贵州草海发现苇鹀

<正>2014年4月19日,在贵州草海国家级自然保护区老祖坟附近(26°51′N,104°15′E,海拔2 175 m)湖边枯萎的香蒲(Typha orientalis)丛中观察并拍摄到1雄2雌共3只苇鹀(Emberiza pallasi)。该鸟的识别特征:雄鸟头顶、颊、耳羽、喉及上胸均黑色,下髭纹白色,后颈具较宽的白色横带;背、肩深褐色,羽缘灰白,腰及尾上覆羽浅灰色,小覆羽灰色;下体灰白色。雌鸟头顶和枕部皮黄色,耳羽褐色,眉纹和喉部白色,其余同雄鸟。苇鹀与近似种芦鹀(E.schoeniclus)的区别如下:苇鹀小覆羽灰色,而芦鹀为棕色;苇鹀上喙较直,而芦鹀上喙稍     

繁殖期黄喉鹀的领域鸣唱及其种内个体识别

在镜泊湖自然保护区收录黄喉鹀(Emberiza elegans)的鸣唱声,室内作出鸣唱的语图和声谱图。繁殖期黄喉鹀领域鸣唱的频率范围2.4—6KHz,有13—28个音节,2—3个泛音,鸣唱持续时间2.2—4.0秒;具相似的频谱结构,但种内个体间亦存在差异。野外对比实验的结果可说明,黄喉鹀有识别邻鸟和陌生鸟领域鸣唱的能力,有对声音的记忆和定位的能力。     

秦皇岛黄胸鹀和蓝歌鸲的种群动态及迁徙时序——基于1999—2019年的环志数据

鸟类环志是种群监测和迁徙研究的重要手段。基于秦皇岛鸟类环志站1999 ~ 2019年的环志数据,对黄胸鹀（Emberiza aureola）和蓝歌鸲（Larvivora cyane）两种鸟类在21年间的种群动态和迁徙时序进行了分析。结果表明,迁徙途经秦皇岛的黄胸鹀种群数量以4或5年为周期呈规律性的波动下降,年均降幅达17.3%,21年间种群数量累计下降了97.7%。近年来我国加强了对黄胸鹀及其栖息地的保护管理,并于2021年初将其列为国家I级重点保护动物,有望促进其种群的逐步恢复。蓝歌鸲种群数量的年均降幅为4.2%,但下降过程主要集中在1999至2003年间,其后种群指数趋于稳定。黄胸鹀春季网捕高峰短暂而集中,持续约15 d;秋季网捕高峰则较为分散,持续约47 d。这表明黄胸鹀春季迁徙进程明显较为集中和快速,可能是出于繁殖需求采取了时间最短的迁徙策略。蓝歌鸲成年雄鸟、成年雌鸟和亚成鸟春季的网捕高峰在日期上有明显的差异,间隔4或5 d先后出现,表明蓝歌鸲不同年龄和性别的个体在春季进行差别迁徙,有利于减小停歇地的种内竞争,并确保雄鸟提前到达繁殖地占领优质的繁殖领域。     

鸣禽前脑发声控制核团的雌雄差别

本文应用尼氏染色组织学方法,对黄喉鹀(Emberiza elegans)、黄雀(Carduclis spinus)和燕雀(Fringilla montifringilla)三种鸣禽的前脑发声控制核团(HVc,RA,Area X)进行了观察和比较。结果表明,这些核团的体积存在着显著的性双形性。雄鸟的核团体积均大于雌鸟(P<0.001)。说明鸟类鸣啭行为的性别差异是由其神经结构的形态不同所造成的。     

扎龙国家自然保护区6种雀形目鸟类血液蛋白的遗传多态性

采用SDS-聚丙烯酰氨凝胶电泳法,对扎龙自然保护区6种雀形目鸟类(黄喉鹀、黄眉柳莺、黄胸鹀、虎纹伯劳、麻雀和灰头鹀)的4个血液蛋白位点［血红蛋白(Hb)、白蛋白（Alb）、转铁蛋白（Tf）和腺苷脱氨酶（Ada）］进行了多态性检测.结果表明：研究区6种鸟类在这4个血液蛋白位点上均存在多态性,这6种鸟在Ada座位上均表现出较大的遗传变异性;黄眉柳莺的群体遗传变异较大,灰头鹀的群体稳定性相对较高;这6种鸟可划分为两大类,黄喉鹀、黄胸鹀、灰头鹀和黄眉柳莺聚为一大类,麻雀和虎纹伯劳聚为另一类,这与6种雀形目鸟类的实际分类地位基本相符;研究区较高的体温调节价和取食压力并未导致6种鸟类血液蛋白的遗传结构产生较大变异,可能是由于该地区雀形目鸟类与外界存在一定的基因交流,从而缩减了其群体遗传上的变异和分化.     

