杂色山雀亲代喂食与子代乞食间的行为

在育雏期,晚成鸟的子代一般都是由双亲共同来抚育,子代为了更好地存活,会用自己的方式竞争获得更多的食物和更好的生存空间,同时亲代也会根据子代的乞食信号来分配食物。2011年3～7月采用针孔摄像技术录制了杂色山雀(Parus varius)育雏期巢内亲代与子代间的行为,统计了亲鸟站位、雏鸟站位、雏鸟乞食强度及亲鸟的喂食情况等数据。分析结果表明:(1)雌雄亲鸟在巢中的站位各有特点,雄鸟在整个育雏期都喜欢站在距离巢口较近的位置;雌鸟站位不太固定,前期离巢口相对较远,中期和后期离巢口相对较近;(2)雏鸟离亲鸟越近,乞食强度越大,获得食物的机会就越多;离亲鸟越远的雏鸟越不爱乞食,所以站位对雏鸟的食物获得影响最大;(3)雌鸟承担主要的育雏任务,喂食频率远大于雄鸟;(4)育雏期的不同阶段雏鸟乞食强度、亲鸟喂食频率变化很大:中期雏鸟乞食强度最大,亲鸟喂食频率最高,后期雏鸟乞食强度最弱;(5)整个育雏期雌性亲本没有表现出明显的偏爱行为,但雄性亲本在中、后期更偏爱体型大的雏鸟。可见杂色山雀子代的行为和体型大小影响着亲代的食物分配,亲代也会根据雏鸟日龄调整站位和喂食行为。     

黄腹山鹪莺育雏行为和雏鸟生长

2007年3~9月,在广东省肇庆市江溪村对黄腹山鹪莺(Prinia flaviventris)的育雏行为和雏鸟生长进行了研究。通过取食行为观察、育雏食物分析和雏鸟身体量度的测量来研究黄腹山鹪莺亲鸟繁殖投资和雏鸟的生长规律。研究期间,利用隐蔽帐观察窗进行行为观察,观察距离在5 m以内;在雏鸟身体上用无味彩笔标号以区别雏鸟个体:10日龄前,标记于雏鸟背部,10~12日龄,标记在雏鸟跗跖处;对部分数据进行双变量相关分析,利用Logistic曲线拟合雏鸟形态增长,并比较每个回归方程斜率间的差异。结果显示:1)黄腹山鹪莺育雏由雌雄共同承担,育雏期(11.9±0.4)d(n=7巢)。幼雏出壳后亲鸟早晚暖雏,第7天起亲鸟白天不再暖雏;2)随雏鸟的生长,喂食次数和食物种类逐渐增加,雏鸟日龄与喂食次数极显著相关(r=0.995,P0.01);3)育雏期雏鸟食物皆为动物性食物,以蜘蛛目物种所占比例最大(40.95%),其他包括幼虫及直翅目、鳞翅目、鞘翅目、蜻蜓目等节肢动物;4)Logistic曲线方程中,体重的生长率常数k值最大,与其他k值之间存在显著性差异(P0.05);5)黄腹山鹪莺体重、体长、尾长、翼长、嘴峰、嘴裂、第三根初级飞羽(简称为P3)、跗跖及爪各参数间的相关系数均为0.9以上(P0.01),参数之间在一定程度上可相互代替;6)黄腹山鹪莺雏鸟的发育遵循最重要的功能优先发育的原则,符合能量分配假说。黄腹山鹪莺喂食次数、雏鸟生长速率(k值)相对较高,可能与当地丰富的食物资源有关,也可能是对巢址环境多变的适应。     

