FACTORS AFFECTING THE FOOD SUPPLY AND BREEDING SEASON OF RESIDENT BIRDS AND MOVEMENTS OF PALAEARCTIC MIGRANTS IN A TROPICAL AFRICAN SAVANNAH

The fact that Palaearctic migrants arrive in the northern tropical savannah of Africa during the dry season suggests potential competition for food with African species. Moreover, in the southern tropical savannah African species breed during the rainy seasons, when Palaearctic migrants are present. In the equatorial area of Serengeti, East Africa, an index of the food supply for insectivorous birds was obtained from 3 years of light-trap measurements and sweep net samples. Adults of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera and Isoptera are sparse in the dry season but become locally abundant after the first rainstorms that mark its close. They are apparently blown by converging winds ahead of the inter-tropical front and settle to lay eggs where rain has fallen. These early storms therefore produce localized superabundances of food. In the ensuing rainy seasons insect abundance remains high. African insectivorous birds breed during the wet period, reaching a peak two months after the insect increase. It is suggested that this lag is due to the need to recover body condition, build up reserves for eggs, develop gonads and wait for vegetation and insect larvae to develop. In the samples available, breeding records of above-ground nesters peaked in the first rains, while ground-nesters peaked in the second (main) rains. Predators bred towards the end of the rains, when there is an abundance of fledglings and small mammals. Thus the food supply could act as the ultimate factor determining the timing of the breeding season in this area. Palaearctic migrants arrive in the Serengeti 4–10 weeks ahead of the main rain front. However, most species are only found where rain has fallen recently. When conditions dry up they move on to other wet areas. Thus they overlap with African species only where there is a superabundance of insects. When the rains become widespread Palaearctic migrants disperse into their usual habitats, and therefore appear not to compete for available resources with closely related species of African birds. The situation in West Africa, where residents and migrants overlap throughout the dry season, cannot be explained in the same terms.     

内蒙古乌海市鸟类区系特征及群落结构

2009年4月至2010年3月对内蒙古乌海市的鸟类区系及群落结构进行了调查研究。共记录到鸟类132种,隶属于17目37科。其中留鸟26种,夏候鸟71种,旅鸟27种,冬候鸟8种。繁殖鸟有97种,其中古北界鸟类有83种,占繁殖鸟类种数的85.6%。研究发现不同季节、不同生境中的鸟类群落特征差异较大。春季的鸟类多样性指数和均匀度指数均最高;湿地的鸟类多样性指数最高。本文基于研究结果提出了对乌海市鸟类及其生存环境的保护建议。     

THE INUNDATION ZONE OF THE NIGER AS AN ENVIRONMENT FOR PALAEARCTIC MIGRANTS

Of at least 350 species so far recorded within the boundaries of the Niger Inundation Zone, no less than 108 (31%) are wholly or partially of Palaearctic origin. Five main habitats are recognized in the region: wetland, hygrophilous grassland, transition zone, non-flooded areas and aerial. The habitats, the Palaearctic migrants and their possible Ethiopian competitors are described and discussed. The annual Niger flood regime enables Palaearctic waterbirds to find suitable habitats somewhere within the region during all seasons, but most widely during the autumn and winter months of the flood recession. Non-aquatic species inhabiting flood plain grassland are scarce during the Palaearctic autumn, when the growth of vegetation reaches its maximum, becoming commoner and more diverse during the winter months. Wetland warblers of the genera Acrocephalus and Locustella have not been recorded on autumn passage. It is suggested that in some years at least, these and other trans-Saharan migrants from the West Palaearctic overfly the Sahelian latitudes of mid-West Africa. Species inhabiting the transition zone (which increases in area during years of below average rains and floods) are most in evidence at the end of the winter period and during the spring hot dry season, prior to northward trans-Saharan migration. Habitats and species encountered in the non-flooded areas are similar to those recorded in the Sahel zone elsewhere in West Africa. Aerial habitat is utilized by Common Swifts arriving en masse in early August, at the maximum development of the south-westerly monsoon airstream. Several aquatic species and the first few trans-Saharan migrants also occur during the summer rainy season. Some species (e. g. Whiskered Tern, Lesser Kestrel, Turtle Dove, Short-toed Lark and Sand Martin) are most numerous during the late winter and spring hot seasons, when conditions provided by the Inundation Zone may be more suitable for pre-migration feeding than in other parts of the Sahel zone. As yet there is virtually no information available to determine any effects that drought seasons or flood variation may have on the migrant populations.     

