人工巢箱中大山雀和褐头山雀的繁殖比较

2009年3-7月,在北京小龙门森林公园悬挂人工巢箱,对大山雀(Parus major)和褐头山雀(P.montanus;)的繁殖进行比较研究.野外共悬挂100个巢箱,其中19巢(19.0%)被大山雀、11巢(11.0%)被褐头山雀进驻,总利用率为30.0%.同域繁殖的大山雀和褐头山雀在窝卵数、孵化期上有极显著差异(P＜0.01),其中大山雀的窝卵数(8.21枚±0.25枚,n=19)极显著大于褐头山雀(6.18枚±0.23枚,n=11),而褐头山雀的孵化期(14.22d±0.44d,n=10)极显著长于大山雀(13.17 d±O.83 d,n=12).两者在卵重、卵大小、出雏数、雏鸟出飞数上无显著差异(P＞0.05).大山雀的繁殖成功率(27.0%)和营巢成效(63.2%)均显著低于褐头山雀(54.5%和100%)(P＜0.01).表明大山雀可能采取高产卵数、低存活率的繁殖对策,而褐头山雀的繁殖策略则可能为低产卵数、高存活率.     

人工巢箱条件下两种山雀鸟类的同域共存机制

种间竞争会导致鸟类对自身的生存策略进行多方面调整,将多种因素结合起来分析不同鸟类的同域共存机制具有十分重要的意义.2009-2011年的3-7月,在辽宁省东部山区以悬挂人工巢箱的方法招引杂色山雀(Parus varius)和大山雀(Parus major),通过比较这两种鸟类在繁殖时间、繁殖参数和巢址选择上的差异,分析其繁殖期的栖息地选择及繁殖对策,探讨这两种鸟类同域共存的机制.结果表明,生态位的部分分离是大山雀和杂色山雀能够长期共存的基础.两者都是在繁殖期到来立即开始繁殖,均出现两次繁殖高峰,采用消减窝卵数的对策来适应环境质量的下降.对繁殖参数的分析表明,两种鸟类的繁殖对策都为k-选择,但大山雀略偏向r端,大山雀倾向高窝卵数、低繁殖成功率的繁殖策略;杂色山雀倾向低窝卵数、高繁殖成功率的繁殖策略.两种鸟类都选择在林龄较长的森林中筑巢,但是大山雀较注重巢址的安全性能,巢距地面较高,周围乔木密集;杂色山雀较为注重植被类型的选择,巢址多选择在植被多样、灌木生长茂盛的针阔混交林中,推测可能与杂色山雀的食物构成有关.     

瓦屋山2种山雀的生态位分化和共存

黑冠山雀(Parus rubidiventris)和煤山雀(P.ater)在瓦屋山同域分布,生态位相似,是潜在的竞争者。在垂直分布上,煤山雀的生态位宽度为5.237,显著高于黑冠山雀的2.792,而在水平分布和活动基质2个维度上,二者的生态位宽度值相当。尽管3个维度上2种山雀生态位重叠值均大于0.7,但是它们对3个维度上的资源利用分别存在不同的偏好和侧重。2种山雀的身体量度除了喙宽外均有极显著差异,这应该是2种山雀对环境适应的结果。这2种山雀在巢址选择上各项参数差异均不显著,表明适宜的洞巢可能是它们种间竞争的主要对象。2种山雀的种群数量可能与居留类型有关。空间生态位或食物生态位的分离及适宜的种群数量和比例是它们得以共存的几个重要因素。     

