虎纹伯劳的巢生境选择与繁殖行为

2005年3~7月通过焦点动物取样法(focal animal sampling)和完全记录法(all-occur rencerecording)对四川南充地区虎纹伯劳的繁殖行为进行了研究。结果表明,虎纹伯劳喜在5~12m的高大阔叶乔木的冠部分叉处营巢。对15个巢址主成分分析表明,前5个主成分特征值均大于1,累积贡献率高达83.15%,说明前5个主成分已经基本包含了所有参数的总信息量。4月下旬开始陆续有虎纹伯劳迁到,初到时并未配对。5月上旬开始出现求偶行为,并伴有递食行为。5月中旬首次见到营巢,两性参与营巢,营巢期5~7d。营巢结束一两天后开始产卵,一天一枚,窝卵数4~6枚。营巢期和产卵期都有求偶和交配行为。产完最后1枚卵后即开始由雌鸟单独孵卵,孵卵期13~14d。两性育雏,育雏期13~15d。     

新疆木垒波斑鸨营巢成功率的初步研究

1998年 4月中旬～ 7月中旬 ,对分布于新疆木垒的波斑鸨 (Chlamydotisundulatamacqueenii)种群的营巢成功率进行了初步考察与研究。考察中共发现 16个巢、2 5窝幼雏。每巢产卵 3～ 6枚 ,卵鲜重 (6 4 7± 5 8)g ,卵径为 6 0 9mm× 43 9mm。产卵有两个高峰期 ,表明雌鸟第 1次繁殖失败后可再次产卵。第 1产卵期的巢卵数为(4 1± 0 8)枚 ,第 2产卵期的巢卵数为 (3 5± 0 6 )枚。雌鸟营巢成功率为 77 5 %～ 87 5 % ,卵的孵化率为83 6 %。每窝内从破壳到具备飞行能力的幼雏数基本不变 ,表明繁殖雌鸟大都能将幼雏全部抚育到可以飞行的年龄     

小灰山椒鸟的育雏行为

2003年4—8月采用所有事件取样法(All—occurrence recording)和焦点动物取样法(Focal animal sampling)对小灰山椒鸟的育雏行为进行了研究。结果表明：两性参与育雏,育雏期19-20d,育雏方式3种．有3个育雏高峰期：上午7：00—11：00、中午13：00-14：00、下午16：00-19：00;育雏初期雌鸟暖雏,夜间卧巢;雌雄均清理巢内垃圾;领域性弱,巢区内营巢鸟类多,但护雏性强,对进入巢周鸟类驱逐性强,两性均护雏。     

黑水鸡的繁殖生态观察

2004年5月～2008年10月,对牡丹江市人民公园内野生黑水鸡 Gallinula chloropus(Linnaeus)的繁殖行为进行观察.结果 表明,黑水鸡在觅食地的取食、休息、理羽等行为在一天中有几个高峰,取食高峰4:00～8:00和16:00～18:00,休息高峰12:00～16:00和18:00～20:00,理羽高峰12:00～14:00和18:00～20:00, 巢址选择在长有茂密植物的浅水区,筑巢期2～3 d,巢高平均为30.53 cm, 巢深平均为9.58 cm, 窝卵数4～10枚不等,平均为7.2枚,孵化期为15～17 d, 孵化率为90.7%.     

四川瓦屋山金色林鸲的繁殖生态及孵卵节律

20 0 3年 4～ 7月 ,在四川省瓦屋山自然保护区对金色林鸲 (Tarsigerchrysaeus)的繁殖生态和孵卵节律进行了较为深入的研究。金色林鸲营巢期从 4月下旬～ 6月中旬 ,孵卵期一般为 1 6～ 1 7d,育雏期为1 6d。窝卵数一般为 3～ 4枚 ,平均为 (3 . 75± 0. 45 )枚 (n =1 2 ) ,孵化率为 60 0 % ,育雏成功率为 85 2 %。仅雌鸟孵卵 ,根据对 3巢的监测 ,发现雌鸟早晨 6:0 0时左右首次离巢 ,晚上 2 0 :0 0时左右回到巢中 ,每天出巢次数 1 8～ 1 9次。孵卵雌鸟每次出巢时间一般少于 2 0min ,异常离巢时最长达到 65 6min。雌鸟出巢时间的长度和环境温度呈明显的正相关 (Spearman,r=0 . 1 1 8,P =0 . 0 0 7,n =5 3 1 )。金色林鸲雄鸟存在羽毛延迟成熟现象 ,亚成体雄鸟可以繁殖。     

