灰胸薮鹛鸣声及繁殖行为的初步研究

2005年5～8月、2006年1～2月、2008年10月在四川省老君山自然保护区对灰胸薮鹛(Liodchla omeiensis)的鸣声及繁殖行为进行了初步研究.在繁殖期和非繁殖期都能记录到的灰胸薮鹛鸣声可分为召唤、应答、觅食、采食、休息、飞行联络、报警叫声14种,仅在繁殖期能记录到的有占区、驱逐、逃避、求偶叫声12种.通过声谱分析获得了各种叫声的语谱图及其频谱特征.本文还对灰胸薮鹛繁殖期占区、求偶、交配、营巢、产卵和孵卵前3 d的行为进行了描述.     

西藏林芝灰腹噪鹛(Garrulax henrici)繁殖生态及行为节律

灰腹噪鹛(Garrulax henrici)是中国的特有鸟种,也是噪鹛属中繁殖行为研究较少的物种之一。2016年4—7月,在西藏林芝西藏农牧学院内进行了灰腹噪鹛的繁殖生态研究,采用瞬时扫描法观察其求偶期日行为节律,用红外相机监测孵卵期3巢和育雏期2巢灰腹噪鹛的行为。结果表明:灰腹噪鹛4月中旬开始产卵,窝卵数2~3枚,卵长径29.6±0.4mm,短径20.3±0.17 mm,卵重6.66±0.12 g;灰腹噪鹛75.0%的巢树为针叶树,12.5%为阔叶树,8.3%为灌木,4.2%为禾本科;灰腹噪鹛营巢成功率为86.7%,孵化成功率为60%,繁殖成功率为43.3%,影响其繁殖成功率的因素是人为干扰和天敌捕食;求偶期灰腹噪鹛觅食行为占总时间的32.03%,移动占29.27%,上午觅食、移动及鸣唱行为达到高峰,下午休憩行为偏多;孵卵期的主要行为是卧巢孵卵,占总时间的85.31%,翻卵占5.02%;育雏期亲鸟理巢行为占39.74%,卧巢占35.92%,喂食频率平均为2.95次·h-1,灰腹噪鹛单亲喂食频次多于双亲共同喂食。     

怒江河谷栗喉蜂虎的繁殖行为观察

2007年3月26日—7月16日,采用典型野外记录法和所有事件取样法对云南省保山市道街怒江河谷栗喉蜂虎繁殖行为进行了观察。结果表明：1）产卵期雄性栗喉蜂虎求偶喂食的食物以蜻蜓目和膜翅目昆虫为主,占83.56%;雌鸟接受喂食的可能性为96.83%,接受喂食后仅有17.49%的雌鸟与雄鸟进行交配。2）在孵卵期昼间,雄鸟每次坐巢的时间为（23.521.6）min,每日坐巢的时间占54.4%;雌鸟每次坐巢的时间为（25.811.5）min,每日坐巢的时间占42.1%,雌雄鸟每次坐巢的时间无明显差异。3）幼雏出壳后亲鸟对幼雏的暖雏时间逐日减少,至第20 d亲鸟不再暖雏。栗喉蜂虎的育雏期为29～33 d,在繁殖过程中帮助喂食的鸟确实能提高被助鸟的繁殖成功率。     

灰胸薮鹛消化系统形态的初步研究

对灰胸薮鹛（Liocichla omeiensis）消化系统的形态学作了初步观察,结果表明,灰胸薮鹛舌前端有刺毛状结构,后端有一排尖端后指的栉状突,且中间小两边大;雄鸟在舌前端正中央还有一“v”形的凹缺,深约2．5mm;雌鸟食道颈段长为13．2mm,雄鸟为17．5mm;嗉囊雌鸟长7．5mm,雄鸟长8．4mm;食道胸段雌鸟长15．5mm,雄鸟长14．7mm;肌胃发达,具角质膜,腺胃乳突短而小;肠道长与体长基本相等,小肠较发达,雌鸟长153．7mm,占肠道总长92．6％,雄鸟为133mm和95％,具有双侧盲肠,占肠道总长的3．3％,大肠短,雌鸟仅占肠道7．5％,雄鸟仅占4．75％;肝为体内最大的消化腺,分左右两叶;胰位于十二指肠袢内,细长形,分三小叶。     

云南思茅红头咬鹃繁殖记录

记录了云南思茅太阳河自然保护区2个红头咬鹃巢的繁殖.红头咬鹃的巢位于枯树干侧面的洞中,窝卵数2～3枚.红外相机监测记录显示,雌、雄亲鸟均参与孵卵,雄鸟白天孵卵,时间较短,雌鸟从傍晚至次日上午孵卵,时间较长.雏鸟孵出后,主要由雌鸟在巢中暖雏,雄鸟送回食物.2个巢均未繁殖成功.     