海南临高和澄迈池鹭种群的卵色光谱分析

2009年4-7月,利用光纤光谱仪和鸟类视觉模型对海南临高和澄迈2个池鹭(Ardeola bacchus)种群的卵色进行量化分析.结果表明:池鹭卵的反射光谱波峰位于中波区域,最高峰位于绿色光区域,卵色为以绿色为主的蓝绿色,这种卵色可能是对捕食、营巢生境或雄鸟性选择的适应.基于鸟类视觉模型的分析表明,2个种群池鹭的卵在色度、亮度和色调UV上无显著差异,但在色调RGB上存在极显著差异.罗宾逊(Robinson)投射分析表明,澄迈种群的池鹭,其卵的色调RGB变异明显大于临高种群,这种变异可能与2个种群的巢寄生压力或营巢生境的差异有关.     

青海省七种鸟类新纪录

2013年至2016年野外调查期间,发现7种青海省鸟类新纪录,分别为靴隼雕(Hieraaetus pennatus)、金黄鹂(Oriolus oriolus)、苍头燕雀(Fringilla coelebs)、蓝鹀(Latoucheornis siemsseni)、黄鹀(Emberiza citrinella)、灰颈鹀(E.buchanani)、黄喉鹀(E.elegans)。这些发现不仅为鸟类种群分布地扩展、迁徙路线的研究以及鸟类的保护和监测提供了依据,同时也为探讨鸟类潜在分布地提供了参考。     

中杜鹃在3种宿主巢中寄生繁殖

了解杜鹃对其宿主的选择和寄生情况,能为两者间的协同进化研究提供重要的基础资料。2012和2013年每年的4～8月,在贵州宽阔水国家级自然保护区对不同生境类型中的鸟巢进行搜索监测,记录到4例中杜鹃(Cuculus saturatus)寄生繁殖现象,其宿主分别是暗绿绣眼鸟(Zosterops japonicus)、棕腹柳莺(Phylloscopus subaffinis)和黄喉鹀(Emberiza elegans),其中棕腹柳莺和暗绿绣眼鸟是首次记录到被中杜鹃寄生。中杜鹃卵重(2.39±0.14)g(n=3),体积(2.24±0.18)cm3(n=3),通过T检验方法发现中杜鹃卵极显著大于暗绿绣眼鸟和棕腹柳莺卵(P0.001),同时在形状上也与两者极不相似,中杜鹃卵呈明显的长椭圆形,与黄喉鹀的卵在大小上无显著差异(P=0.1)。反射光谱的分析结果发现,寄生于不同宿主巢的中杜鹃卵在背景色和斑点上都具有一定差异,这表明中杜鹃的卵可能存在基因族群的分化。     

白腹短翅鸲雄鸟的羽毛延迟成熟现象

20 0 3年 6月 ,在甘肃省莲花山自然保护区观察到白腹短翅鸲 (Hodgsoniusphaenicuroides)雄鸟的羽毛延迟成熟现象。研究发现 ,亚成体雄鸟体羽暗淡 ,为似雌鸟样的褐色 ,但仍然可以繁殖。声谱分析表明 ,成体雄鸟与亚成体雄鸟的鸣声结构非常相似 ,而且两者在巢址、巢材、窝卵数、卵色、卵大小等巢卵特征上也非常一致。通过对中国科学院动物研究所标本馆 1 1 7只白腹短翅鸲雄鸟标本的测量 ,发现成体雄鸟的翅长和尾长明显大于亚成体 (t 检验 ,P <0. 0 0 1 )。在 1 93 0年北平东陵同一繁殖季节采集的 1 0 8只雄鸟标本中 ,亚成体雄鸟所占的比例为 1 9%。     

