高黎贡山白尾梢虹雉繁殖生态观察

2002-2004年连续3个春季在高黎贡山自然保护区对白尾梢虹雉(Lophophorus sclateri)的繁殖习性进行了观察,对白尾梢虹雉的巢、卵和雏鸟进行了详细描述.在高黎贡山南段,白尾梢虹雉的产卵孵化始于3月底,止于5月初,窝卵数为2～3枚,孵卵期为28 d.窝卵数低、适宜巢址缺乏有可能是白尾梢虹雉种群增长缓慢...     

笼养白尾梢虹雉的行为活动观察

采用扫描取样法和全事件取样法对1对笼养白尾梢虹雉（Lophophorus scalteri)进行了为期1年的观察,结果表明：笼养白尾梢虹雉日活动高峰出现在早晚,低谷在午后,呈明显的日节律;在一年中不同月份各种行为所占时间比例也有变化,呈明显的年活动节律;在为期1年的观察中,白尾梢虹雉各种行为所占时间比例分别为静栖39.88%、取食23.57%、观望14.02%、运动10.36%、身体护理8.08%、其他行为4.09%,其时间分配受性别、季节等多种因子的影响。     

高黎贡山白尾梢虹雉春季食谱及食物营养成分分析

白尾梢虹雉是东喜马拉雅地区特有珍稀雉类,本文运用粪样显微分析方法研究了该种雉类春季的食谱,并对栖息地中部分常见植物进行了营养成分分析,以探讨营养成分对白尾梢虹雉取食偏好的影响。粪检结果表明白尾梢虹雉春季食谱中至少有23种植物种类,从3月到5月食谱结构逐渐变化,体现在植物的叶逐渐取代根成为主要取食部位,这与高山草甸植被的季节相关,因为高黎贡山地区5月初进入雨季后草本植物才大量萌发。植物营养成分中的粗脂肪和钙元素与白尾梢虹雉的取食偏好显著正相关,推测分别与食物的适口性和繁殖期的钙消耗相关。     

云南白尾梢虹雉的分布与保护

1999—2003年在云南对白尾梢虹雉(Lophophorus sclateri)的分布及栖息生境进行了调查,确证11个分布点,另有3个点可能有分布。白尾梢虹雉在云南的栖息生境主要有高山草甸、高山亚高山箭竹林及亚高山针叶林3种类型。栖息生境承载量小、种群增长慢、人类活动干扰以及宣传不力是白尾梢虹雉濒危的主要因素,据此提出开展驯养繁殖、加强禁止偷猎的法制宣传,以及加强基础研究的保护建议。     

基于野外影像的白尾梢虹雉换羽研究

白尾梢虹雉Lophophorus sclateri是一种狭域分布的高山雉类，尚未开展过换羽研究。2014—2019年，利用红外相机在云南高黎贡山收集了白尾梢虹雉的64张野外独立有效照片和9段视频，发现白尾梢虹雉繁殖不同步，不同巢出雏时间相差可达1个月，5月出雏较多；刚出雏的雏鸟飞羽有明显羽片，6月完成雏后换羽、9月完成稚后换羽；成鸟5月开始更换尾羽，10月更换完毕，从第5枚尾羽开始向两侧更换，兼具向心型和离心型的特点；雄性存在羽毛延迟成熟现象，可用状态信号假说解释。本研究首次报道了野生白尾梢虹雉的换羽特征和雄性个体的羽毛延迟成熟现象，表明红外相机影像可为雉类换羽提供时间和羽毛形态特征数据，这为野生雉类的换羽研究提供了新思路。     

白尾梢虹雉国内首次人工饲养繁殖成功

探讨了白尾梢虹雉人工引种的环境,管理,育雏,雏鸟羽毛生长等过程。     

高黎贡山雉类生境预测

物种分布信息对野生动物的保护和管理至关重要。基于物种访查数据和气候数据,采用基于物种生境偏好、利比希最小因子定律和谢尔福德耐受性定律构建的生态位模型,综合考虑物种出现点和环境变量,预测了高黎贡山白尾梢虹雉Lophophorus sclateri、血雉Ithaginis cruentus、白鹇Lophura nycthemera、白腹锦鸡Chrysolophus amherstiae的潜在分布区域。结果表明,模型对4种雉类的预测均达到较好效果;白尾梢虹雉、血雉、白鹇和白腹锦鸡的潜在生境总面积分别为6 432 km^2、8 464 km^2、9 573 km^2和13 691 km^2,白鹇和白腹锦鸡的潜在生境面积大于白尾梢虹雉和血雉,但后两者具有更多的高质量生境。高黎贡山北段是4种雉类潜在生境的重叠区,为高黎贡山雉类保护的优先区域,尤其是白尾梢虹雉,建议加大该区域的雉类调查和保护力度。     