凤头百灵繁殖习性的初步研究

凤头百灵(Galerida cristata Leautungensis)是内蒙古准格尔旗的一种较常见的留鸟。我于1965—1974年在沙圪堵镇附近,对其繁殖习性进行了观察。 成鸟多成对活动,幼鸟出飞后至次年初春多按小家族三五成群或集体十多只的小群。3、4月间配偶成对,占据巢区,选择巢址,营巢繁殖。繁殖期间常见雄鸟在几十米至百米的上空悬飞停留,久久鼓翼鸣唱,然     

广东南雄青嶂山海南■繁殖行为研究

2012年5月~2013年7月,在广东南雄小流坑-青嶂山保护区对海南■的繁殖习性进行了观察。正常情况下海南■一年繁殖一次,开始于3月初,到7月中上旬结束,育雏期间受到干扰后会杀仔、弃巢,如果条件合适,时隔半个月后又进行第二次繁殖。每巢产卵1~3枚,雌雄双亲轮流孵卵,雄鸟抱孵时间约占1/3,雌鸟占2/3。孵卵期27 d,育雏期67 d,繁殖期超过3个月。幼鸟离巢后会在巢区附近逗留一段时间,但不跟随亲鸟一块栖息和外出觅食。繁殖期间海南■对移动光源比较敏感,恋巢性较差。繁殖期过长、抗干扰能力低、幼鸟学习能力差等因素是影响海南■繁殖成功率的主要原因。     

四川老君山灰胸薮鹛繁殖巢的记述

灰胸薮鹛(Liocichla omeinsis)是全球性近危鸟类,中国中西部特产种。偶见于四川南部及云南东北部海拔1000~2400m范围有限的山区森林中。有关其野外繁殖方面的资料还未见有报道。2007年5月9日,我们在四川省屏山县老君山自然保护区(E104°01′59.1″,N28°42′00.8″)发现一个灰胸薮鹛巢(封4图片)。巢筑于一颗较小的棱木(Melliodendronsp.)树上,巢址生境为常绿阔叶林林缘。巢距地面高1.6m,距小路0.7m,坡向172°,坡度14°。发现当天巢的外形已基本筑好,巢的内径6.6cm,外径11.1cm,深5.1cm,高10.8cm。该巢呈碗状,外层以竹叶和草茎为主编织而成,…     

高黎贡山火尾绿鹛的鸣声特征分析

鸣声在鸟类通讯、配偶吸引和领域保卫等方面均有重要作用。本研究旨在探讨雀形目火尾绿鹛(Myzornispyrrhoura)繁殖期的鸣声类型及其生物学意义。于2013和2014年的3至7月在云南高黎贡山片马垭口、独龙江垭口录制了成鸟(n=30)、3个家庭的幼鸟(n=6)和1巢雏鸟(n=2)的鸣声。依据鸣声发出时的个体行为特征,将录制的成鸟鸣声分为3种类型,即联络鸣叫、报警鸣叫和雄性鸣唱。其中,雄鸟鸣唱的语图明显比其他鸣叫声更复杂。而样本量较多的多声联络鸣叫和报警鸣叫的声学特征在个体间有显著差异。雏鸟随着日龄的增加,其鸣声的音节数和持续时间均增加,但峰频率随日龄增加而降低,至20日龄雏鸟和幼鸟鸣叫特征十分相似。野外观察发现,火尾绿鹛在繁殖期的鸣唱较少,其原因尚需进一步研究。     

