY PATTERN OF PHEASANT MALES (PHASIANUS-COLCHICUS) IN THE LEK

From March 20 to May 20 we observed the course of the lek and daily activity in male Phasianus colchicus. Changes in the frequency of 11 behavioural elements (alert, feeding, walking, standing, running, crowing behaviour, courtship display, aggressive behaviour, comfort behaviour, drinking, flying) were evaluated. According to changes in the length of the interval between the individual vocal manifestations (crows) the peak of the lek occurred in the second decade of April. This is also corroborated by the fact that in this decade we registered the highest occurrence frequency of behavioural elements pooled into the common group of "sexual" behavioural elements (alert, standing, running, aggressive behaviour, crowing, courtship display). Throughout the period investigated a distinctly two-peak rhythm of daily activity was exhibited only by feeding and by a complex of elements forming the "unsexual" group of behavioural elements (feeding, walking, drinking, flying, comfort behaviour). Daily peaks were registered in early-morning (5.00-9.00) and evening (17.00-21.00) hours. In the period of subsiding lek (the first decade of May) crowing also occurred most frequently in early-morning and evening hours. Sexual elements of behaviour were observed most often during morning (9.00-13.00) hours in the second decade of April.