基于线粒体细胞色素b基因序列的虹雉属鸟类的系统发育关系

通过雉科虹雉属(Lophophorus)、角雉属(Tragopan)、勺鸡属(Pucrasia)和血雉属(Ithaginis)7种鸟类的细胞色素b(cyt b)基因序列比较,构建的虹雉属及其近缘属的分子系统树表明：①3种虹雉构成一个单系群(monophyletic group),虹雉属与角雉属、勺鸡属构成一个单系群;②虹雉属内分为白尾梢虹雉,以及棕尾虹雉和绿尾虹雉两个演化枝。综合分子系统学、地理分布格局和形态学的证据,推测虹雉属鸟类起源于中国的横断山脉,其中繁衍生活在原地的一枝演化为白尾梢虹雉;另一枝则分别进入喜马拉雅山区(西)和中国西南部(东),向西的演化为棕尾虹雉,向东的则为绿尾虹雉。     

沙坡头主要建群植物油蒿和柠条的气体交换特征研究

在自然条件下对沙坡头人工固沙区主要建群植物油蒿和柠条的气体交换特征进行了比较研究。结果表明,油蒿和柠条都具有典型的双峰型光合速率日进程曲线,它们的气孔导度日变化趋势也与净光合速率日变化相一致;在一日内油蒿的气孔导度、净光合速率和蒸腾速率始终大于柠条。油蒿和柠条在８：００￣１０：００光合速率下降的主要决定因素是气孔导度,而在午间（１０：００￣１４：００）和午后（１６：００￣１９：００）,光合速率的上     

云南高黎贡山两种同域分布雉类冬季的食物分析及取食策略

本文采用粪便显微分析法对高黎贡山同域分布的白尾梢虹雉(Lophophorus sclateri)与血雉(Ithaginis cruentus)进行食物组成研究,旨在弄清这两种濒危雉类越冬期间(12月—翌年2月)的食谱以及它们对食物资源的竞争状况。结果表明:白尾梢虹雉取食48种植物,血雉取食43种植物,两种雉类的食物多样性指数分别为3.21和3.35,食物生态位重叠指数达0.598,有27种植物被两种雉类共同取食,且在各自食谱中所占比例甚高;较高的食物多样性和食物生态位重叠度表明两种雉类冬季食谱拓宽,并暗示这两种雉类在冬季可能存在食物竞争;食物种类和取食部位的分化是它们得以同域分布和长期共存的基础;结合这两种雉类的食谱特征和野外取食行为,提出它们冬季的取食策略假说,白尾梢虹雉采取以植物根为食和雪后向低海拔迁移寻求替代食物这两种策略来应对冬季食物不足,而血雉则采取集群游荡以扩大种群取食范围的策略。     

四川梅花鹿发情期的几种发声行为

2006 年9 ～11 月在四川省若尔盖县铁布自然保护区,对四川梅花鹿发情期的声行为进行了初步观测,结果表明:在发情期,四川梅花鹿的发声行为可分为雌、雄鹿的报警叫声,雄鹿的吼叫声和求偶叫声。雌鹿的报警叫声持续时间257 ～ 539 ms,频率范围1409. 5 ～ 4474. 6 Hz,主频率3534. 8 ±89.12 Hz;雄鹿的报警叫声持续时间136 ～187 ms,频率范围271.8 ～3910.5 Hz,主频率3244.3 ±79.32 Hz;两者在持续时间、最低频率、最高频率上差异极显著(P < 0.01),在间隔时间上差异不显著(P = 0.624)。吼叫是雄鹿的主要发情行为之一。雄鹿每次吼叫1 声,持续时间1580 ～4972 ms,频率范围234.6 ～6171.4 Hz,主频率2264.6 ± 166.44 Hz。雄鹿吼叫声的主频率存在显著的个体差异(P <0.01)。在整个吼叫过程中,一只雄鹿的吼叫常会引起周围其它雄鹿的吼叫反应。雄鹿每日吼叫的次数与其在繁殖群中的等级序列有关,不同序列等级雄鹿的吼叫频次存在显著差异(P<0.01)。雄鹿的吼叫声在白天和夜晚均能听到,但主要发生在06:00 ～ 08:00、17:00 ～ 19:00 和01:00 ～ 03:00 三个时间段。四川梅花鹿雄鹿的求偶叫声有4 种,其生物学意义与发情炫耀、追逐、激惹和爬跨等行为有关。     

Calling Patterns in Male Responses to Conspecific Playbacks in the Johnstone's Whistling Frog Eleutherodactylus johnstonei