宁夏罗山国家级自然保护区鸟类区系特征及群落结构

自2010年10月至2011年12月对宁夏罗山国家级保护区鸟类区系及群落结构进行了调查研究,共记录到鸟类15目46科98属164种,占宁夏已知鸟类总种数的48.81%。其中留鸟51种(31.10%),夏候鸟68种(41.64%),旅鸟38种(23.17%),冬候鸟7种(4.27%)。繁殖鸟119种,其中以古北界鸟类占优势,有88种,占繁殖鸟总数的73.95%;东洋界种15种,占12.61%;广布种鸟类16种,占13.45%。研究发现不同季节、不同生境中的鸟类群落特征差异较大。林地鸟类物种数和多样性指数最高,水域鸟类具有最高的G-F指数。相似性分析显示,山地荒漠草地和废弃村庄的鸟类群落,林地和浅山灌丛鸟类群落,分别具有一定的相似性。春季鸟类群落物种数、G-F指数、多样性指数和均匀度指数最高。     

Biogeography and history of the Mediterranean bird fauna

With 366 species of breeding birds, the Mediterranean region is a "hot spot" of species diversity. Many biogeographic realms contributed to the establishment of the extant fauna, which makes this region a crossroads for birds, but the two most important realms are the large forest blocks that extend today over Eurasia and the semi-arid belts of the southern and southwestern Palaearctic. The few groups that presumably differentiated within the Mediterranean basin are mostly birds of open habitats and shrublands (e.g. Sylvia spp.), whereas few species evolved in Mediterranean forests dominated by sclerophyllous evergreen tree species. We suggest this results from the history of vegetation belts and their associated faunas during the Pleistocene. On the whole, in contrast to other groups of vertebrates, the bird fauna is fairly homogeneously distributed all over the basin although there are some regional-specific trends in species assemblages, mostly on the basis of habitat selection and biogeographic origin. Many species of eastern and southeastern origin invaded the Mediterranean basin on the northern side of the sea up to the Balkan peninsula and the southern side to the Atlantic coast. The extant biogeographic patterns of the Mediterranean bird fauna are interpreted in the light of the Quaternary history shared by the biotas of the western Palaearctic in relation to the cycle of climatic changes which produced periodic huge spatiotemporal migrations of communities and populations. The severe human impact that started c. 8000-10,000 years ago resulted not so much in species extinctions as in dramatic changes in distributional patterns, complicating the reconstruction of biogeographic scenarios.     

Brains, tools, innovation and biogeography in crows and ravens

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Crows and ravens (Passeriformes: Corvus) are large-brained birds with enhanced cognitive abilities relative to other birds. They are among the few non-hominid organisms on Earth to be considered intelligent and well-known examples exist of several crow species having evolved innovative strategies and even use of tools in their search for food. The 40 Corvus species have also been successful dispersers and are distributed on most continents and in remote archipelagos. RESULTS: This study presents the first molecular phylogeny including all species and a number of subspecies within the genus Corvus. We date the phylogeny and determine ancestral areas to investigate historical biogeographical patterns of the crows. Additionally, we use data on brain size and a large database on innovative behaviour and tool use to test whether brain size (i) explains innovative behaviour and success in applying tools when foraging and (ii) has some correlative role in the success of colonization of islands. Our results demonstrate that crows originated in the Palaearctic in the Miocene from where they dispersed to North America and the Caribbean, Africa and Australasia. We find that relative brain size alone does not explain tool use, innovative feeding strategies and dispersal success within crows. CONCLUSIONS: Our study supports monophyly of the genus Corvus and further demonstrates the direction and timing of colonization from the area of origin in the Palaearctic to other continents and archipelagos. The Caribbean was probably colonized from North America, although some North American ancestor may have gone extinct, and the Pacific was colonized multiple times from Asia and Australia. We did not find a correlation between relative brain size, tool use, innovative feeding strategies and dispersal success. Hence, we propose that all crows and ravens have relatively large brains compared to other birds and thus the potential to be innovative if conditions and circumstances are right.     

