小杜鹃在强脚树莺巢中寄生繁殖

2006年6~7月作者在贵州省宽阔水自然保护区首次发现小杜鹃(Cuculus poliocephalus)在强脚树莺(Cettiafortipes)巢中寄生(封4图片),并对这一现象进行了连续观察,对小杜鹃的雏鸟生长进行了测量。报道如下:宽阔水自然保护区位于贵州省遵义市绥阳县北部(28°06′25″~28°19′25″N     

西藏札达及米林发现噪鹃

正在开展西藏第二次陆生野生动物资源调查工作过程中,于2015年6月18日在西藏自治区札达县底雅乡底雅村(31°46′55.5″N,78°52′5.1″E,海拔2 977 m)观察并拍摄到1只雄性噪鹃(Eudynamys scolopaceus)。另一组调查人员曾于2015年5月1日在西藏自治区林芝市米林县羌纳乡岗嘎村遮磨岗(29°18′28.15″N,94°21′44.23″E,3 000 m)听到过噪鹃的叫声。     

贵州茂兰发现大草莺

2010年11月12日,在贵州茂兰国家级自然保护区开展鸟类调查时,于三岔河管理站周边(25°17′15.5″N,108°04′30.2″E,海拔490 m)网捕到1只雀形目(Passeriformes)鸟类,经检索书籍(郑作新2002,尹琏等2006,Robson 2008),并依据"International Ornithologists' Union"分类系统,鉴定为大草莺(Graminicola striatus).该鸟种未记载于《贵州鸟类志》、《贵州鸟类志》补遗和相关文献(冉景丞等2003),且《中国动物志鸟纲》、《中国鸟类志》、《中国鸟类分类与分布名录》等专著的分布地区未列入贵州,故确定为贵州省鸟类新纪录.     

西藏雅鲁藏布江中游发现黄斑褶[鱼兆]

正2016年4月,在西藏雅鲁藏布江中游干流下段的派镇段(29°31′9″N,94°52′12″E,海拔2 897 m),6月在米林段(29°12′1″N,94°5′16″E,海拔2 947 m),2017年7月在里龙段(29°8′32″N,93°54′34″E,海拔2 960 m),使用定置刺网共捕获到15尾疑似黄斑褶(Pseudecheneis sulcatus)的鱼类标本(图1a,b)。2017年4月在雅鲁藏布江下游墨脱段(29°18′10″N,95°16′52″E,海拔682 m)采集到一批黄斑褶标本(图1c,d),并与中游的黄斑褶进行了形态学比较鉴定。     

河北张家口康巴诺尔湖国家湿地公园遗鸥繁殖群新发现

2014年4月14日在张家口市康保县康巴诺尔湖国家湿地公园(东经114°35′06″~114°36′32″,北纬41°49′05″~41°50′33″)发现遗鸥(Larus relictus)3 000余只。同年7月在湖边发现新繁殖的遗鸥幼鸟觅食。2015年4月底发现遗鸥在湖心岛筑巢产卵,同年6月采用国产大疆精灵3四轴航拍飞行器航拍法及样方法统计湖心岛遗鸥种群数量,共记录遗鸥成鸟2 100余只,806巢,出壳雏鸟2 080只。此次发现属于我国遗鸥繁殖地的新发现。     

宁夏六盘山发现乌鸫

正2011年5月6日,在甘肃省平凉市崆峒区柳湖公园(35°32′46″N,106°40′10″E,海拔1 294 m)内发现乌鸫(Turdusmerula)繁殖巢一个,巢营于一高大柳树上,巢距地面高4.2m,巢中4只雏鸟即将出飞。2016年5月15日,在宁夏回族自治区隆德县十八里铺村(35°61′02″N,106°06′91″E,海拔1 987 m)发现并记录到乌鸫雄性个体1只,生活环境为村庄。2018年5月25日,在该县黄家峡村(35°63′48″N,106°19′86″E,海拔223 0 m),     

湖北省发现小黑领噪鹛

正2015年8~11月,在湖北神农架森林生态系统国家野外科学观测研究站,3次发现一种此前未监测到的鸟类,鉴定为小黑领噪鹛(Garrulax monileger)。8月5日,在湖北宜昌市兴山县龙门河村黄崩口沟口西侧公路上方山坡(31°19′37′′N,110°28′59′′E,海拔1 292 m),小溪边的化香树(Platycarya strobilacea)林发现5只小黑领噪鹛并拍摄照片(图1);10月21日在龙门河东湾白栎子树包(31°19′32″N,110°31′19″E,海拔1 691 m)的巴山水青冈     

