笼养环颈雉性选择的研究

环颈雉求偶炫耀有四种常见类型,即点头炫耀,侧炫耀,振翅鸣叫和追逐,各种类型求偶活动的强度存在显著的个体差异,剪尾和缩短距长都可使雄鸟的求偶频率下降,雌雉选择配偶受雄鸟所在笼舍条件及雄鸟某些身体特征的影响,条件较好的笼舍中的雄鸟往往具有较多的配偶,剪短雉鸟的尾羽对雌鸟的配偶选择无明显影响,而缩短距长则对雌鸟的择偶产生十分显著的影响,导致雄鸟配偶数的大幅度减少。     

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%。     

河南陕西两地白冠长尾雉的集群行为

20 0 1年 4月至 2 0 0 3年 6月 ,在河南董寨国家级自然保护区和陕西佛坪县瓦寨子对白冠长尾雉 (Syr maticusreevesii)的集群行为进行了研究。对 17只遥测个体的跟踪结果和 32 8次集群活动的野外记录分析表明 ,白冠长尾雉雌雄两性的集群方式有极显著的差异 ( χ2 =18 177,df=3,P =0 0 0 0 )。雄鸟有很强的领域性 ,优势个体全年以单独活动或双雄共同活动的方式占据稳定的活动区 ,很少与其他雄性个体集群 ;雌鸟有很强的集群倾向 ,除繁殖季节因孵卵、育雏而离开群体单独活动外 ,通常以 4～ 6只的群体游荡于雄性个体的活动区之间 ,与该活动区的雄鸟形成不稳定的混合群 ,偶尔与其他群体形成暂时性的、更大的混合群。两性集群方式的差异可能与其各自经受的捕食压力和交配竞争强度 (雄 >雌 )差异有关     

血雉繁殖期活动区与栖息地特征

采用无线电追踪技术并结合野外观察,对血雉繁殖期活动区与栖息地特征进行了研究。孵卵期(5月)雄鸟的活动区面积为31．90hm^2,雌鸟为8．67hm^2。育雏期一个家族的活动区面积为15．45hm^2(6月)和17．33hm^2(7月)。繁殖季节相邻两个繁殖对的活动区有重叠。血雉繁殖季节喜欢在北坡和东坡活动,这种选择与食物的分布有关。倒木在繁殖期栖息地选择中占有一定地位。用多元总体假设检验、单变量F检验及主成分分析法对实验样方与对照样方间进行了比较分析。结果表明,繁殖期喜选择山脊附近下层空间较为斤阔的灌木林或林间空地。     

鸟类的求偶行为及其生物学意义

鸟类的繁殖具有明显的季节性。每当进入繁殖季节以后 ,随着鸟类性腺的发育 ,会出现一系列的繁殖活动。其中第一步常常是通过求偶行为而形成一定的配偶关系。求偶行为是鸟类通过婉转鸣唱 ,展示华丽多彩的婚羽或色彩斑斓的冠囊、角、裙等附属物 ,进行婚飞、戏飞或其它行为姿态吸引异性的一种活动。1　求偶行为的主动性雌鸟和雄鸟由谁先出现求偶行为呢 ?谁在求偶行为中表现主动呢 ?这是由鸟类的外貌决定的。我们知道 ,多数鸟类的雌雄鸟外貌之间存在着明显的差别。一般雄鸟具有色彩艳丽的羽毛或“婚装” ,而雌鸟的羽色较为平淡。所以 ,大多数鸟…     

卧龙血雉繁殖期行为特征分析

1 995年 4～ 6月在四川卧龙自然保护区五一棚地区 ,采用无线电追踪技术结合野外行为观察 ,对血雉繁殖期行为特征进行了研究。结果表明 ,繁殖前期雄鸟在警戒行为的频次及持续时间上均显著地高于雌鸟 (T test,频次 ,t=-4 73 ,P <0 0 1 ;时间 ,t=-2 80 ,P <0 0 5 ) ;孵卵期 ,雄鸟在警戒行为的总持续时间上显著地高于雌鸟 (T test,t=-4 75 ,P <0 0 1 ) ,雌鸟在取食行为的总持续时间上显著地高于雄鸟 (T test,t=3 41 ,P <0 0 5 ) ;对雌雄个体行为同时进行观察的结果表明 ,雌鸟维持行为的时间与雄鸟警戒行为的时间显著正相关 (Y =49 68+0 2 693X ,r=0 71 79,P =0 0 0 2 6)。繁殖前期和孵卵期雄鸟的警戒行为可以提高雌鸟用于取食、理羽、沙浴的时间 ,而减少用于警戒的时间     