太白山南坡夏秋季鸟类组成

太白山是秦岭山脉的主峰, 生物区系成分复杂。为了研究太白山鸟类区系在过去20年间的变化, 我们于2007年5–7月(夏季)和9–10月(秋季), 根据海拔和典型植被在太白山南坡选定5种生境类型(退耕林、阔叶林、混交林、针叶林和高山灌丛草甸), 并在各种生境中选择样区采用样线法对鸟类组成进行调查。两个季节共观察到鸟类122种, 其中留鸟85种, 夏候鸟31种, 冬候鸟1种, 旅鸟5种。不同的生境类型中优势种和常见种不同, 而且在夏秋两季也有变化。中低海拔退耕林带鸟类物种数最多, 夏季有60种, 优势种为绿背山雀(Parus monticolus)、黄腹山雀(P. venustulus)和冠纹柳莺(Phylloscopus reguloides); 秋季有59种, 优势种为大山雀(Parus major)。中海拔阔叶林带夏季有鸟类40种, 优势种为绿背山雀、黄腹山雀和异色树莺(Cettia flavolivaceus); 秋季37种, 优势种是黄腹山雀、黑冠山雀(Parus rubidiventris)和银脸长尾山雀(Aegithalos fuliginosus)。 中高海拔针阔混交林带夏季有46种, 优势种是黄腰柳莺(Phylloscopus proregulus)、极北柳莺(P. borealis)和黑冠山雀; 秋季有37种, 优势种是黑冠山雀、褐冠山雀(Parus dichrous)和长尾山椒鸟(Pericrocotus ethologus)。高海拔针叶林带夏季有36种, 优势种是黄腰柳莺和黑冠山雀; 秋季有27种, 优势种是血雉(Ithaginis cruentus)和黑冠山雀。高山灌丛草甸带物种最少, 夏秋季都只有7种。各生境中鸟类物种组成的季节周转率随着海拔的升高而下降, 物种丰富度也呈现同样的趋势。太白山南北坡鸟类物种组成有较高的相似性。与20年前相比, 尽管在每种生境类型中优势种和常见种的组成仍相似, 但太白山南北坡的鸟类物种组成有较大的变化。     

雅安市区林地鸟类多样性及生态位分析

2009年12月至2010年12月,经过一个年周期的调察与统计,共记录雅安市区林地鸟类79种,隶属于8目32科。通过多样性指数与均匀度指数的测算发现,春秋两季大于夏冬两季,农田类型明显低于次生林、人工林及其他生境。在所有鸟类中,灰喉鸦雀(Paradoxornis alphonsianus)、白头鹎(Pycnonotussinensis)、红头长尾山雀(Aegithalos concinnus)、白颊噪鹛(Garrulax sannio)在不同季节均具有较高的优势度,发冠卷尾(Dicrurus hottentottus)、松鸦(Garrulus glandarius)、大山雀(Parus major)、绿背山雀(P.monticolus)具有最高的生态位宽度值。自20世纪60年代,雅安市区鸟类物种组成及栖息地随城市化进程均发生了较大变化。     

黄腹山雀的鸣唱特征分析

2006年4—5月及2007年6月,在北京小龙门林区录制了黄腹山雀(Parus venustulus)的鸣唱,利用Avisoft-SASLab Pro鸟声声谱分析软件(德国)测量鸣唱特征参数后进行统计分析,发现该地区的黄腹山雀种群鸣唱句法简单,鸣唱句子均为相同音节的不断重复。所采集的音节曲目中包含了56种音节型,音节类型数与采样个体数(r=0.973,P=0.000<0.05)呈显著正相关,不同个体的领域性鸣唱存在显著差异。与同域分布的大山雀、褐头山雀、煤山雀、沼泽山雀相比较,黄腹山雀的鸣唱句子最短(Dv=0.83±0.48),频率较高(Fmax=7.64±1.01,Fmin=3.27±1.13),句子中音节的重复次数最少(Ns.v=2.0±0.2)。     

基于种群分布地形格局的两种水青冈生态位比较研究

提出了根据不同植物种在地形梯度上的分布格局测度和比较其生态位的思路.将地形分解为海拔、坡向、坡位和坡度4个属性指标,作为多维生态位空间的环境梯度轴.根据对三峡大老岭地区米心水青冈(Fagusengleriana)和亮叶水青冈(F.lucida)群落样方及其地形因子调查,分析了两个种的多维生态位宽度及种间的生态位重叠.结果1)大老岭米心水青冈种群的生态位宽度总体上大于亮叶水青冈.亮叶水青冈在坡向梯度上的生态位较宽;米心水青冈在海拔、坡位和坡度梯度上的生态位较宽;2)两个种在海拔、坡向、坡位和坡度梯度上的生态位重叠度分别为0.259、0.831、0.670、0.676,其总体重叠度为0.087;3)亮叶水青冈和米心水青冈分布的海拔范围分别为1300～2000m和1450～2600m.米心水青冈主要分布于NW80°～NE80°之间的阴坡和半阴坡;亮叶水青冈集中于NW20°～SW10°和NE20°～SE10°的半阴半阳坡.亮叶水青冈不见于沟谷底部,其重要值随坡位上升而增大;而米心水青冈在湿润稳定的中、下坡位重要值最高.米心水青冈适应的坡度范围很宽,主要在20°～40°;而亮叶水青冈集中在35°～45°的坡度范围.上述结果表明在景观尺度上,采用地形因子表征植物多维生态位空间的梯度特征是一个有效而可行的途径,能够很好地反映两种植物生态位的差异.最后讨论了不同尺度上生态位测度的相互验证问题.     