海南昌江家燕(Hirundo rustica)种群的卵色及其窝内窝间变异

量化鸟类的卵色及其窝内、窝间变异,对于理解鸟类卵色的进化及其适应性具有重要意义。具有较小的卵色窝内变异和较大的窝间变异,有利于寄主反寄生行为对策的进化。最近的研究表明,除了同种寄生,家燕(Hirundo rustica)同时也是杜鹃(Cuculus spp.)的重要寄主之一。本研究利用光纤光谱仪,对海南昌江家燕种群的卵色进行量化分析。结果表明:家燕卵背景色的反射光谱明显高于斑点色,斑点色在长波光部分有较高的波峰和波谷,表明在黄色和红色光上具有较高的色彩饱和度;虽然肉眼看到的家燕卵的背景和斑点颜色截然不同,但基于鸟类视觉模型的统计分析表明,两者的色调的可见光部分(RGB)并无显著差异,而在人眼无法探测的紫外光(UV)部分及色度和亮度上均存在极显著差异;家燕卵色的窝内、窝间变异分析结果表明,家燕卵的背景色和斑点的窝内变异不显著;而在窝间变异上,UV、色度和亮度均无显著差异,但色调RGB具有显著差异,斑点的窝间变异大于背景色。本研究是家燕卵色定量化分析的首次报道。     

Effect of testosterone on testes, body weight and plumage regeneration in photorefractory male redheaded bunting Emberiza bruniceps

Various doses of testosterone propionate (TP) were administered for 10 days to refractory male redheaded buntings exposed to 15L:9D in last week of June, shortly before the onset of molt, to determine the effect of exogenous male hormone on the testes, body weight and plumage regeneration in photorefractory birds. While 5-, 10-, or 25 micrograms of TP bird-1 day-1 did not affect the testes, body weight or feather regeneration, testicular growth was stimulated but body weight declined and plumage regeneration prevented in birds that received 150- or 250 micrograms of TP bird-1 day-1. In contrast, a 50 micrograms treatment, although unable to induce the growth of the testes, caused loss in body weight and feather regeneration. Also, a 25 micrograms dose of TP administered to photostimulated birds induced complete testicular atrophy. These results suggests that testosterone exerts dose-dependent effects on the testes, body weight and plumage regeneration in buntings. A positive correlation is found between the amount of hormone and the testes growth, while the increasing amount of hormone has negative effect on the body weight and regeneration of feathers.     

Alula size signals male condition and predicts reproductive performance in an Arctic‐breeding passerine

While studies of achromatic plumage signaling are scarce relative to chromatic ornaments, achromatic ornaments have the potential to act as an efficient form of visual communication due to the highly conspicuous contrast between black and white body regions. Recently, achromatic plumage reflectance has been shown to indicate condition, yet the condition‐dependence of achromatic patch size remains unstudied. Here we show the first evidence that alula size, an achromatic plumage patch, has the potential to signal a male’s condition and predict reproductive performance. In Arctic‐breeding snow buntings Plectrophenax nivalis, the size of the alula simultaneously predicted pre‐breeding physiological health and the number of offspring produced, through an intermediate variable (lay date). Snow buntings appear to pair assortatively; males and females arriving earlier pair together, and changes in body condition over the breeding season are positively related within pairs. We suggest that simple achromatic plumage patches, like alula size, have the potential to act as condition‐dependent signals. Consequently, females may benefit from assessing these signals to reliably evaluate a male’s condition and reproductive potential as a means of maximizing their reproductive success.     

Blue,not UV,plumage color is important in satin bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus display

Several studies have suggested that peak plumage reflectance in birds matches color preferences used in mate choice. We tested this hypothesis in adult satin bowerbird males that have a short‐wavelength saturated blue‐black plumage with a peak reflectance in the UV. We found that the chroma of the blue (405–480 nm), but not the peak reflecting UV (320–400 nm) portion of the male plumage spectrum was significantly correlated with male mating success. A plot of correlation coefficients between male mating success and plumage saturation showed a well‐defined peak in the blue. This suggests that: 1) blue plumage coloration is more important in mate choice than UV or other colors, and 2) that there is a mismatch between the peak reflectance of the plumage of male satin bowerbirds and the range of plumage wavelengths that are correlated with male mating success. This indicates that it is not safe to infer a role of UV or other colors in mate choice simply because of a peak in plumage reflectance.     