苍鹭营巢习性的初步观察

2000年3－4月在辽宁省凌源市对苍鹭的营巢习性进行观察表明：苍鹭在营巢过程中雄性外出取材,雌性筑巢,营巢期6－9天;雄性取材次数随着营巢天数的增加而增多,每日取材次数有两个高峰期,即上午7－9时、下午3－5时;巢平均值为外径50cm,内径29．2cm,巢高24cm,巢深11cm,巢材主要为树木枯枝。     

水稻低温发芽性QTL的分子标记定位

利用1个粳／籼交来源的重组自交系群体,采用纸卷法在15℃低温条件下进行发芽试验,在发芽培养的6～14d中每天观测统计1次发芽率(％)。结合一张含有198个DNA标记的连锁图谱,用复合区间作图法定位水稻低温发芽性QTL。共检测到7个主效应QTL,分别位于水稻1、3、5、6和8号染色体上,单个QTL对性状的贡献率为5％～16％。其中,位于3号染色体标记区间RM148-RM85的qLTG-3-2和位于8号染色体标记区间RM223-RM210的qLTG-8-1对性状的贡献率最大,分别达16％和14％。QTL qLTG-3-2在发芽培养6～10d中表达,其效应由强渐弱,对性状的贡献率由发芽培养6d时的16．4％逐渐降低为发芽11d时的5．1％;而QTL qLTG-8-1则在发芽培养9～14d中起作用,其效应值由小逐渐增大,对性状的贡献率由发芽9d时的8．6％逐渐上升为发芽13～14d的14％。尽管这2个QTL加性效应的大小在低温发芽过程中按一定趋势变化,但加性效应的方向始终是一致的。QTL qLTG-3-2的增效基因来源于亲本特青,而QTL qLTG-8-1的增效基因来自于亲本Lemont。这2个QTL的增效等位基因有望作为分子标记辅助育种的操作对象,用于水稻品种低温发芽性的遗传改良。     

黑枕黄鹂繁殖生态的初步观察

1999～2001年在山西省沁水县中村地区对黑枕黄鹂的繁殖生态进行了观察。结果表明,该鸟在该为夏候鸟,种群遇见率为1．38只／km,5～8月为其繁殖期,5月底开始营巢,6月中旬产卵,窝卵数2-4枚,孵化期为16～17天,经亲鸟巢内喂育15～17天离巢,离巢后的锥鸟仍需亲鸟喂育8～10天,方可自食其力。     

香鼬的活动节律和巢区

本文采用无线电遥测技术对栖息在自然环境中香鼬（Ｍｕｓｔｅａｌａｌｔａｉｃａ）的活动节律及其巢区进行了较为系统的研究。结果表明,香鼬多营独居生活．除繁殖期外,无论雌雄个体均无长期稳定的巢穴,经常更换活动的位置。香鼬的每日活动主要为玩耍、自身的修饰、光浴、探视和取食,在繁殖期还有育幼及对幼鼬的保护。在不同时期香鼬日活动高峰和巢区大小均有不同。幼鼬出洞活动前,其亲体雌性成鼬活动呈现两个明显的高峰,１１：００～１３：００和１６：００～１７：００,雄性成鼬则只有一个活动高峰在１１：００左右;在这一时期,成体香鼬的地面活动高峰与其食物──高原鼠兔的地面活动高峰不相吻合,雌性成鼬的巢区面积为７．２１ｈａ,雄性成鼬的巢区面积为１１．７ｈａ。幼鼬出洞活动后,雌性成鼬的活动高峰为８：００～９：００和１７：００～１９：００,巢区面积平均为８２．７２ｈａ。幼鼬扩散期间;雌性成鼬的活动高峰期分别为８：００～９：００和１５：００～２０：００。在这两个时期。成体香鼬的地面活动高峰与高原鼠兔的地面活动高峰趋于一致。影响香鼬活动和巢区大小的主要因素是食物的丰富度、猎物的活动性和繁殖行为,同时种群密度也是主要因素之一。     