画眉消化系统形态的初步观察

对8只(4♀,4♂)画眉消化系统的形态学作了初步的观察与研究,画眉的舌成细长三角形,前端有刺毛状结构,雌鸟的刺毛数目多且较细,雄鸟的刺毛则数量少,但是相对较粗大.舌后端有1～2排尖端后指的栉状突.雌雄鸟在舌前端正中央还有一"V"形的凹缺,雌鸟深约1.22 mm,雄鸟深约1.87 mm.食管管径较细,整体宽窄不等,无明显可见的嗉囊.腺胃乳突短而小,分布均匀,肌胃发达,具角质膜.肠道长与体长基本相等,小肠较发达,雌鸟小肠长178.53 mm,占肠道总长87.43%;雄鸟小肠长186.62 mm,占肠道总长89.01%.具有不发达的双侧盲肠,盲肠有未倒置现象.肝为体内最大的消化腺,分左右两叶,右叶又分一小叶.胰位于十二指肠袢内,细长形,分两小叶.并与同科的蓝翅希鹛、灰胸薮鹛进行了比较.     

黑卷尾繁殖期领域性的初步研究

鸟类的领域性是鸟类行为生态学研究的一个重要内容。在这方面国外进展很快,但国内工作较少,专文报道除三宝鸟之外,其它颇为罕见。1987年夏季,我们在太原市南郊对该地区的夏候鸟黑卷尾(Dicrurus macrocercus)的领域行为进行了观测。现将资料整理分析如下。一、工作区与工作方法太原盆地的自然环境和鸟类群落状况已有报道,在此不再赘述。工作区选在小马—加节两村之间约190ha的区域内(图1)。其     

Duetting behavior in a Neotropical ovenbird: sexual and seasonal variation and adaptive signaling functions

Duetting is a collective behavior and might have multiple functions, including joint territory defense and mate guarding. An important step toward understanding the adaptive function of bird song is to determine if and how singing behavior varies seasonally. However, seasonal patterns for duetting species are different from the pattern described for species in which only the male sings, because song function may vary according to sex, singing role (initiator vs responder) and level of duet organization (individual vs pair). We investigated whether patterns of seasonal variation in duetting depends on these factors, which would suggest different interpretations of song function. We studied social pairs of a Neotropical bird species (rufous hornero Furnarius rufus) for seven consecutive months, recording vocal and territorial behaviors. Overall, partners coordinated 61% of their songs into duets and many song traits (song initiation rate, song output and duet rate) peaked in territorial contexts. Males engaged in territorial interactions with strangers more often, initiated more songs, and answered proportionately more of their partners’ songs than females. Male song initiation rate peaked during the pre‐ and post‐breeding stages, whereas females initiated more songs during the non‐breeding season. Both sexes answered partner songs faster and at higher rates during the pre‐breeding and female fertile stages. Partners duetted at a higher rate during the pre‐ and post‐breeding stages. Finally, song initiation rates and duet rate, but not song answering rates, correlated with frequency of territorial interactions with strangers. Although our findings indicate that song function may vary with sex, singing role and level of duet organization, our results suggest that in general duet functions to defend common territories and as a mutual mate guarding strategy in the rufous hornero.     

Juvenile sparrows preferentially eavesdrop on adult song interactions

Recent research has demonstrated that bird song learning is influenced by social factors, but so far has been unable to isolate the particular social variables central to the learning process. Here we test the hypothesis that eavesdropping on singing interactions of adults is a key social event in song learning by birds. In a field experiment, we compared the response of juvenile male song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) to simulated adult counter-singing versus simulated solo singing. We used radio telemetry to follow the movements of each focal bird and assess his response to each playback trial. Juveniles approached the playback speakers when exposed to simulated interactive singing of two song sparrows, but not when exposed to simulated solo singing of a single song sparrow, which in fact they treated similar to heterospecific singing. Although the young birds approached simulated counter-singing, neither did they approach closely, nor did they vocalize themselves, suggesting that the primary function of approach was to permit eavesdropping on these singing interactions. These results indicate that during the prime song-learning phase, juvenile song sparrows are attracted to singing interactions between adults but not to singing by a single bird and suggest that singing interactions may be particularly powerful song-tutoring events.     