Vocal interactions are common in chorusing frogs. Changes in the calling patterns of Eleutherodactylus johnstonei males were analyzed by recording their responses to playbacks of conspecific calls repeated at fixed periods (long: 1.7 s, short: 0.98 s). The call period and timing, estimated through the onset response time, were determined for each male. Males reduced and regularized the period of their calls in response to both stimuli, regardless of their absolute and relative period (i.e., the difference between the male's period and the stimulus period). Males avoided initiating their calls during ongoing stimuli, but did not time their calls in the silent gap between successive stimuli in ways that reduced the probability of overlap: the proportion of calls without overlap did not depart from random expectations when the silent gap was long, and was smaller than expected when the gap was short. This result indicated that males react to the presence of the virtual competitor but not to its particular characteristics. Fixed responses have been described in other anurans, and often relate to trade-offs between female attraction, male competition, predator attraction, and depletion of energy reserves. Lack of coordination with the stimuli, beyond inhibition of calling during an ongoing stimulus, also indicates somewhat rigid vocal strategies, at least under the experimental conditions. Results from the short period trials suggested a compromise between maintaining a call period and avoiding call overlap. Whether female behavior is influenced by call interference and whether males pay selective attention to distant males instead of to close neighbors must be investigated to better understand the vocal behavior of E. johnstonei .     

沼水蛙繁殖期鸣声特征及鸣叫节律

鸣叫对无尾两栖类动物的生存与繁殖起重要作用。蛙类的鸣叫行为受到环境因素影响表现出一定的节律性。2016年8和9月,采用录音机和指向性话筒,在野外录制了57只沼水蛙（Hylarana guentheri）的鸣声并对其鸣声特征进行分析;通过悬挂录音笔和自动温湿度记录仪研究了沼水蛙鸣叫节律（17 d）及其与环境温度、相对湿度的关系。结果显示,沼水蛙的鸣声由1 ~ 4个音节组成,不同类型鸣声间的音节主频、音节时长存在显著差异（P < 0.05）。该物种全天具有鸣叫行为,13:00 ~ 14:00时为鸣叫高峰期。白天单音节鸣声、双音节鸣声、三音节鸣声、总鸣声和总音节的数量较夜晚显著增加（P < 0.01）。鸣声数量和音节数量均与环境温度呈正相关（P < 0.01）。结果表明,沼水蛙通过改变音节数量、音节主频和音节时长改变鸣叫策略。沼水蛙的鸣叫行为具有昼夜节律性且受环境温度的影响。     

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Mallard duckling distress calls consist of a series of stereotyped notes and are usually given in calling bouts. When two or more ducklings are separated from their brood and begin to distress call, they alternate their calls, with each bird inhibiting its own vocalizations during those of another bird. In two playback experiments we reduced the acoustic variability found in distress calls and examined the effect this had on the alternation response of ducklings. In Exp. 1, one treatment involved an unedited tape-recording of a natural bout of 8 distress calls. Three other treatments involved edited tapes in which (a) the original 8 calls were presented, but at a constant intercall period, or (b) a single call was repeated 8 times at the natural (variable) intercall periods, or (c) a single call was repeated 8 times at a constant intercall period. The two tapes on which the same call was repeated 8 times elicited significantly weaker alternation responses from ducklings than the two tapes on which the original 8 calls were presented; the manipulation of the intercall period had no significant effect on the alternation response. In Exp. 2, analogous manipulations were performed to remove the variability between the notes within a single distress call or between the internote periods within that call. Ducklings alternated significantly better with the unedited distress call than with the distress calls in which variability had been removed. These results suggest that the variability found within many “Fixed Action Patterns” may serve an important antihabituation function.     

Complex Vocal Responses to Conspecific Calls in Whistling Frogs Eleutherodactylus johnstonei: Playback Experiments in the Field

We simulated the presence of an acoustic competitor by broadcasting conspecific playbacks to males of Johnstone's whistling frog, Eleutherodactylus johnstonei, in the field. We broadcast calls that differed in duration (short, typical, and long), dominant frequency (high, typical, and low), and period (short, typical, and long), and analyzed male vocal responses. We tested the hypothesis that males respond by escalating vocally when they are exposed to female‐attractive calls and by ignoring unattractive ones. At the population level, males responded to playbacks in ways that would potentially increase their attractiveness with regard to solo calling: males increased the duration, reduced the dominant frequency, and increased their calling effort (duty cycle), despite an increase in call period. The modification of call duration occurred only in response to playbacks of low‐frequency calls, long calls, and short‐period calls (selective response), while the modification of the dominant frequency was independent of the characteristic of the playback (fixed response). Contrary to the expected, males did not reduce the call period when they were exposed to attractive playbacks. At the ultimate level, the results suggest energy‐saving strategies. In addition, males seem to trade off call period for the avoidance of acoustic interference with attractive calls as calling effort was typically increased by increasing call duration but only rarely by reducing the call period. Interactive playbacks are necessary to better understand the calling strategies of males of E. johnstonei.     