海南鸟类新记录——白眶鹟莺

2018年12月17日,在海南省海口市美兰区白沙门公园内(110°20’06. 16″E,20°04’16. 93″N,海拔3 m)拍摄到莺类(图1):上体橄榄绿色,下体鲜黄色;头顶中央冠纹呈橄榄绿色,未杂有明显的灰色条纹,可与韦氏鹟莺Phylloscopus whistleri相区别;头顶具2道黑色的侧冠纹,头侧呈橄榄绿色;眼眶黄色但不成全环,可与金眶鹟莺P. burkii相区别(Baker,1997);大覆羽先端黄色,形成1道翅斑。经查阅相关资料(Alstrom et al.,2006;Clement et al., 2016 ),鉴定为白眶鹤莺P. intermedium。     

洞庭湖区湖沼植被

一、生态环境洞庭湖位于荆江南岸,地理位置在北纬28°39′20″—30°14′18″,东经111°42′44″—113°39′35″之间。其间内湖667个,面积1.0×10~5ha,最大的大通湖面积在6,670ha以上。外湖洲浃甚多,皆为水生植被的繁衍发展场所。海拔一般为26—27m。湖底基质多为泥质或泥沙质,内湖水深多在1—3m,较清,外湖湖浃水深随洪水涨落而变化。     

纯色山鹪莺的领域鸣叫

鸟类鸣叫是鸟类行为研究的一项重要内容,为探究纯色山鹪莺(Prinia inornata)的鸣叫模式与其尾羽逆向变化的关系,于2007年8-10月在广东省肇庆江溪村对繁殖期纯色山鹪莺的领域鸣声等行为进行研究。运用焦点动物观察法,通过Olympus DS-20数码录音笔(100—17100Hz)和直径50cm声音收集器采集声音。行为统计以直接观察和SonyDCR-VX2000E数码摄像机录像相结合。结果如下:⑴共采集到620个鸣句,分属6种鸣句类型,其中4中为常见类型,1种为过渡类型,1种少见类型。(2)纯色山鹪莺的鸣声结构简单,变化较多,能够根据环境改变鸣声,具有识别危险程度和危险对象种类的能力。(3)鸣声均和一定的行为具有联系,4种主要鸣声类型均伴有抖尾行为出现。据此认为,纯色山鹪莺鸣唱结构简单但变化较多,而尾羽在其领域鸣叫行为中发挥了一定作用。     

两种山鹪莺的繁殖参数比较

生活史是鸟类生态学研究的重要内容之一,分析生活史的影响因子对于研究鸟类的生态适应具有重要意义。2007年3~9月,在广东省肇庆市江溪村对黄腹山鹪莺(Prinia flaviventris)和纯色山鹪莺(P.inornata)的繁殖参数进行了比较研究。结果表明:1)除筑巢集中期、窝卵数、巢捕食率和割草毁巢率外,两种山鹪莺各繁殖参数均存在显著性差异;2)黄腹山鹪莺的窝卵数相对较小,但卵重较大,而纯色山鹪莺则相反;3)与体重相似的9种雀形目鸟类相比,两种山鹪莺具有相对较高的年生产力;4)两种山鹪莺在部分繁殖参数上出现了分化,这可能是它们对不同巢捕食风险的响应,黄腹山鹪莺的巢捕食率相对较高,采取低窝卵数和高的卵重,而纯色山鹪莺则为高的窝卵数和低的卵重。     

Biannual complete moult in the Black-chested Prinia Prinia flavicans

The Black-chested Prinia Prinia flavicans shows two distinctive periods each year during which adult birds undergo a complete moult: there is a fast moult (about 67 days) in spring (September-November) involving all birds simultaneously and a slower moult (about 108 days) in autumn (February-June), when about 95% of adults are moulting during April. A biannual complete moult pattern was also shown to occur in individual birds. The pattern of secondary replacement was variable and unusual for a passerine; the majority replaced S8 to S5/S4 descendantly, or had feathers being renewed ascendantly amongst S4-S7 before the ascendant series starting from the outermost secondary reached the middle secondaries. The descendant series tended to be longer during the autumn moult with S4 most frequently being the last to be replaced in autumn, but S5 last in spring. Breeding was erratic during summer in response to rains and sometimes overlapped extensively with moulting, the onset of which was less variably timed. When breeding occurred during the autumn moult, the new plumage was not the usual winter plumage (without the chest-band), but a new summer plumage.     