Brain size, innovative propensity and migratory behaviour in temperate Palaearctic birds

The evolution of migration in birds remains an outstanding, unresolved question in evolutionary ecology. A particularly intriguing question is why individuals in some species have been selected to migrate, whereas in other species they have been selected to be sedentary. In this paper, we suggest that this diverging selection might partially result from differences among species in the behavioural flexibility of their responses to seasonal changes in the environment. This hypothesis is supported in a comparative analysis of Palaearctic passerines. First, resident species tend to rely more on innovative feeding behaviours in winter, when food is harder to find, than in other seasons. Second, species with larger brains, relative to their body size, and a higher propensity for innovative behaviours tend to be resident, while less flexible species tend to be migratory. Residence also appears to be less likely in species that occur in more northerly regions, exploit temporally available food sources, inhabit non-buffered habitats and have smaller bodies. Yet, the role of behavioural flexibility as a response to seasonal environments is largely independent of these other factors. Therefore, species with greater foraging flexibility seem to be able to cope with seasonal environments better, while less flexible species are forced to become migratory.     

内蒙古二连浩特市鸟类区系特征及群落结构

2010年5月至2011年4月,采用样带法和固定半径样点法,对内蒙古自治区二连浩特市5种生境的鸟类区系特征、群落结构及其季节动态进行了调查研究。共记录到鸟类124种,隶属于15目34科。其中,留鸟19种,夏候鸟72种,旅鸟29种,冬候鸟4种。繁殖鸟中古北界种类有82种,东洋界种类仅9种;在地理型上主要特征为中亚型的种类多,共有13种。从群落的空间格局来看,5种生境的区别也很大,林地鸟类多样性指数最高,居民区最低;从时间格局来看,不同季节的差异显著,春季鸟类多样性指数最高,冬季最低。     

Temperate migrants and resident bird species in Afro‐tropical savannahs show similar levels of ecological generalism

The specificity of an animal's habitat requirements will determine its ability to deal with anthropogenic climate and habitat change. Migratory birds are thought to be particularly vulnerable to such change, but theory predicts that they should be largely generalists. This prediction was tested with the aim of assessing whether migratory Palaearctic‐breeding birds wintering in the savannah biome of Africa are more or less generalist in their habitat use compared with taxonomically and ecologically similar Afro‐tropical resident species. The degree of specialization of these species groups to certain habitat characteristics was assessed and compared by calculating the relative occurrence of the species along habitat gradients, where wide occurrence indicates generalism and narrow occurrence indicates specialism. Palaearctic migrants as a group could not clearly be distinguished as generalists relative to Afro‐tropical residents with respect to habitat attributes. The only indication of greater flexibility in Palaearctic migrants was a significant tendency to use habitats over a wider latitudinal range. The results suggest that migrants are generalists, but not necessarily more generalist than taxonomically similar resident species that also occur over a wide range of habitat types within the savannah biome. The availability of specific habitat requirements on the wintering grounds in Africa is therefore unlikely to be a primary limiting factor for many Afro‐Palaearctic migratory bird species.     