湖北神农架发现褐冠山雀

正2016年1~5月,在湖北神农架国家级自然保护区大龙潭附近多次在姊妹峰金丝猴繁育基地(31°29′14′′N,110°18′28′′E,海拔2 130 m)发现并拍摄到一种此前未记录到的鸟类,经查阅《中国鸟类野外手册》(约翰·马敬能等2000)和《中国鸟类志》(赵正阶2011)等资料,鉴定为褐冠山雀(Parus dichrous)。首次发现时间为1月6日,3只褐冠山雀与10余只黑冠山雀(P.rubidiventris)     

两种鹪莺的种间生态位关系研究

本文研究了褐头鹪莺（Ｐｒｉｎｉａ ｓｕｂｆｌａｖａ）和黄腹鹪莺（Ｐ．ｆｌａｖｉｖｅｎｔｒｉｓ）在取食高度、取食基层和取食方法３个生态维度上的生态位宽度和生态位重叠以及它们与复合种群密度的关系。结果表明,两种鹪莺的现实生态位有较大的重叠,且种群密度变化时,生态位宽度和生态位重叠发生了显著移动,褐头鹪莺与黄腹鹪莺之 间存在着竞争;它们并没有采取生态位宽度来回避竞争,而是相反地各自扩展生态位宽度来减少重     

柞蚕主要害鸟防除方法的研究

柞蚕害鸟对柞蚕危害很重,其危害损失率一般达30％以上,因此,防除害鸟在柞蚕生产中是很重要的。 我所从1977年开始对柞蚕害鸟的种类及防除方法进行了研究。危害较重的有:大嘴乌鸦(Corvus macrorhynchus)、小嘴乌鸦(Corvus corone)、大山雀(Parus major)和沼泽山雀     

DIFFERENTIATION OF FORAGING NICHE AMONG TITS, PARUS SPP., IN NORWAY DURING WINTER

The winter foraging behaviour of Willow Tit Parus montanuss, Coal Tit P. ater and Crested Tit P. cristatus was studied in several spruce-dominated, coniferous forest areas in which either Willow Tit alone, Willow Tit and Coal Tit, or all three species together were present. In the areas where Crested Tits were absent, Willow Tits foraged significantly more often in the outermost parts of spruce branches and less frequently on the parts of branches closer to the trunk, than in the area in which Crested Tits were present. In the area in which all three species were present, the same change in foraging pattern of Willow Tits was found in mixed flocks in which Crested Tits were lacking. The foraging pattern of Coal Tits was unaffected by the presence of members of either or both the other two tit species. It is suggested that the expansion of the feeding niche of Willow Tit in the absence of Crested Tit is a result of ecological release, due to a reduction in the degree of interspecific competition.     

次生阔叶林中大山雀和沼泽山雀取食行为的研究

生态学家对形态相似而又分布相同地理区域的种类的研究十分感兴趣。而这种“和平共处”的情况是动物界中普遍存在的。因为这种现象提供了研究种间竞争及其形成机制的机会。研究证明,物种在与其相近种类竞争中,以数量化行为和生态适应而呈现出选择优势。大山雀(Ｐａｒｕｓｍａｊｏｒ)和沼泽山雀(Ｐ.Ｐａｌｕｓｔｒｉｓ)形态和生态习性相似(留鸟、树洞巢、食虫鸟等),是生活在同一区域的潜在竞争者。本文目的是通过两种鸟取食行为的不同及其季节变化,阐述两种山雀之所以共存的原理。关于山雀类的研究,国内外已有很多报道,因其分布广,数量多,又…     