云南云县黑喉山鹪莺繁殖生态初报

2016年3~9月对云南云县中岭岗村(24°15′42″N,100°02′42″E,平均海拔1 650 m)的黑喉山鹪莺(Prinia atrogularis)繁殖生态进行了研究。研究期间共发现42巢,主要位于杂草丛中(n=37)和灌木丛(茶树)中(n=5),筑巢期一般5~6 d,巢材有蜘蛛丝、苔藓植物、茅草花、茅草叶、铁线莲花、竹根须、枯枝、棕丝、干枯草穗等。巢呈球状,中上部侧方开口,巢重为(8.3±1.7)g,巢长为(13.2±0.9)cm,宽为(8.2±0.5)cm,巢口长(4.9±0.7)cm,巢口宽为(4.0±0.5)cm(n=25)。窝卵数为(3.9±0.4)枚(n=21,3~4枚)。卵的底色为白色、淡绿或者淡粉,遍布褐红色斑点,有的在钝端呈环状。卵重为(1.38±0.09)g,卵长为(17.3±0.7)mm,宽为(12.6±0.3)mm,卵体积为(1.4±0.1)cm3(n=65)。孵卵期(13.9±0.9)d(n=5,13~15 d),育雏期为(13.5±1.3)d(n=4,12~15 d)。利用Logistic曲线拟合雏鸟体重及外部器官增长,雏鸟的体重和嘴峰在5日龄左右增长最快,体长、翼长、跗跖在7日龄增长最快。对繁殖时间和地点较近的28巢进行连续观察,其中有7巢成功、21巢失败。造成繁殖失败的主要原因分别是巢捕食(62%)、亲鸟弃巢(14%)、人为破坏(14%)。     

UV reflectance as a cue in egg discrimination in two Prinia species exploited differently by brood parasites in Taiwan

Birds are capable of seeing the ultraviolet light (UV) spectrum and as a consequence have evolved UV‐reflective structures with signalling functions. Avian eggs also reflect in the UV spectrum but the importance of UV egg matching in egg rejection decisions has been equivocal. Here we conducted egg rejection experiments in the congeneric and sympatrically breeding Yellow‐bellied Prinia Prinia flaviventris and Plain Prinia Prinia inornata in Taiwan to assess the role of UV as a cue in egg discrimination. Yellow‐bellied Prinia is a host of Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus optatus, whereas Plain Prinia is not. We coated one prinia egg in the experimental clutches with a cream containing a UV‐blocking agent, while the rest of the eggs were coated with cream only. We also experimentally parasitized prinias with non‐mimetic model eggs with reduced UV reflectance. Yellow‐bellied Prinia and Plain Prinia rejected their own UV‐blocked eggs in 18.2 and 8.3% of the experiments, respectively, and the difference was not significant. However, Yellow‐bellied Prinia rejected 100% of the non‐mimetic eggs, whereas the Plain Prinia rejected only 5%. Hence, UV reflectance alone is a cue in egg discrimination, but the importance of reflectance outside the UV spectrum in these two prinia species is much more responsive to selection as a consequence of brood parasitism.     

黄腹山鹪莺成鸟的秋季换羽

黄腹山鹪莺(Prinia flaviventris)具有冬羽尾羽长于繁殖羽尾羽的特点,可能意味着一种新的生存和繁殖策略。为此,从2006年9月～2007年2月,在广东省肇庆市江溪村对黄腹山鹪莺的秋季换羽进行研究。结果显示:(1)黄腹山鹪莺成鸟繁殖羽体长和尾羽长皆极显著短于冬羽(P<0.01),繁殖羽翼长显著短于冬羽(P<0.05),其余身体量度的差异均不显著(P>0.05)。(2)9月17日获得第一个黄腹山鹪莺换羽个体,初级飞羽已更换到P5,次级飞羽已更换到S6,11月20日后所获样本均已完成羽毛的更换。(3)初级飞羽的换羽模式为递降换羽,次级飞羽为递升换羽,尾羽为离心型换羽。(4)换羽期间,10月的个体平均体重最大,显著(P<0.01)重于11月的体重,其他各月无显著性差异(P>0.05)。据此,推测黄腹山鹪莺秋季种群换羽的持续时间约100d;相对其他羽毛而言,尾羽更换对黄腹山鹪莺生长发育的影响更为明显。     

A SUMMARY OF THE BIRDS OF WESTMINSTER O.F.S. AND SURROUNDINGS (1953-1955)