Dawn singing of the Brownish‐flanked Bush Warbler influences dawn chorusing in a bird community

Despite numerous studies on the function of the avian dawn chorus, few studies have examined whether dawn singing may influence the singing of other species. Here, we built on our previous study which found male Brownish‐flanked Bush Warblers (Horornis fortipes) increase their dawn singing intensity after conspecific playback on the previous day. We reanalyzed those recordings to quantify the start of dawn singing in other nine sympatric songbird species. Ranking‐scaling analyses identified a distinctive sequential pattern of dawn singing among these bird species between the first and the second dawn chorus, and meta‐analysis showed a significant trend to singing earlier in the bird community accompanied by the increase in dawn singing intensity in Brownish‐flanked Bush Warbler. Species with songs most similar to that of the Brownish‐flanked Bush Warbler and species that were phylogenetically distantly related to the Brownish‐flanked Bush Warbler showed a greater shift in the onset of dawn singing. Our study is one of the few studies showing how bird song influences heterospecific singing, and this may influence the temporal organization of song activity in the community, and result in synchronization in singing activities among different species, such as singing in dawn and dusk chorus.     

Heat transfer and the energetic cost of singing by canaries <Emphasis Type="Italic">Serinus canaria</Emphasis>

Sexually selected displays, such as male passerine bird song, are predicted to be costly. However, most measurements calculated the rate of oxygen consumption during singing using respirometry have shown that bird song has a low energetic cost. Since birds are reluctant to sing when enclosed inside a respirometry chamber, the energetic cost of singing could differ from that under more normal circumstances. We used heat transfer modelling, based on thermal images, to estimate the energetic cost of singing by canaries (Serinus canaria) that were not enclosed in respirometry chambers. Metabolic rate calculated from heat transfer modelling was 0.70±0.02 W (N=10 birds) during singing, which was 14±5% greater than during standing (0.62±0.02 W). The energetic cost of singing did not differ significantly from that measured previously using respirometry when we took into account that birds sang for a greater proportion of the time during the current experiments. These conclusions were not sensitive to potential errors in the heat transfer model. Heat transfer modelling would be especially useful to obtain measurements of the energetic cost of activities that animals do not perform readily inside respirometry chambers, such as singing in birds.     

Interspecific Response to Playback of Bird Song

Responses to bird song have usually only been studied at the intraspecific level. I experimentally tested whether playback of the song of the black wheatear Oenanthe leucura in an area in S Spain resulted in responses from conspecifics as well as heterospecific birds by comparing the numbers of individuals singing before and after playback. The number of singing male black wheatears increased considerably, but also the number of singing males of five other passerine species increased significantly. The heterospecific response to playback may be due (1) to interspecific territoriality, (2) to black wheatear song signalling the absence of predators, or (3) to heterospecifics confusing the species-identity of the singer. The second alternative is considered more likely, since an ecologically wide array of species increased their song rate following playback. The conspicuous dawn (and dusk) chorus of bird song may be augmented by social facilitation due to the singing of conspecifics as well as heterospecifics.     

Signalling through acoustic windows: nightingales avoid interspecific competition by short-term adjustment of song timing

The function of bird song is closely linked to sexual selection through female choice and male–male competition, and thus variation in communication success is likely to have major fitness consequences for a singing male. A crucial constraint on signal transmission is imposed by background noise, which may include songs from other species. I investigated whether singing nightingales (Luscinia megarhynchos) avoid temporal overlap with the songs of other bird species in a playback experiment. I analysed the temporal song patterns of six males, each of which were exposed to songs of other species. The nightingales significantly avoided overlapping their songs with the playback songs, and started singing preferentially during the silent intervals between the heterospecific songs. This timing of song onset produced a greater variability in pause duration compared to the nightingales’ undisturbed solo singing. These findings suggest that birds adjust their song timing to avoid acoustic interference on short temporal scales, and thus are able to improve the efficiency of acoustic communication in complex sonic environments. Moreover, the results indicate that temporal song patterns can be affected by the songs of other species, and thus such influences should be taken into account when studying bird song in the field.     

