Disturbance to the Oriental White Stork（Ciconia boyciana）Breeding in the Wintering Area

2004年和2005年两个繁殖季节,在安庆市望江县漳湖镇,采用全事件采样法和瞬间扫描采样法,对东方白鹳留居种群繁殖特征和繁殖生境内的干扰因素进行了初步研究。东方白鹳在高压电线塔上营巢繁殖,营巢地点距离最近的村庄仅500m远,取食地点主要是水稻田,影响繁殖活动的主要自然因素:强风和高温。巢区和取食生境内的人为干扰强度较大,主要有燃烧秸秆、在巢塔上安装鸟刺、农耕活动和飞机噪音等。农业活动等人为干扰,对东方白鹳的取食、取材等行为造成很大影响,导致产生警戒、逃逸等行为。东方白鹳留居繁殖种群繁殖干扰因素的识别对进一步开展保护工作具有积极意义。

Disturbance to the Oriental White Stork (Ciconia boyciana) Breeding in the Wintering Area

We studied the breeding biology and disturbance factors of oriental white storks (Ciconia boyciana) using instantaneous sampling and all occurrence sampling in Dawan Village, Anhui Province, China, in their breeding seasons of 2004 and 2005. Their nests were built on high electricity pylons, which were only 500 meters away from the nearest village. The foraging sites were mainly paddy fields and ponds. Strong wind and high temperature were the main natural disturbance factors that affected the bird's breeding. The main human disturbances included straw burning, metal thorns set on the electricity pylons to keep the birds away, agricultural activities and flight noise. Agricultural activities greatly affected feeding, nest material seeking, incubation and the behavicur of the birds. The foraging birds showed alertness and flew away when disturbed. However, they also developed a tolerance to human disturbance. The greater the agricultural activities in the area, the shorter the response distance to humans. There was a positive correlation between the activity of nest-material seeking during the breeding season and the mean daily agricultural activity intensity in the breeding area. Better understanding of the breeding disturbance of oriental white storks in the Yangtze river will help us to take good steps for the further conservation of the bird.