Factors influencing Willow Tit Poecile montanus site occupancy: a comparison of abandoned and occupied woods

The British Willow Tit Poecile montanus kleinschmidti underwent a decline of 85% between 1970 and 2003. The cause of this decline is unknown. However, several hypotheses have been put forward to account for it: competition from other tit species, predation by Great Spotted Woodpeckers Dendrocopos major and habitat change. In order to test these, woods that are currently occupied by Willow Tits were paired with woods (within 50 km) that had been abandoned by Willow Tits five or more years previously. Point counts for other tit species (potential competitors) and woodpecker species (potential predators) were carried out at ten evenly spaced points throughout each wood. Habitat variables were collected within a 50-m radius of where a Willow Tit was located (in the occupied woods) or where maps showed a Willow Tit had been located (for abandoned woods). No evidence was found for differences in numbers of potential competitor or potential predator species in abandoned and occupied woods. Soil water content was found to be higher at occupied sites. No other habitat features differed between the two categories of site. The drying up of British woods could therefore be implicated in the Willow Tit decline and this warrants further investigation.     

Food resource matching by foraging tits Parus spp. during spring-summer in a Mediterranean mixed forest; evidence for an ideal free distribution

We analysed whether patterns of microhabitat use by Blue Tits Parus caeruleus , Great Tits Parus major and Crested Tits Parus cristatus inhabiting a mixed forest consistently matched the patterns of food availability experienced by foraging birds during spring-summer. The use of five microhabitats by each bird species (the foliage of three tree species, shrubs and ground) and the availability of food in trees during the prebreeding, breeding and post-breeding periods of the birds' annual cycle were measured. All three tit species foraged mainly in the outer part of tree canopies (small branches and leaves or needles). Tit distributions between tree species matched food resource distributions irrespective of overall food resource levels, which varied four-fold between the study periods, and tit species. Tits also exploited secondary microhabitats (shrubs and ground) in periods of low food availability; Blue Tits tended to use shrubs, whereas Great and Crested Tits foraged on the ground. Between-trees distributions fitted that expected from an ideal free distribution, suggesting that food availability and intraspecific exploitative competition were the main factors governing tree use by tits. In contrast, patterns of use of secondary microhabitats (shrubs and ground) seemed to indicate a role for the species-specific morphological configurations of each tit species since Blue Tits are better adapted to hang and tended to forage in shubs, whereas Great and Crested Tits are better adapted to feed on horizontal surfaces and tended to forage on the ground. No evidence of interspecific interactions was observed. Overall, the results pointed to an independent exploitation of Mediterranean mixed forest by each bird species, food availability and food accessibility being the main factors affecting microhabitat use by foraging tits.     

Effects of habitat fragmentation on foraging behaviour of tits and related species: does niche space vary in relation to size and degree of isolation of forest fragments?

We studied the winter foraging niches of tits and related species in deciduous forest fragments varying in size between 1 and 30 ha (plus one forest of 200 ha) in order to investigate the influence of forest fragmentation on foraging niches Very few correlations between niche structure (foraging niche, width and overlap) and forest size or isolation turned out to be significant This implies that either the species that disappear in small fragments are those that suffer most from competition (making the effect unmeasurable), or that competition is relatively unimportant for niche structure In any case we find no evidence that foraging niches are strongly affected by the changes (in habitat and/or community structure) associated with fragmentation     

Numerical and behavioural responses of migrant passerines to experimental manipulation of resident tits (Parus spp.): heterospecific attraction in northern breeding bird communites?

Summary We studied experimentally interspecific competition among foliage-gleaning passerine birds by manipulating the density of resident tits. In 1988 tit density was experimentally increased on three small islands in a central Finnish lake, and decreased on three other islands by tit removal. In order to avoid the effects of between-island differences in habitat quality, the role of the islands was reversed when the experiment was repeated in the following year. Censuses and observations on foraging and feeding behaviour were conducted to assess the numerical and behavioural responses of migrant conguilders (mainly chaffinches and willow warblers) with respect to the manipulated abundance of the tits. We also measured whether variation in food consumption of tits affected the frequency with which the migrants found food by calculating average intervals between successful prey captures, time lags to prey-capture and giving-up times. Our results indicate that interspecific competition is of minor importance in structuring breeding bird assemblages and species feeding ecologies on the study islands. No consistent difference in foraging or feeding niches of chaffinches and willow warblers was found between low and high tit density conditions. Niche overlap analysis showed no avoidance by chaffinches and willow warblers of the microhabitats which tits used. Tit abundance had no significant effect on feeding success or behaviour. Experimentally increased abundance of resident birds was associated with increased abundance of breeding migrants, however. This pattern was found not only in the foliage gleaning guild but also with all passerine birds, indicating that food was not an important contributor to this pattern. We elaborate a hypothesis suggesting heterospecific attraction in northern breeding bird assemblages. Habitat generalist migrants may use the presence of residents as an indicator of safe and/or productive breeding sites in northern unpredictable circumstances.     