Supplemental food increases ornamentation of male nestling Eastern Bluebirds

Although the condition‐dependence and signaling function of ornamental plumage coloration among adult males is well studied, less research has focused on the information content of ornamental coloration among juvenile birds. Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) nestlings grow their nuptial plumage while in the nest and dependent on parents for food, making them an ideal species for studying the development and function of elaborate plumage. Previous research suggests that plumage brightness of Eastern Bluebirds functions, in the juvenile stage, in parent–offspring interactions as a sexually selected trait in adults. Using an experimental approach, we tested the effects of supplemental food on the structural plumage coloration (i.e., tips of primary feathers) of Eastern Bluebird nestlings in Watauga County, North Carolina, during the 2011 breeding season. We provided supplemental mealworms daily to breeding pairs from the onset of incubation through the nestling period, and measured plumage brightness, UV chroma, and mass of nestlings (N = 89 males and 71 females). Male nestlings of supplementally fed parents exhibited brighter plumage. The mass and UV chroma of young bluebirds were not significantly affected by food supplementation. However, the relationship between mass and brightness differed between male nestlings in the control and supplementally fed treatments. Males reared in food‐supplemented territories exhibited a positive relationship between color and mass. Nestlings in control territories, however, exhibited a negative relationship between size and brightness, suggesting that reduced food availability results in a tradeoff between allocating resources toward somatic growth and development of bright plumage. Our results suggest that UV‐blue structural plumage in male juvenile Eastern Bluebirds is at least partially condition‐dependent and may help to explain why plumage color can influence social interactions in Eastern Bluebirds.     

Cryptic sexual dichromatism occurs across multiple types of plumage in the Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus

Several recent studies have found instances of cryptic sexual dichromatism within avian taxa. Although this dichromatism has been found in plumage produced through a variety of proximate mechanisms, little is known about how dichromatism varies across these types of plumage within a single species. We used a reflectance spectrometer to measure colour within the Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus , a species which displays multiple types of pigment and structural colours. We found significant differences in spectral measurements corresponding to hue, chroma, and brightness between male and female carotenoid, melanin, structural white, grey and structural blue plumage. The only plumage that did not appear to show sexual dichromatism was the olive plumage of the back. These findings suggest that the mechanism(s) producing cryptic dichromatism in the Green-backed Tit are non-specific and act across multiple types of plumage, rather than within a single type, such as carotenoid-based or structurally produced.     

Plumage Colouration,Age, Testosterone and Dominance in Male Red Bishops (Euplectes orix): A Laboratory Experiment

Visual signals such as plumage characteristics in birds often play a key role in the establishment of dominance in contests by acting as a badge of status that can be used to assess individual fighting ability. We studied the role of plumage colouration in males of the red bishop (Euplectes orix), a sexually dimorphic and polygynous weaverbird species occurring in sub‐Saharan Africa and breeding in dense colonies around water. Males are highly territorial and often engage in competition over limited resources such as breeding sites and potential mates. By experimentally staging male–male contests over a limited food source, we wanted to determine whether the orange–red breeding plumage in this species serves as a dominance signal between individuals, with males with redder plumage being dominant over those with duller plumage. In the first set of experiments, we staged contests between unfamiliar and unmanipulated males. The setup of the second set of experiments was identical to the first, with the exception that those males with the lowest chroma and hue values had their plumage experimentally reddened within the range of the natural variation. In addition to plumage colouration, we incorporated testosterone levels, body condition and age into the analysis of factors contributing to contest outcome. Our results show a consistent and strong age effect in both sets of experiments, which seems to be independent of plumage colouration, testosterone and body condition. This suggests that in the red bishop, the outcome of male–male competitions over limited resources is determined by age‐related acquired experience rather than by status signalling through plumage colouration.     

Within-male melanin-based plumage and bill elaboration in male house sparrows

If there is a cost to producing a dark color patch, the size of a patch may not correspond with its pigment concentration. The plumage of male house sparrows represents a case of dark, melanin-based ornamentation, but also a case of neglecting the composite nature of dark signals in birds. Here, I investigated what kind of associations exist between the brightness, chroma, and hue of dark integumentary patches and the size of a secondary sexual trait, the bib, in male house sparrows. I found that males with a larger bib also had a darker bib and bill, and a more saturated bib, bill, epaulets, head crown, and breast than small-bibbed males. Male bib coloration in terms of brightness and chroma was more strongly related to bib size than the coloration of other integumentary patches. However, with respect to hue, only the hue of the bill and cheeks was related to bib size. My results indicate that size, brightness, and chroma of the bib, but also chroma of other deeply colored patches, convey redundant information about the signaler's quality in male house sparrows.     