喀斯特森林石壁营巢冠斑犀鸟繁殖行为初报

2019和2020年,在广西崇左恩城观察了喀斯特森林一对冠斑犀鸟(Anthracocerosalbirostris)的繁殖行为。此对冠斑犀鸟每年4～7月在石壁上的洞穴里营巢,其孵卵期约为35 d,育雏期约为55 d。每年均有2只幼鸟成功离巢。幼鸟及雌鸟食物以植物性食物为主,雄鸟喂食时缺少明显的高峰。结果表明,冠斑犀鸟在繁殖行为上适应了喀斯特这一特殊生境。     

New facets of larger Nest motifs in proteins

The Nest is a concave-shaped structural motif in proteins formed by consecutive enantiomeric left-handed (L) and right-handed (R) helical conformation of the backbone. This important motif subsumes many turn and helix capping structures and binds electron-rich ligands. Simple Nests are either RL or LR. Larger Nests (>2 residues long) may be RLR, LRL, RLRL, and so forth, being considered as composed of overlapping simple Nests. The larger Nests remain under-explored despite their widely known contributions to protein function. In our study, we address whether the recurrence of enantiomeric geometry in the larger Nests constrains the peptide backbone such that distinct compositional and conformational preferences are seen compared to simple Nests. Our analysis reveals the critical role of the L helical torsion angle in the formation of larger Nests. This can be observed through the higher propensity of residue or secondary structure combinations in LR and LRL backbone conformation in comparison to RL or RLR, although LR/LRL is considerably lower by occurrence. We also find that the most abundant doublets and triplets in Nests have a propensity for particular secondary structures, suggesting a strong sequence-structure relationship in the larger Nest. Overall, our analysis corroborates distinct features of simple and the larger Nests. Such insights would be helpful towards in-vitro design of peptides and peptidomimetic studies.     

Nest site selection and efficacy of artificial nests for breeding success of Scarlet Macaws Ara macao macao in lowland Peru

Psittacidae (parrots) have the most threatened species of any bird family in the world. Most parrots are obligate secondary cavity nesters, and can be limited in their breeding success by the availability and quality of nest hollows. However, nesting opportunities for parrots can be increased by provision of artificial nest boxes. The Tambopata Macaw Project has been studying the breeding ecology and natural history of the Scarlet Macaw Ara macao macao in the south-eastern Peruvian Amazon for over 20 years by monitoring natural nest hollows and two types of artificial nest (wooden and PVC). We present data for breeding success in natural and artificial nests over 12 consecutive breeding seasons. The aims of this study were to: (a) determine the nesting requirements and reproductive success of breeding macaws; and, (b) compare the efficacy of the two types of artificial nests and natural nest cavities. Our data showed a high rate of reoccupation of successful nests in consecutive years and that nests in artificial and natural nests had very similar reproductive parameters. Our results indicate that artificial nest types can be used by conservation managers seeking to assist A. macao populations where nest hollows are in short supply, and that artificial nests can contribute important data to natural history studies of species where access to natural nests is limited.     

Adjustment of incubation according to the threat posed: a further signal of enemy recognition in the Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla?