环颈雉的配偶选择

环颈雉是一种世界性分布的鸟类,对其交配系统及配偶选择机制的研究近来取得突破性进展。最新研究结果表明:雄鸟距的长度是一个不仅与雄鸟自身的存活力有关,而且与雌、雄雉的繁殖成功率都密切相关的重要性状,是雌雉选择配偶的唯一的最重要的标准。     

四川栗子坪自然保护区红腹角雉雌鸟和亚成体冬季集群行为研究

2005年11月至2006年3月,在四川省石棉县栗子坪省级自然保护区对低海拔区域(海拔1800²400 m)红腹角雉Tragopan temminckii雌鸟和亚成体冬季集群行为进行了调查。结果表明:红腹角雉的雌鸟和亚成体以单独活动的个体居多,占44.4%,其它依次为3只群、2只群和4只群。群体的规模较小,最大群体为4只。在集群类型上,家族群可能是主要集群类型,但还有待验证。红腹角雉雌鸟和亚成体集群的个体和单独活动个体在取食行为的时间分配上有显著差异,集群的个体用于取食的时间比例要高于单独活动的个体。在警戒、休息和移动行为时间分配上没有显著差异,但单独活动个体用于警戒的时间比例要高于集群的个体。本研究的结果验证了动物集群的反捕食假说,集群活动的个体有更多的取食时间。     

四川茂县雉鹑习性的调查

报道了四川茂县雉鹑(Tetraophasis obscurus)的分布状况、生境、食性、繁殖、天敌和种群状态等。雉鹑多为3~5只集群活动,灌丛地带密度最大。天气变化阴雨将至时发出刺耳的叫声。食性以植物根茎为主。营造地面或树上两种类型的巢,窝卵数多为3~5枚,平均4·2枚。雌鸟孵卵。20年来雉鹑在四川数量相对稳定,保护成效显著。     

三趾鸦雀的鸣叫型

１９９５年５月四川卧龙国家自然保护区,观察和录制了中国特有种三趾鸦雀的鸣声,获得的鸣声信号,经语图分析,研究了可分为：雌鸟和雄鸟叫声,雄鸟歌声,繁殖季节配对雌雄鸟的二种二重唱。     

Age bias in the bag of pink-footed geese <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anser brachyrhynchus</Emphasis>: influence of flocking behaviour on vulnerability

In pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) wintering in Denmark, The Netherlands and Belgium, the proportion of juveniles in the hunting bag is consistently higher than that observed in the autumn population. Such juvenile bias in the bag is usually ascribed to young geese lacking experience with hunting or disruption of juveniles from families. An alternative explanation may be that flocking behaviour of families make juveniles more vulnerable. Observations of morning flights of pink-footed geese to the feeding grounds from two of the major autumn-staging areas showed that geese were distributed in many small flocks (median flock size = 9). This was not significantly different from the flock size distribution shot at by hunters (median = 8), suggesting that hunters targeted goose flock size in proportion to the general probability of encounter. The rate at which hunters downed geese was independent of flock size. The ratio between juveniles and adults in flocks decreased with flock size and flocks of <60 individuals primarily comprised family groups. The likelihood of being shot at was 2.4 times higher for juveniles and 3.4 times higher for older birds in small flocks (<10 individuals) compared to larger flocks. The observations suggest that both juveniles as well as successful adult breeding birds were more vulnerable than non-breeding/failed breeding birds as a result of flocking behaviour.     

Multi-species territoriality and dynamic of neotropical forest understorey bird flocks

1. Eleven contiguous mixed-species bird flocks, with colour-banded individuals, were monitored continuously during 3 years in a 132-ha study area of primary rainforest in French Guiana.
2. Flock members were divided into six categories according to their flocking propensity and occurrence: 10 core or permanent species and 56 regular, occasional or incidental species. Each core species was represented by a single breeding pair with their fledglings and extra 'floaters' (unmated subadults and adults).
3. Flock home ranges overlapped slightly, but were communally defended by all core species in areas of overlap. Their size varied from 3·2 to 14·3 ha and was inversely correlated with vegetation density, but not flock size or species composition.
4. Flock number, size and composition, as well as boundaries were highly stable between seasons and years. Each flock had a single permanent gathering site and bathing site in late afternoon, the latter sometimes shared by 2–3 flocks.
5. Core species produced 0·18–0·73 fledglings per pair per year, which stayed in their natal flock for 200 to over 421 days. Then, these individuals usually moved between two and six different flocks, sometimes for up to 3 years, before finding a mate and a flock where they could settle and breed. Once breeding, they probably remained for life in the same flock. The mean annual survival rate was at least 0·75.
6. This highly evolved and stable organization, associated with a low breeding success and high survival rate was a critical factor maintaining low species density, delayed reproduction and a proportion of floating individuals buffering population fluctuations.
7. These social groups with their multi-species territoriality and co-evolved roles of flock members were similar to those described elsewhere in South America. They seem to be a general phenomenon in neotropical lowland rainforests.     