Variation in singing style use in the reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus: influencing factors and possible functions

The two main functions of bird song are territory defence and mate attraction. Considerable progress has been made in understanding how species adjust the use of songs to serve these and other (presumed) functions of bird song, but the striking variety of singing behavior observable in wild birds remains enigmatic. Some species make do with simple songs and small repertoires, while others show large, complex repertoires and still others have evolved several distinct singing styles. In most species with distinct singing styles, however, the functions of singing styles are poorly understood. Two distinct singing styles (type I and II, respectively) have long been known in the reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus, while a new third one has recently been reported to exist. We first quantitatively investigated the evidence for the existence of three singing styles. Then, we tested predictions of the mate attraction hypothesis, the mate guarding hypothesis and the territory defence hypothesis by examining the relations between singing style use with social and temporal factors. Cluster and discriminant analyses supported the existence of three (instead of two) singing styles, which could be differentiated based on four variables referring to song structure and complexity. Use of singing styles was related to male mating status (consistent with the mate attraction hypothesis), but not to female breeding stage (no support for the mate guarding hypothesis). Finally, use of singing styles differed in relation to time of day, with the dawn chorus of paired reed buntings consisting almost exclusively of songs of the recently discovered type III singing style and daytime singing primarily consisting of songs of long‐known type I (in unpaired males) or II singing styles (in paired males). Our findings suggest that one singing style (type I) primarily serves to attract a social mate, although an additional territorial function of this singing style cannot be dismissed. The function(s) of the other two singing styles, both only sung by paired males, are not related to attraction of a social mate or to the own female's fertility, but appear to be important in the context of territory defence and extra‐pair matings.     

Perceived wintering latitude determines timing of song output in a migratory bird

Migratory bird populations frequently consist of individuals that overwinter variable distances from the breeding site. Seasonal changes in photoperiod, which varies with latitude, underlie seasonal changes in singing frequency in birds. Therefore, migratory populations that consist of individuals that overwinter at different latitudes with large overwintering ranges could experience within‐population variation in seasonal production of song. To test the influence of overwintering latitude on intrapopulation variance in song production in the spring, we subjected two groups of Eastern Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia melodia) from the same partially migratory breeding population to different photoperiodic schedules associated with a 1,300‐km difference in overwintering location. One group remained on the natural photoperiodic schedule of the breeding site (resident group) while the other group experienced a nonbreeding photoperiod that mimicked a southern migration in the fall followed by a northern migration back to the breeding site in the spring (migratory group). We compared song output between the two groups in three different stages (nonbreeding, prebreeding, and breeding). Little singing occurred during nonbreeding stage sample dates (20 November, 6 December) for the resident group, and no singing occurred for the migrant group. During the prebreeding stage (27 January, 7 February), significantly more singing occurred in the resident group than in the migrant group. During the breeding stage (21 March, 4 April), after a simulated migration for the migrants, song output was similar in both groups. These results suggest that within‐population variation in wintering latitude may contribute to variation in seasonal changes in singing behavior, which may covary with readiness to breed. Studies utilizing confirmed migrants and residents, rather than merely simulated migrants and residents, are also needed to better understand these processes.     

Cautious response of inexperienced birds to conventional signal of stronger threat

Several studies demonstrated that bird song functions as a first line of territorial defence. The efficiency of deterring rivals depends strongly on the strategy of singing used (e.g. alternating/overlapping singing, singing with low/high rate, matching song type of a rival or singing different type). Causes of between males variation during countersinging are still not fully understood, especially when different signals have similar production costs and their meaning is assigned by arbitrary convention (conventional signalling). We tested whether an oscine bird with small repertoire size, the ortolan bunting Emberiza hortulana , differentiate strategy of responding to song of an intruder in relation to its age and threat value of signals. We performed playback experiments to measure response of second year (SY) and after second year (ASY) males to a song of low (eventual variety singing) and high (immediate variety singing) threat value. We found substantial differences in response to playback, which were related both to the type of stimuli used and age of responding males. Both SY and ASY males gave more calls than songs in response to immediate variety playback, which suggest stronger vocal response to the signal of higher threat value. Approaching loudspeaker was similar for both age classes when lower threat value signal was played back, while simultaneously SY males clearly avoided approaching loudspeaker when stronger threat values signal was played back. We conclude that ortolan bunting differentiate response to signal of different threat value and that the strength of response depends on the age of a male. This study provides experimental evidence that age of receiver affects its response to a territorial intruder. It also demonstrates that observed in many studies variation in response to playback may be an effect of age differences between males, which rarely is controlled.