Nest predation and brood parasitism are costly for nest owners, and natural selection should therefore favour the evolution of parental counterdefences. We addressed the question of whether Blackcaps Sylvia atricapilla change their incubation behaviour in response to various nest intruders and whether this adjustment matches the intensity of mobbing exhibited towards these intruders. Near focal nests, we successively exposed a dummy of a brood parasite, nest predator and an innocuous species. After the parents had responded, we removed the dummy and filmed their incubation. The most aggressive response towards the Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus and high nest attendance after its disappearance indicated recognition of the brood parasite. Low-intensity response to the Jay Garrulus glandarius, together with reduced subsequent parental care, suggested that Blackcaps perceived it either as less deleterious at the egg stage than the Cuckoo or as a danger to themselves. Almost no aggression towards the Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur, along with the resumption of incubation after its removal, implied that Blackcaps recognised it as harmless. In addition, we found that the level of aggression positively correlated with nest attendance, suggesting a link between the intensity of mobbing and subsequent parental care. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the issue of enemy recognition may be viewed as a complex of both aggressive and post-presentation behaviours.     

Handling of uncertain nest fates and variation in nest survival estimates

Researchers are moving their attention away from the Mayfield method of estimating nest success to advanced nest survival models that can be implemented within statistical software packages. In spite of this, little attention has been paid to developing formal rules for handling of ambiguous nesting data within these software-based methods. I compared the variation caused by differential handling of data between the hand-calculated Mayfield estimates and those obtained using the constant survival logistic-exposure method. Four variants of each of the two methods were applied to sets of nest records (n = 5,476) of nine open-nesting passerines. Of all nest fates, 57% (unweighted mean across species) were categorized as failed, 29% as successful and 14% as uncertain, according to either age criterion or combination of all fate evidence criteria. Different methods yielded survival estimates that differed as much as 6% over a 25-day nesting cycle. Variation in logistic-exposure survival estimates caused by the four variants of interval coding was higher (range = 4.4%) than variation in the Mayfield estimates (range = 2.7%) caused by the four variants of exposure termination. Researchers are urged to consider different handling of ambiguous nesting data as one of the many possible sources of bias when implementing any method of nest survival analysis.     

Effects of Edge Habitat and Nest Characteristics on Depredation of Artificial Nests in Fragmented Australian Tropical Rainforest

Variation in nest predation levels associated with rainforest fragmentation (edge effects) was assessed in Australia's Wet Tropics bioregion. Artificial nests were placed in the forest understorey at seven edge sites where continuous forest adjoined pasture, seven interiors (about 1 km from the edge), and six linear riparian forest remnants (50–100 m wide) that were connected to continuous forest. Four nest types were also compared, representing different combinations of two factors; height (ground, shrub) and shape (open, domed). At each site, four nests of each type, containing one quail egg and two model plasticine eggs, were interspersed about 15 m apart within a 160 m transect during September–October 2001. Predators were identified from marks on the plasticine eggs. The overall depredation rate was 66.5% of 320 nests' contents damaged over a three-day period. Large rodents, especially the rat Uromys caudimaculatus, and birds, especially the spotted catbird Ailuroedus melanotis, were the main predators. Mammals comprised 56.5% and birds 31.0% of predators, with 12.5% of unknown identity. The depredation rate did not vary among site-types, or between open and domed nests, and there were no statistically significant interactions. Nest height strongly affected depredation rates by particular types of predator; depredation rates by mammals were highest at ground nests, whereas attacks by birds were most frequent at shrub nests. These effects counterbalanced so that overall there was little net effect of nest height. Mammals accounted for 78.4% of depredated ground nests and birds for at least 47.4% of shrub nests (and possibly up to 70.1%). The main predators were species characteristic of rainforest, rather than habitat generalists, open-country or edge specialists. For birds that nest in the tropical rainforest understorey of the study region, it is unlikely that edges and linear remnants presently function as ecological population sinks due to mortality associated with increased nest predation.     