Spatial structuring and dispersal in a high density population of the California vole Microtus californicus

Space use patterns of California voles are described from intensive live-trapping data obtained during the late breeding season in a peak density year. Operational sex ratios were strongly female biased. Breeding males had mutually exclusive home ranges that overlapped the home ranges of one to several females. The average male home range was larger than the average female home range and tended to encompass female home ranges in their entirety. Breeding females had home ranges that often overlapped extensively with the home ranges of other breeding females. The degree of overlap, however, tended to be either very high or very low, indicating that groups of females may act territorially among themselves. Family groups that may include members of sequential litters formed at high density. Males on experimental removal grids had larger home ranges than males on the high density grids and some became wanderers while most females had home ranges comparable to those on the high density grids.
Dispersers onto low density grids were not a random sample of the high density population; large breeding adults and small juveniles were under-represented. No sex differences in dispersal were noted. Immigration into the high density populations was probably negligible.     

Temporal genetic structure and relatedness in the Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula suggests limited kin association in winter

Conspecific aggregation of waterfowl in winter is a common example of animal flocking behaviour, yet patterns of relatedness and temporal substructure in such social groups remain poorly understood even in common species. A previous study based on mark‐recapture data showed that Tufted Ducks Aythya fuligula caught on the same day were re‐caught together in subsequent winters more often than expected by chance, suggesting stable assortments of ‘socially familiar’ individuals between wintering periods. The genetic relationships within these social groups were not clear. Based on 191 individuals genotyped at 10 microsatellite markers, we investigated the temporal genetic structure and patterns of relatedness among wintering Tufted Ducks at Lake Sempach, Switzerland, in two consecutive winters. We found no evidence of genetic differentiation between temporal groups within or between winters. The average levels of relatedness in temporal groups were low and not higher than expected in random assortments of individuals. However, Mantel tests performed for each sex separately revealed significant negative correlations between the pairwise relatedness coefficients and the number of days between the capture dates of pairs of wintering Tufted Duck in males and females. This pattern suggests the presence of a small number of co‐migrating same‐sex sibling pairs in wintering flocks of Tufted Ducks. Our findings provide one of the first genetic analyses of a common duck species outside the breeding season and contribute to the understanding of social interactions in long‐distance migratory birds.     

Territory and group living in the polygynandrous Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris

The spacing system of Alpine Accentors Prunella collaris was studied on the summit of Mt. Norikura in central Japan for five breeding seasons. This species lived in groups (mean 7.2 individuals), sharing large areas of their individual home ranges within which all activities occurred. Membership of a group was closed and stable within a breeding season. The group home ranges overlapped little with each other, and antagonistic behaviour, including communal defence, was observed at the boundaries. Each female established an exclusive area around her own nest which she defended against other females (but not males) within the shared home range, but her activities (feeding, singing and mating) were observed over the whole of the group home range. Members of the same group moved around and fed together within the home range during the prebreeding season, but individual birds tended to become more solitary as the breeding season progressed. These results suggest that the primary breeding unit of Alpine Accentors is a group consisting of five to ten members who share a group territory which contains all the resources necessary for living and breeding, but this species is not a typical social one in which all members move around together within their group territory.     

The ranging and nesting behaviour of Wood mice, Apodemus sylvaticus (Rodentia: Muridae), as revealed by radio-tracking

The social organization, nightly movements and nesting behaviour of Wood mice. Apodemus sylvaticus (L.), were studied by radio-tracking 35 individuals in a deciduous wood in north-east Scotland. The radios, which were mounted on collars and weighed 2·4 g, were only attached to mice weighing more than 20 g. During the breeding season (mid-March to December), when all the mice tracked were reproductively active, male ranges were on average 3·6 times as big (5110 m²) as those of females (1424 m²); male ranges overlapped considerably whilst females probably maintained ranges largely exclusive of one another. The ranges of males overlapped those of females apparently at random, each male's range encompassing parts of about five to ten females' ranges. Individuals' ranges changed position with time, although no total displacements were noted. No long-term bisexual associations were recorded. Nests appeared to be located at random within ranges, and nest sites were changed frequently. In summer, mice nested solitarily, whilst in winter they nested in groups of up to at least three. Typically, mice moved extensively over their ranges each night, males moving further between successive radio-fixes than females, and having fewer activity loci. Throughout the year, mice occasionally left their normal home ranges on excursions, sometimes over 100 m in length.     