Age-Related Changes in Signalling of Need by Nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor)

Despite a large literature on the ontogeny of behaviour, few studies have examined how the function of juvenile behaviour changes during development. One of the most widespread and important juvenile behaviours is begging, the display used by young animals to solicit food from their parents. Begging signals generally vary reliably with offspring need for food and have served as models for understanding the evolution of honest signalling. Little is known, however, about whether the relationship between begging and need varies over the period of rapid juvenile development. Here, we examine whether tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor, begging calls consistently reflect hunger levels across the 20 d nestling period. We recorded begging calls at 5, 10 and 15 d post‐hatch, during an hour of food deprivation, and related call features to time without food (i.e. hunger) at each age. The overall correlation between call structure and hunger, as measured by canonical correlation, was consistent across ages. The particular features that correlated with hunger varied, however. Call rate and length increased with hunger at all ages, but call amplitude and frequency range increased with hunger at days 10 and 15 only. The results of our study suggest that begging calls consistently convey information about offspring hunger throughout the nestling period, with the number of call features encoding hunger increasing with nestling age. This change may enhance the ability of parents to assess offspring hunger levels by adding redundancy to the signal.     

The use of acoustics to monitor burrow-nesting white-chinned petrels Procellaria aequinoctialis at Bird Island, South Georgia

Tape recordings of two types of vocalisations were used to assess burrow occupancy by white-chinned petrels (Procellaria aequinoctialis) at South Georgia. Birds responded to the rattle call on 74% of occasions and a wheezy call on 85%, with only 10% failing to respond to both calls played one after the other. Occupancy was determined throughout the pre-egg and incubation period and results confirmed what is known about patterns of occupancy by white-chinned petrels. Adults in burrows known to hatch a chick responded on average to 69% of recordings during incubation and less than 10% in only 4% of burrows. Significant inter-site and inter-annual variations in occupancy were recorded, suggesting that this method is sensitive to changes in the number of petrels returning to breed. A sampling protocol for providing population indices for monitoring purposes is recommended. Accepted: 6 March 2000     

Efficiency and Significance of Multiple Vocal Signals in Sibling Competition

Animals can compete for resources by displaying various acoustic signals that may differentially affect the outcome of competition. We propose the hypothesis that the most efficient signal to deter opponents should be the one that most honestly reveals motivation to compete. We tested this hypothesis in the barn owl (Tyto alba) in which nestlings produce more calls of longer duration than siblings to compete for priority access to the indivisible prey item their parents will deliver next. Because nestlings increase call rate to a larger extent than call duration when they become hungrier, call rate would signal more accurately hunger level. This leads us to propose three predictions. First, a high number of calls should be more efficient in deterring siblings to compete than long calls. Second, the rate at which an individual calls should be more sensitive to variation in the intensity of the sibling vocal competition than the duration of its calls. Third, call rate should influence competitors’ vocalization for a longer period of time than call duration. To test these three predictions we performed playback experiments by broadcasting to singleton nestlings calls of varying durations and at different rates. According to the first prediction, singleton nestlings became less vocal to a larger extent when we broadcasted more calls compared to longer calls. In line with the second prediction, nestlings reduced vocalization rate to a larger extent than call duration when we broadcasted more or longer calls. Finally, call rate had a longer influence on opponent’s vocal behavior than call duration. Young animals thus actively and differentially use multiple signaling components to compete with their siblings over parental resources.     

Frequency alternation and an offbeat rhythm indicate foraging behavior in the echolocating bat, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccopteryx bilineata</Emphasis>

The greater sac-winged bat, Saccopteryx bilineata (Emballonuridae), uses two distinct echolocation call sequences: a ‘monotonous’ sequence, where bats emit ~48 kHz calls at a relatively stable rate, and a frequency-alternating sequence, where bats emit calls at ~45 kHz (low-note call) and ~48 kHz (high-note call). The frequencies of these low–high-note pairs remain stable within sequences. In Panama, we recorded echolocation calls from S. bilineata with a multi-microphone array at two sites: one a known roosting site, the other a known foraging site. Our results indicate that this species (1) only produces monotonous sequences in non-foraging contexts and, at times, directly after emitting a feeding buzz and (2) produces frequency-alternating sequences when actively foraging. These latter sequences are also characterized by an unusual, offbeat emission rhythm. We found significant positive relationships between (1) call intensity and call duration and (2) call intensity and distance from clutter. However, these relationships were weaker than those reported for bats from other families. We speculate on how call frequency alternation and an offbeat emission rhythm might reflect a novel strategy for prey detection at the edge of complex habitat in this ancient family of bats.