杂色山雀(Parus varius)亲代喂食与子代乞食间的行为交流

在育雏期,晚成鸟的子代一般都是由双亲共同来抚育,子代为了更好地存活,会用自己的方式竞争获得更多的食物和更好的生存空间,同时亲代也会通过子代的乞食信号来分配食物。2011年3月-7月采用针孔摄像技术录制了杂色山雀(Parus varius)育雏期巢内亲代与子代间的行为交流,统计了亲鸟站位、雏鸟站位、雏鸟乞食强度及亲鸟的喂食情况等数据。分析结果表明：(1)雌雄亲鸟在巢中的站位各有特点：雄鸟在整个育雏期都喜欢站在距离巢口较近的位置;雌鸟站位不太固定,前期离巢口相对较远,中期和后期离巢口相对较近;(2)雏鸟离亲鸟越近,乞食强度越大,获得食物的机会就越多;(3)杂色山雀主要是雌鸟担任育雏任务,喂食频率远大于雄鸟;(4)育雏期的不同阶段雏鸟乞食强度、亲鸟喂食频率变化很大：中期雏鸟乞食强度最大,亲鸟喂食频率最高,后期雏鸟乞食强度最弱;(5)整个育雏期雌性亲本没表现出明显的偏爱行为,但雄性亲本在中期表现出了偏爱大的雏鸟。     

乌鸫的繁殖行为与坐巢行为初步观察

于2009年3～7月、2010年3～6月,采用焦点动物观察法和全事件行为记录法对乌鸫(Turdusmerula)的孵卵及育雏行为进行了研究。结果表明,乌鸫是雌鸟孵卵,在孵卵期出现卵损失现象,具补卵行为;孵卵前期与后期的坐巢行为存在差异,且其坐巢时间、频次和坐巢率有随孵卵数递增的趋势。双亲育雏但以雌鸟为主,喂食模式3种:雌鸟喂食、雄鸟喂食、雄鸟将食物递给雌鸟由雌鸟喂食。随着雏鸟日龄的增长,喂食次数增多,暖雏行为减少,至育雏后期未观察到暖雏行为。为权衡孵卵期和育雏前期的能量分配,乌鸫在孵卵期及育雏前期分别采取时间长而频次少和时间短而频次多的坐巢策略。     

血雉育雏期家族活动和暖雏行为

1994年 11月至 1995年 9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并结合野外观察 ,对血雉育雏期家族群的活动和暖雏行为进行了研究。双亲共同育雏组成家族群活动。雌鸟每次暖雏持续时间7 87± 0 45 (90 )min ,与雏鸟的日龄无关 (r =0 0 6 3 ,P =0 5 40 ) ;相邻两次暖雏的间隔时间为 13 6 0± 1 15min。随着雏鸟日龄的增长 ,暖雏次数趋势于减少 (r =- 0 878,P <0 0 0 1) ,而在多云、降雨等较冷的天气暖雏次数增多。雏鸟 40日龄后未再观察到暖雏行为。以家族群每日平均移动率计算活动性并探讨与雏鸟日龄的关系时发现 ,两者间存在显著的正相关关系 (r =0 6 80 ,P <0 0 0 1) ,育雏期第二个月家族群活动区面积 (0 17km2 )比第一个月的 (0 15km2 )大。     

秃鹫巢内育雏期亲鸟与幼鸟行为及时间分配

2016和2017年,采用焦点动物取样法及全事件记录法,在新疆和静县巴仑台镇研究了4个繁殖巢的秃鹫(Aegypius monachus)繁殖行为。通过红外相机和人工观察,构建了秃鹫巢内育雏期的行为谱,将秃鹫亲鸟的行为划分为9类33种,将雏鸟行为划分为6类28种。结果表明,亲鸟喂食次数的最高峰出现在12:30~13:30时,随后在15:30~18:30时之间出现一个小高峰。在育雏期,亲鸟行为以护幼、观望和警戒为主,雏鸟则以休息和观望为主。将巢内育雏期分为三个阶段:育雏前期(4~5月)、育雏中期(6月)、育雏后期(7月),运用单因素方差分析(one-way ANOVA)检验不同育雏阶段亲鸟、雏鸟行为时间分配的差异。结果显示,育雏前期与后期之间亲鸟的行为时间分配差异不显著(P0.05),前期与中期和中期与后期之间,亲鸟的行为时间分配差异均显著(P0.01);育雏前期、中期与后期的雏鸟行为时间分配差异均显著(P0.01)。国内秃鹫繁殖主要面临食物短缺、人类活动干扰等威胁。     