Influence of researcher experience and fieldwork intensity on the probability of brood losses in sensitive species: The case of the Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio

Minimizing disturbance to animals when studying them should be a major consideration in ecological research design, especially when species are known to be sensitive to disturbances. A basic method in the study of bird reproductive ecology involves nest visits, but these can adversely affect birds’ breeding success. Appropriate fieldwork procedures are therefore highly important, especially in the case of timid and sensitive species. This study aimed to assess the impact of the method of searching for nests of Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio on the probability of these birds abandoning their broods. Our study revealed that observer experience and nest searching intensity did influence the likelihood of brood desertion by this species. Less field experience and a greater nest searching intensity caused the shrikes to abandon their nests more often. We recommend paying scrupulous attention to the behaviour of the birds when searching for nests and when looking for nests after incubation has started.     

Selection of sites for egg deposition and spawning dynamics in the waccamaw darter

Synopsis We provided 93 experimental spawning covers for the waccamaw darter. We grouped the covers (3 sizes of slate and one of concave tile) in three arrangements at six Lake Waccamaw locations to separate the variables of water depth, distance from shore, cover density and cover type. Tag returns of marked males suggest low fidelity for nest sites. Egg production under the 3 different sizes of slate was not significantly different. Egg production under the tile was significantly less than that under the slates. Egg production was significantly higher off the undeveloped southeastern shore in 2 m of water and lowest at the shallowest location with the highest experimental cover density. The number of eggs in nest is positively correlated with male size. We conclude that medium size slate covers placed in a linear arrangement in 2 m of water on a mixed sand bottom result in the highest egg production for the waccamaw darter.     

Experimentally-elevated testosterone, female parental care, and reproductive success in a songbird, the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)

In male dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis), experimentally elevated testosterone (T) decreases male parental care and offspring survival, but results in higher overall fitness through greater mating success. To help address the ensuing question of what prevents selection from favoring higher levels of T in male juncos, we manipulated T in female juncos. A previous study demonstrated no effect of experimentally elevated T on female incubation behavior, suggesting that female parental behavior might be insensitive to T. In this study we asked whether experimentally elevated T mediates other female parental behaviors and whether variation in T-mediated parental behavior might influence reproductive success. We videotaped free-living control- and T-females during nesting to quantify brooding behavior when young were 3 days old and provisioning behavior when young were 6 days old. Nest defense was measured by quantifying responses to a mounted predator placed near the nest. Reproductive success was assessed via fecundity, nestling quality, and nest survival. T-females spent less time than control females brooding but did not differ in provisioning rate. T-females performed fewer dives at the predator mount and, unlike controls, failed to increase defense as nesting progressed. T-females also had lower daily nest survival and lower nest success (odds of producing at least one fledgling). We conclude that some aspects of female parental behavior are sensitive to experimentally elevated T while others are not and consider the implications for the evolution of T-mediated characters in both sexes.     

Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) respond to an experimental change in the aromatic plant odour composition of their nest

Although the use of olfaction by birds is now widely recognised, the olfactory abilities of passerine birds remain poorly explored, for historical reasons. Several studies however suggest that passerines can perceive volatile compounds in several biologically relevant contexts. In Corsica, recent findings suggest that cavity-nesting blue tits may use volatile compounds in the context of nest building and maintenance. Although they build their nests mainly from moss, female blue tits also frequently incorporate fragments of several species of aromatic plants in the nest cup. In field experiments, breeding female blue tits altered their nest maintenance behaviour in response to experimental addition of aromatic plants in their nest. In aviary experiments, captive male blue tits could be trained to detect lavender odour from a distance. Here I report results from a field study aimed to test whether adult blue tits altered their chick-feeding behaviour after an experimental change in nest odour composition. I experimentally added fragments of aromatic plant species that differed from those brought in the nests before the start of the experiment in a set of experimental nests and added moss, the basic nest material, in a set of control nests. Both male and female blue tits hesitated significantly longer entering the nest cavity after addition of new aromatic plant fragments, as compared to moss addition. This response was especially observed during the first visit following the experimental change in nest plant composition. Nest composition treatment had no effect on the time spent in the nest. This study demonstrates that free-ranging blue tits detect changes in nest odour from outside the nest cavity.