Results are presented from point-counts at six sites in the Kalahari in Botswana. Counts were repeated three times: during a dry season following good rains (1991), during the next wet season when rains were far below average, and the following dry season (1992) when the area became drought-stricken. Compared to the wet season, bird numbers decreased during the drought by 37–81% and species by 8–52%; compared to the previous dry season, birds decreased by 5–71% and species by 2–47%. Bird diversity (relative to numbers) tended to increase during the wet season but was little affected by drought, except in the northern Kalahari, where a greater proportion of birds moved out in response to drought. This gave the northern Kalahari the most distinct bird community during a wet cycle, but it became again typically Kalahari during the drought. Thus, the typical Kalahari bird communities expanded their range during drought into the moister periphery. Changes in numbers, most probably resulting from (local) movements were found in many species. Most confirmed earlier reports on their nomadic nature but some, like Red-crested Lophotis ruficrista and Northern Black Afrotis afraoides Korhaan, Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler Parisoma subcaeruleum, Ant-eating Chat Myrmecocichla formicivora, Tinkling Cisticola Cisticola rufilatus, Black-chested Prinia Prinia flavicans, Marico Flycatcher Bradornis mariquensis and Brown-crowned Tchagra Tchagra australis have not been or are not widely recognised as mobile species.     

Egg rejection and clutch phenotype variation in the plain prinia Prinia inornata

Avian hosts of brood parasites can evolve anti‐parasitic defenses to recognize and reject foreign eggs from their nests. Theory predicts that higher inter‐clutch and lower intra‐clutch variation in egg appearance facilitates hosts to detect parasitic eggs as egg‐rejection mainly depends on the appearance of the egg. Therefore, we predict that egg patterns and rejection rates will differ when hosts face different intensity of cuckoo parasitism. We tested this prediction in two populations of the plain prinia Prinia inornata: Guangxi in mainland China with high diversity and density of cuckoo species, and Taiwan where there is only one breeding cuckoo species, the oriental cuckoo Cuculus optatus. As expected, egg patterns were similar within clutches but different among clutches (polymorphic eggs) in the mainland population, while the island population produced more uniform egg morphs. Furthermore, the mainland population showed a high rate of egg rejection, while the island population exhibited dramatically reduced egg grasp‐rejection ability in the absence of parasitism by the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus. Our study suggests that prinias show lower intra‐clutch consistency in egg colour and lose egg‐rejecting ability under relaxed selection pressure from brood parasitism.     

How can distinct egg polymorphism be maintained in the rufescent prinia (Prinia rufescens)–plaintive cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) interaction—a modeling approach

In avian brood parasitism, both the host and the parasite are expected to develop various conflicting adaptations; hosts develop a defense against parasitism, such as an ability to recognize and reject parasitic eggs that look unlike their own, while parasites evolve egg mimicry to counter this host defense. Hosts may further evolve to generate various egg phenotypes that are not mimicked by parasites. Difference in egg phenotype critically affects the successful reproduction of hosts and parasites. Recent studies have shown that clear polymorphism in egg phenotype is observed in several host–parasite interactions, which suggests that egg polymorphism may be a more universal phenomenon than previously thought. We examined the mechanism for maintaining egg polymorphism in the rufescent prinia (Prinia rufescens) that is parasitized by the plaintive cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) from a theoretical viewpoint based on a mathematical model. The prinia has four distinct egg phenotypes: immaculate white, immaculate blue, white with spots, and blue with spots. Only two egg phenotypes, white with spots and blue with spots, are found in the cuckoo population. We show that the observed prinia and cuckoo phenotypes cannot be at an equilibrium and that egg polymorphism can be maintained either at stationary equilibrium or with dynamic, frequency oscillations, depending on the mutation rates of the background color and spottiness. Long‐term monitoring of the prinia–cuckoo interaction over a wide geographic range is needed to test the results of the model analyses.     

湖南省发现红颈苇鹀

正在湖南省长沙市望城区大泽湖湿地(28°19′14″N,112°53′54″E,海拔40 m)的稻田和草丛中先后3次(2014年3月11日,2015年3月12日和11月9日)分别记录到1只雌性红颈苇鹀(Emberiza yessoensis)(图1)。形态特征如下:头顶具细皮黄色纹,耳羽色深,颈背沙皮黄,下体黄白,胸侧和两胁沾棕色细条纹;虹膜深色,嘴峰直,下嘴厚,嘴及脚均为肉色。