杂色山雀双亲差异性育雏策略

社会性单配制鸟类的配偶双方在抚育子代时常存在性别差异,不同鸟种的雌雄双亲往往采取不同的育雏策略。以杂色山雀(Sittiparus varius)为研究对象,2017年3—7月对繁殖巢箱进行录像监测,记录杂色山雀育雏期亲代投入情况。分析结果显示:1)双亲递食率在育雏前期(4—6日龄)无显著差异,而育雏后期(10—12日龄)雌性的递食率显著高于雄性。2)雌性亲鸟后期递食率较育雏前期显著增加;而雄性亲鸟育雏前期和后期递食率无显著差异。3)雌性递食率与自身喙宽呈极显著正相关,雄性递食率与双亲体征参数均无相关关系。总的来说,在育雏阶段,杂色山雀雌性亲鸟的递食率随着雏鸟的需求和自身身体质量发生调整,雌性在育雏后期递食率显著升高,而雄性亲鸟递食率无变化,这可能与育雏期双亲投入分工不同有关。     

四川南充白颊噪鹛的繁殖行为观察

2009年2～6月,在四川省南充市市郊观察了白颊噪鹛(Garrulax sannio)的繁殖行为。结果显示,白颊噪鹛的营巢成功率为73.3%,影响其巢址选择的主要因素依次为巢位及巢的稳固因素、隐蔽因素、食物因素;孵化期亲鸟的离巢时间随着孵化天数的增加而减少,离巢次数随着孵化天数的增加而增加;育雏期亲鸟喂食频次随着雏鸟日龄增加而增加,且在日间各时段的喂雏次数不同,在7:01～10:00时和17:01～19:00时喂食频次最高,在6:30～7:00时和10:01～14:00时最低;育雏期雏鸟的外部形态变化明显,体长及外部器官的形态学参数可以用Logistic曲线方程很好地拟合,雏鸟体重和各器官的生长曲线在10.5日龄前呈"S"型;白颊噪鹛的繁殖成功率为23.1%。     

大鵟繁殖期的行为及时间分配

2015年4～9月,采用焦点动物取样法,通过人工观察及监控设备记录,在青海省祁连县研究了2窝在人工巢中繁殖的大(鵟)(Buteo hemilasius)行为.构建了大(鵟)亲鸟及雏鸟在繁殖期的行为谱,将亲鸟繁殖期内的行为划分为12项30种,将雏鸟的行为划分为9项25种.研究发现,大(鵟)繁殖期开始于4月中下旬,持续至8月中旬结束,平均(112.0±2.0)d(n=2);将繁殖期划分为孵卵前期、孵卵期、育雏期及雏鸟成熟期.利用单因素方差分析(One-way ANOVA)比对了雌雄亲鸟之间,以及不同时期间亲鸟、雏鸟的行为时间分配.结果显示,(1)雌雄大(鵟)之间的行为时间分配在孵卵前期及孵卵期差异不显著(P＞0.05),在育雏期及雏鸟成熟期差异显著(P＜0.05).在这两个时期,雌性栖停行为所占比例显著高于雄性(P＜0.01),而捕食行为占比显著低于雄性(P＜ 0.01).(2)雌性大(鵟)行为时间分配在不同时期均变化显著(P＜ 0.05),雄性大(鵟)行为时间分配在育雏期与雏鸟成熟期间差异不显著,其余各个时期间差异显著(P＜ 0.05).(3)大(鵟)雏鸟行为时间分配在育雏期与成熟期之间差异显著(P＜0.05).     

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&#61617;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&#61617;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。     