Can a ‘wintering area effect’ explain population status of Swainson's hawks? A stable isotope approach

It has been suggested that declines in breeding populations of Swainson's hawks ( Buteo swainsoni ) in California, Oregon, and Nevada may be due to differential mortality of hawks on their wintering grounds. Although massive mortality incidents reported on the wintering grounds partially support this suggestion, there are no data showing differential use of wintering areas by breeding populations of Swainson's hawks. We used stable-hydrogen isotope analysis of feathers to determine whether large flocks of hawks wintering in Argentina consisted of a mixture of individuals from across the North American breeding range or consisted of individuals from discrete breeding populations. We found that flocks of wintering Swainson's hawks consisted of a mixture of individuals. The lack of connectivity between populations of breeding and wintering hawks suggests that high wintering mortality, either natural or human-induced, is unlikely to have direct consequences on a single breeding area in North America. The demographic effects of winter mortality should be 'diluted' across the entire breeding range of Swainson's hawks.     

云南省纳帕海自然保护区越冬黑颈鹤的集群特征

2004年10月-2005年5月,在云南纳帕海自然保护区采用定点扫描法对越冬黑颈鹤(Grus nigricollis)的集群类犁和集群大小进行了观察.结果表明黑颈鹤夜间集群夜栖,形成较大的夜栖群,平均群体大小为67.9只(16-157,n=17):按照有无灰鹤加入,又将其分为同种集群和混种集群两种类型,其中同种集群的黑颈鹤数量占整个越冬种群的65.3%.在白昼,黑颈鹤以家庭鹤、集群鹤及特殊群体3种类型活动,家庭鹤和集群鹤的平均大小分别为2.7只(2-4,n=145)和16.1只(3-65,n=1017).黑颈鹤的集群大小并不稳定,在日内和月份间均有明显变化(P=0.000＜0.05).存越冬期,最大集群形成于12月,其次为11月和1月;在日内,早上8时集群最大,随后减小并保持相对稳定,18时黑颈鹤开始向夜栖地靠拢,使得集群再次开始增大.随后观察中还发现,黑颈鹤的家庭解体过程开始于3月底,当幼鹤被成鹤驱逐离群后,逐渐加入集群鹤活动,从而使得家庭鹤和集群鹤的大小和组成发生改变.黑颈鹤的集群大小和组成受自身状况、种内关系、天气、食物等多种因素的共同影响,随时间和季节变动而发生变化,是对自身、种群和环境条件变化的综合反映.     

Spring dispersal and agonistic behaviour of the Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa)

Spring behaviour, dispersal and population changes were studied in two populations of individually marked Red-legged partridges.
Young males took up home ranges close to their natal site but young females dispersed away. The incidence of agonistic behaviour between males, the extent of the spring decline in population density and the distance dispersed by males between the winter and breeding ranges were less in an area with more abundant nesting cover.
Half the neighbours of a typical male came from the same winter social group. These groups were based on family parties. Males from the same winter group showed less frequent agonistic behaviour to each other and had more overlapped home ranges than those from different groups.     

Space use and agonistic behaviour in relation to sex composition in large flocks of laying hens

Some authors have found indications of subgroup formation when domestic fowl are forced to live together in large flocks, while others have not. In this study experiments were carried out to test the hypothesis that hens in large flocks have home ranges in parts of the pen and that they form subgroups. We also studied if this is influenced by males. In a tiered aviary system (density averaged 16 hens/m(2) of floor area) eight flocks of 568+/-59 ISA Brown laying hybrids were kept in pens. Half of the pens contained 1 male per on average 24 females (mixed flocks). At peak production (36-53 weeks of age) four females roosting closely together for about 14 days and four females roosting far apart from each other were taken out from each flock and put together in separate groups in small pens. Their agonistic behaviour was studied for 2 days before they were put back. This was repeated with new birds, resulting in 16 small sample groups being studied. At 70 weeks, three groups of 10 females per flock roosting closely together in different parts of the pen were dyed with different colours and their locations were observed for 2 nights and 2 days.The incidence of aggressive pecks during day 1 among birds that had been roosting close to each other tended to be lower (P=0.05) than among birds that had been roosting far apart. This effect was not significant among birds from all-female flocks, but among birds from mixed flocks (P<0.05). However, this indicates a recognition of roosting partners and possibly also a rebound effect of the males' reduction of female aggressiveness towards strangers. Irrespective of sex composition in the flocks, birds marked while roosting at the ends of the pens were significantly more often observed within these areas than in other areas of the pen during daytime and came back to the same roosting sites at night (P<0.05-P<0.001). This was not the case for birds from the middle of the pens, where the distribution in the pen in most cases did not differ from random. These results show that laying hens in large groups are rather constant in their use of space, which indicate the presence of home ranges. However, environmental features that facilitate localisation may be important. In summary, we think that these findings indicate the existence of subgroup formation.