Comparing plumage colour measurements obtained directly from live birds and from collected feathers: the case of the great tit Parus major

Birds frequently display a colourful plumage which is important both in inter and intraespecific communication, and either in sexual and social contexts. In last years some methodologies have been developed to, analyse plumage coloration, but the use of the spectrometers has been particularly important for UV range. Measurement of plumage coloration with the spectrometer may be taken directly on the bird or, alternatively by collecting some feathers and measuring them later in the laboratory. However, few is known about the reliability of measures obtained from feathers and whether these are really representative of plumage coloration. We tested this assumption analysing measurements of carotenoids-based coloration components (lightness, chroma and hue) and lutein peak of the yellow breast of the great tit Parus major. We used two spectrometers (Ocean optics and Minolta) which calculate differently the colour components. Our results showed that direct measurement of bird was highly repeatable to determine lightness, chroma and hue for both spectrometers. Similar results we found for collected feathers procedure for both devices. Collected feathers provided high representative measurements of colour values with Minolta spectrometer. Lightness was highly repeatable when we used Ocean optic spectrometer, but chroma and hue were moderate. Lutein peak was also highly repeatable in all cases. The number of feathers used to measure plumage coloration in collected feathers procedure strongly influenced values of colour plumage variables. In general, values of lightness, chroma and hue stabilised when more than 10–15 feathers were used although we found slight differences between spectrometers. However, only four feathers were needed for lutein peak. Thus, our results stress the need to use a minimum number of feathers in measuring plumage coloration from collected feathers.     

Structural plumage colour and parasites in satin bowerbirds Ptilonorhynchus violaceus: implications for sexual selection

We investigated whether variation in structural plumage coloration in satin bowerbirds, Ptilonorhynchus violaceus , could reveal the intensity of infection from parasites, as predicted from models of parasite-mediated sexual selection (PMSS). To do this, we captured adult male, female, and juvenile male satin bowerbirds in Queensland, Australia, and objectively measured individual plumage reflectance from four body regions using a spectrometer. We quantified both ectoparasite load and the intensity of infection from blood parasites. In iridescent blue adult males, plumage reflectance is unimodal, with a single peak in the ultraviolet, while in greenish females and juveniles, plumage reflectance is bimodal, with peaks in both the ultraviolet and green portions of the spectrum. In adult males, the intensity of infection from blood parasites was best predicted by plumage brightness (total reflectance), with brighter males having fewer parasites. Similarly, juvenile males exhibiting greater UV chroma (proportion of reflectance in the UV) had fewer blood parasites. Our findings support a key prediction of PMSS models and provide the first evidence that a structural colour ornament can signal the intensity of infection from blood parasites.     

Structural coloration and sexual selection in the barn swallow Hirundo rustica

Structural coloration has been hypothesized to play a role insexual selection, and we tested whether this was the case ina field study of the barn swallow Hirundo rustica. The dorsaliridescent plumage of barn swallows has a strong reflectancein the ultraviolet (UV) region, with adult males on averagereflecting 8-9% more than adult females, as revealed by a 2-yearstudy in southwestern Spain. The correlation between structural coloration (described by the reflectance in the UV part of thespectrum, UV chroma and blue chroma) and three other secondarysexual characters significantly associated with male matingsuccess (tail length, tail asymmetry, and red facial coloration)was weak and generally nonsignificant. Nor was there a significantrelationship between color parameters and body condition. Wetested for an association between structural coloration of the dorsal plumage and sexual selection in a number of independenttests. Arrival date of males was not significantly relatedto color; there was no significant relationship between colorationand probability of survival or age; mated males did not havestronger reflectance than unmated males; and the duration ofthe premating period was not significantly related to color.Reproductive success was not significantly correlated withplumage coloration in males, nor was the feeding rate of offspringby brightly colored males higher than that of males with lessbright plumage. Given that sample sizes were large, and the power of statistical tests high, we conclude that current sexualselection on the coloration of the dorsal plumage in the barnswallow is, at best, weak.