Why brown-headed cowbirds do not influence red-winged blackbird parent behaviour

Brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater, frequently parasitize red-winged blackbirds,Agelaius phoeniceus . The presence of a brood parasite, unrelated to both host nestlings and parents, has provoked speculation regarding within-brood food allocation and parental provisioning. This study is the first to compare directly the effect of brood parasitism on host parent and offspring behaviour in younger and older broods. We videotaped 28 unparasitized red-winged blackbird broods and compared them to 22 parasitized broods. Red-winged blackbird nestling begging appears largely unaffected by cowbird parasitism. The presence of the cowbird in the nest affected neither the latency nor duration of host nestling begging, but stimulated more frequent begging by red-winged blackbird nestlings following food distribution. Begging by cowbirds was unique in two ways: (1) cowbirds maintained a consistent begging effort throughout the nestling period (but did not receive a consistent food share); and (2) cowbirds begged longer and more frequently following the allocation of food. Persistent begging by the cowbird following the allocation of food has implications for the division of parental care, if by doing so the brood parasite is able to provoke the foster parent to increase provisioning, at the expense of brooding. We found no evidence for the adjustment of parental care. Neither the foraging rates nor the lengths of the parental feeding visits differed markedly between parasitized and unparasitized broods. Copyright 2003 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.      

Effect of altitude on male parental expenditure in Mountain Bluebirds ( Sialia currucoides ): are higher-altitude males more attentive fathers?

Male investment of time and energy in caring for offspring varies substantially both between and within bird species. Explaining this variation is of long-standing interest to ornithologists. One factor that may affect male care is breeding site altitude, through its effects on climate. The harsher, less predictable abiotic conditions at higher altitudes are hypothesized to favour increased male investment of time and energy in offspring care. We tested this hypothesis by comparing male parental behaviour in Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) nesting at 1500 and 2500 m a.s.l. in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming, USA. We compared rates of prey delivery to nestlings at these two altitudes at two times: 1–2 days after hatching, when females spend much of their time brooding young, and 12–13 days later, when brooding has ended and nestling energy demands are peaking. High-altitude males fed nestlings 18 and 28% more often than low-altitude males early and later in the nestling stage, respectively, but only the difference in late-stage feeding rates were significant. Like males, females at the high site also fed nestlings significantly more often than females at the low site later in the nestling stage (45% difference in feeding rates). Consequently, the proportion of all feeding trips made by males at the high site (40%) did not differ significantly from that at the low site (44%). Parents at the high altitude may feed nestlings more often to compensate for their greater thermoregulatory costs. Parents may also be attempting to assist nestlings in storing fat and/or attaining a large size and effective homeothermy as quickly as possible to enhance nestling ability to survive bouts of severe weather which are common at high altitudes.     

Reliable Information Content and Ontogenetic Shift in Begging Calls of Grey Warbler Nestlings

The most critical assumption of communication models regarding parent–offspring conflict is that food solicitation displays of genetic offspring are honest signals to elicit beneficial parental care. A critical requirement of honesty is the reliable change of perceivable aspects of begging calls with physiological needs. We experimentally tested whether and how the acoustic structure and begging call rate of individual Grey Warbler Gerygone igata nestlings change with hunger level and age. We also examined a rarely documented component of chick begging calls, namely the temporal dynamics of acoustic modulation after nestlings heard parental feeding calls. Begging call structure narrowed in frequency range and, surprisingly, decreased in amplitude as chick hunger levels increased. We also found that begging calls changed with chick age, with the frequency increasing and the duration decreasing for older chicks. These results indicate that the acoustic properties of nestling Grey Warbler begging calls are complex and may be used to signal several aspects of nestling traits, including hunger level and age (or size, a correlate of age). Overall, begging calls of Grey Warbler chicks appear to be honest, implying that parents are likely to benefit from relying on the acoustic features of their progeny’s calls which predict chick need. Our results have important implications regarding the reliability and information content of nestling solicitation signals for the brood parasite shining cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus exploiting Grey Warbler parental care, in that these begging‐call mimetic specialist cuckoos might also need to match closely the dynamics of acoustic features of their host chicks’ calls.     

Parental Feeding Rates in the House Sparrow,Passer domesticus: Are Larger‐Badged Males Better Fathers?

Elaborated secondary sexual characteristics may reflect genetic quality or good health, either of which may be associated with an individual's competence as a parent. We examined whether female house sparrows (Passer domesticus) paired to large vs. small‐badged mates gain benefits in the form of increased parental care or improved nestling welfare. House sparrow nests where the male had been trapped and banded were observed for 1 h on at least 5 d during the peak growth period of nestlings. Male feeding shares, measured as the proportion of total feeds per chick made by the male, were marginally positively correlated with male badge size. Moreover, higher male shares of nestling feeding were associated with improved prospects for offspring survival, and a greater proportion of chicks fledged from the nests of larger‐badged males. These results suggest that females paired to large‐badged males gain direct benefits in the form of enhanced nestling survival, which presumably stem from factors associated with increases in the proportion of nestling feeding contributed by their mates.     