Morphological evolution and changes in foraging behaviour of island and mainland populations of Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) — a test of convergence and ecomorphological hypotheses

Summary We study the leg morphology and feeding postures of two subspecies of the Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus; Tenerife island and the Iberian Peninsula) and the Coal Tit (Parus ater; Iberian Peninsula). We search for evidence supporting the hypothesis of convergent evolution in morphological and ecological traits and we discuss the role of ecomorphological hypotheses as predictors of foraging differences at the intraspecific level. To overcome the problems introduced by environmental characteristics not related to locomotion and competition, we make observations under controlled situations to manage food quality and food access. We determine that the island Blue Tit has a longer tarsometatarsus, larger foot span and a more proximal insertion of the tibialis cranialis muscle (flexor of the tarsometatarsus) than the mainland Blue Tit. These morphological differences are consistent with the more frequent use of hanging and clinging head-up postures by the Iberian Blue Tit. Several ecomorphological hypotheses obtained at the interspecific level with other taxa, have proved to be of high predictive value for explaining ecological differences considering morphological evolution. The Tenerife Blue Tit and the Iberian Coal Tit clearly show close convergence in both feeding postures and leg structure, although some differences in morphology were found between these two species. Convergence in foraging methods between the island Blue Tit and the mainland Coal Tit can be explained without considering current interspecific competition as a determinant of niche space.     

Learning the ecological niche

A cornerstone of ecological theory is the ecological niche. Yet little is known about how individuals come to adopt it: whether it is innate or learned. Here, we report a cross-fostering experiment in the wild where we transferred eggs of blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, to nests of great tits, Parus major, and vice versa, to quantify the consequences of being reared in a different social context, but in an environment otherwise natural to the birds. We show that early learning causes a shift in the feeding niche in the direction of the foster species and that this shift lasts for life (foraging conservatism). Both species changed their feeding niches, but the change was greater in the great tit with its less specialized feeding behaviour. The study shows that cultural transmission through early learning is fundamental to the realization of ecological niches, and suggests a mechanism to explain learned habitat preference and sympatric speciation in animals.     

Carotenoid plumage hue and chroma signal different aspects of individual and habitat quality in tits

We hypothesized that Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus and Great Tits Parus major from low quality habitat (small woods) would have less yellow ventral plumage than those from high quality habitat (large woods) because they moult faster and/or their diet contains fewer carotenoids. They moult faster because they moult later in the season and are subject to more rapidly shortening daylengths. We tested this using a database of the plumage coloration (chroma, hue and lightness) of birds breeding in woods of different sizes, by manipulating the speed of moult in captive Blue Tits, and by counting the abundance and size of caterpillars (the major source of dietary carotenoids) in the diet of nestlings. In accordance with our hypothesis, juveniles of both species (which moult about three weeks later than adults) were about 8% less saturated in colour (lower chroma) than adults, but there was no significant difference in chroma between habitats. However, both species did differ significantly in hue between large and small woods. Blue Tits forced to moult faster in captivity, at a rate similar to that caused by a month's delay in the start of moult, had yellow flank feathers that were 32% less saturated in colour than those allowed to moult more slowly. Blue Tit nestlings in large woods consumed 47% more caterpillar flesh (per gram of faecal material voided) than those in small woods, and Great Tit pulli 81% more. When habitat effects were controlled for in ANOVAs, Blue Tits mated assortatively on the basis of flank hue and Great Tits on the basis of flank lightness. Flank colour therefore has the capacity to provide information about the potential quality of both habitats, and individual birds, to potential colonists and sexual partners.