海南岛尖峰岭热带山地雨林林下鸟类群落研究

从 2 0 0 0年 5月到 2 0 0 2年 3月 ,用网捕法对海南岛尖峰岭热带山地雨林 (包括原始林和次生林 )林下鸟群落进行研究。共张网 3 992 .7网· h,捕到林下鸟 3 12只 40种 ,隶属于 6个目 11个科。林下鸟群落虽然以小于 2 5g重的雀形目鸟类占优势 ,但许多个体较大的非雀形目鸟类也到林下活动 ,最大个体重达 3 70 g,大于 10 0 g重的个体占整个林下鸟生物量的比例较大。尖峰岭热带山地雨林中的林下鸟以食虫鸟为主 ,食虫鸟占整个林下鸟种数的 70 .0 %、鸟数量的 77.56% ;食果鸟虽然占第 2位 ,但其所占比例较小。林下鸟的种类组成和密度存在季节变化。留鸟是林下鸟最重要的成分 ,留鸟占鸟类种类的比例超过 85% ,留鸟的捕获数量占整个捕获鸟类数量的比例超过 90 % ;迁徙鸟的种类和数量均较少 ,对林下鸟群落的季节变化影响不大。原始林与演替 40 a后的次生林林下鸟平均网捕率相近但林下鸟群落种类组成不同 ,其种的相似性仅为 0 .3 5。     

全球气候变暖对中国鸟类区系的影响

近百年来,气候系统变暖是毋庸置疑的.政府间气候变化专门委员会(IPCC)的第4次评估报告中指出,最近100年中(1906～2005年)气温上升了约0.74℃.已经有充分的研究表明全球气候变暖对鸟类分布,种群动态以及物候等方面产生了影响.根据作者以往研究经历以及对近20年来中国鸟类分布变化的资料进行统计分析,已知受气候变暖而改变分布范围的鸟类共120种,其中东洋界鸟类88种,古北界鸟类12种,广布种鸟类20种.因受全球气候变暖影响,中国鸟类区系的变化速率加快.本文初步探讨气候变化对我国鸟类产生的影响,并对今后该领域的研究提出一些建议.     

Palaearctic migrants in the central Sudan

A brief account is given of the topography and climate of the Sudan and a more detailed survey is made of the vegetation and habitats afforded to wintering Palaearctic migrants in the Sahel and Soudan savannah zones in the central Sudan. Climatic conditions during the migration seasons are mentioned and the utilization of habitats by wintering migrants is broadly surveyed.
The status of 196 Palaearctic migrant species is treated briefly. The basic observational data are tabulated to summarize observed patterns of migration in terms of date, relative abundance and region (for which purpose the central Sudan is divided into four from west to east). Hitherto unpublished field notes of the authors and their collaborators are used, together with dated observations (including specimens collected) of earlier authors, to provide the fullest data on each species.
Moreau's (1967) paradox is discussed as it relates to the Sahel and Soudan savannah zones in the central Sudan, together with the degree of competition with resident African species in those zones. Some disparities between the spring and autumn abundance and d. istribution of Palaearctic migrants are discussed in relation to 40 species ana some tentative views are advanced on the possible reasons for such disparities. Evidence is adduced which points to Lanius minor and Coraczus garrulus (and possibly Circus pygargus , partially at least) having loop migrations, south through the Sudan and north through Arabia, and Falco wespertinus south through the Sudan and north through West Africa. An explanation is offered for the greater volume of water birds observed migrating down-Nile in spring compared with their volume up-Nile in autumn, and for the reversed situation observed in the region west of the Nile for these same species.
Shelduck Tadorna tadorna is included in the Sudan list for the first time.     

新疆伊犁河湿地及周边夏季鸟类调查初报

2006年6～8月,调查了新疆伊犁河湿地及其周边夏季鸟类,共记录到16目36科96种,种群数量为3110只,水鸟占优势,共57种.其中复候鸟52种、留鸟33种、旅鸟11种;在85种繁殖鸟中,古北界52种、东洋界8种、广布种25种,分别占总种数的61.18%、9.41%、29.41%.有国家I、Ⅱ级保护鸟类13种,新疆特有种或亚种17种.鸟类生态分布显示,下游三道河一伊犁河大桥地段拥有较丰富的鸟类种群.通过调查,提出了一些鸟类保护对策.     

佛坪自然保护区的鸟类

1981－1996年经野外采集与鉴定,确定佛坪自然保护区已知鸟类211种,隶属于15目40科。其中东洋界种77种,古北界种96种,广布种38种,分别占鸟类总数的37％,45％和18％,呈古北界种稍多于东洋界种的区系特征;在鸟种组成上留鸟114种,夏侯鸟59种,冬候鸟5种,旅鸟33种,分别占鸟类总数的54％,28％,2％和16％,因而鸟类主要由留鸟和夏候鸟组成;与生态适应变幅相关,随季节的变化鸟类分布与迁移变化较大;对26种国家重点保护鸟类分布与数量统计显示,保护区是国家重点保护鸟类的资源宝库,尤其是雉科为鸟类中的优势种资源。     

Is the range size of migratory birds constrained by their migratory program?