Nestling detectability affects parental feeding preferences in a cavity-nesting bird

In many avian species, nestlings have evolved striking plumage, behaviours and mouth colours to obtain a greater share of parental investment. Studies revealing parental feeding preferences for nestlings with red gapes have proposed that red mouth colour in songbirds can act as a signal of nestling need or condition. Alternative hypotheses suggest that bright nestling mouths in cavity-nesting birds evolved to increase nestling detectability by the parents. We tested whether nestling mouth colour affects parental feeding preferences in great tits, Parus major L. In broods of six young, we experimentally painted mouth gapes and flanges either red or yellow and tested the effect of mouth colour on nestlings' mass gain under two lighting conditions. In nests with high luminosity, there was no significant effect of mouth colour on mass gain. In nests with low luminosity, nestlings with red gapes and flanges gained less mass than nestlings with red gapes and yellow flanges or both yellow gapes and flanges. Our results suggest that, in nests with low luminosity, red mouths decreased nestling detectability to the feeding parents and support the hypothesis that poor luminosity in nesting cavities can select for pale mouths. Overall, our results do not support the hypothesis that red mouth colour signals nestling need or condition to parent great tits.     

Begging in Common Redstart Nestlings: Scramble Competition or Signalling of Need?

Begging behaviour by the young affects parental food distribution among nestlings of altricial birds. We present an analysis of two types of begging behaviour (assuming the front nest positions and gaping) based on videotaped natural nestling feeding in European common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus). We test whether these types of begging support the predictions of two mathematical models: scramble competition with competitive asymmetries between nestlings [Anim. Behav. 27 (1979) 1210] or honest signalling model [Nature 352 (1991) 328]. None of the measured variables of nestling or parental behaviour were affected by body weight differences between siblings. In contrast, both gaping and nest positioning were affected by individual differences in nestling hunger. In agreement with the honest signalling model, hungrier nestlings gaped with higher probability and started to gape sooner after the arrival of the parent than did their less hungry nestmates. Those nestlings with the shortest latency to gape also received food more often. Nest positioning was related to nestling hunger in a way unforeseen by the existing models. The intervals between nestling position changes were several times longer than the intervals between parental feeding visits, and parents preferred to feed nestlings in front positions, so nestlings in front positions were always less hungry than nestlings in back. Hence the pattern of movements influenced the feeding decision in favour of the more satiated nestlings and acted against the effect of gaping. Nestling movement seemed to be caused by the less hungry nestlings moving actively from front to rear positions. Low mortality of individual nestlings within broods that survived to fledging and small within‐brood variation in fledging weights indicated low competition among nestmates. We suggest that there are two behavioural mechanisms that contribute to the equalization of fledging weights in common redstart nestlings: the signalling of need through gaping and the regular turnover of nestlings at front positions.     

Bud break responds more strongly to daytime than night‐time temperature under asymmetric experimental warming

Global warming is diurnally asymmetric, leading to a less cold, rather than warmer, climate. We investigated the effects of asymmetric experimental warming on plant phenology by testing the hypothesis that daytime warming is more effective in advancing bud break than night‐time warming. Bud break was monitored daily in Picea mariana seedlings belonging to 20 provenances from Eastern Canada and subjected to daytime and night‐time warming in growth chambers at temperatures varying between 8 and 16 °C. The higher advancements of bud break and shorter times required to complete the phenological phases occurred with daytime warming. Seedlings responded to night‐time warming, but still with less advancement of bud break than under daytime warming. No advancement was observed when night‐time warming was associated with a daytime cooling. The effect of the treatments was uniform across provenances. Our observations realized under controlled conditions allowed to experimentally demonstrate that bud break can advance under night‐time warming, but to a lesser extent than under daytime warming. Prediction models using daily timescales could neglect the diverging influence of asymmetric warming and should be recalibrated for higher temporal resolutions.