Aim Intuitively, species in which the individuals migrate long distances between summer and winter quarters should be more likely to disperse and colonize new breeding areas than resident species. However, it has repeatedly been noted that many bird species with large ranges are residents. This paradox was tested on land birds breeding in the boreal forest of the Palaearctic, the largest uninterrupted stretch of habitat on earth. Methods The longitudinal distribution of two land bird communities on each side of the Eurasian continent, in Scandinavia and eastern Siberia, were used to test whether migratory birds indeed have a lower colonization success than resident birds. Results The migratory species are significantly less likely than resident species to have a range including both regions. The pattern held true even after controlling for latitudinal effects and local abundance, and was also observed at the level of genus and family. Main conclusions The relatively low colonization success of migratory species into new breeding areas may be because these new areas require novel migratory programs (migratory distance, direction and timing) in order for the birds to reach suitable wintering grounds.     

Divergence in foraging behavior of foliage-gleaning birds of Canadian and Russian boreal forests

We compared foraging behavior of foliage-gleaning birds of the boreal forest of two Palaearctic (central Siberia and European Russia) and two Nearctic (Mackenzie and Ontario, Canada) sites. Using discriminant function analysis on paired sites we were able to distinguish foliage-gleaning species from the Nearctic and Palaearctic with few misclassifications. The two variables that most consistently distinguished species of the two avifaunas were the percentage use of conifer foliage and the percentage use of all foliage. Nearctic foliage-gleaner assemblages had more species that foraged predominantly from coniferous foliage and displayed a greater tendency to forage from foliage, both coniferous and broad-leafed, rather than twigs, branches, or other substrates. The greater specialization on foliage and, in particular, conifer foliage by New World canopy foliage insectivores is consistent with previously proposed hypotheses regarding the role of Pleistocene vegetation history on ecological generalization of Eurasian species. Boreal forest, composed primarily of spruce and pine, was widespread in eastern North America, whereas pockets of forest were scattered in Eurasia (mostly the mountains of southern Europe and Asia). This may have affected the populations of birds directly or indirectly through reduction in the diversity and abundance of defoliating outbreak insects. Loss of habitat and resources may have selected against ecological specialization on these habitats and resources. Received: 11 May 1998 / Accepted: 24 June 1999     

西藏"一江两河"流域鸟类资源调查初报

自2006年以来对西藏"一江两河"流域的鸟类资源进行了观测与考察,共记录鸟类15目37科125种,约占全国鸟类的9.4%.该区域鸟类以古北界成分为主,达78种,占总数的62.4%,此外还有东洋界鸟类22种,广布种25种.鸟类中多为留鸟,种类达84种,占到总数的67.2%,冬候鸟29种,夏候鸟12种.该区域有多种被保护的鸟类资源,其中IUCN收录6种,CITES收录19种,中国濒危物种红皮书收录13种;中国重点保护动物名录收录20种.     

广西金钟山鸟类保护区鸟类多样性初步研究

本文共记录到金钟山鸟类274种,分别隶属于18目57科,其中陆生鸟类251种,水鸟23种;以留鸟为主,共157种;候鸟、旅鸟分别为104种、13种;东洋种为优势类群,共有171种,古北种和广布种分别为4种、27种。这些鸟类中有国家重点保护鸟类39种,中国特有种鸟类3种,列入世界自然保护联盟红皮书名录中的鸟类5种,列入中国濒危动物红皮书名录中的鸟类20种,列入CITES附录中的鸟类34种。本文还对金钟山鸟类保护区的5种不同生境类型的鸟类种类组成作了比较,结果表明灌丛＋农田的鸟种多样性指数最高,为3．04;水域的鸟种多样性指数最低,为2．14。