Effects of the winter beechmast crop on bird occurrence in British gardens

Capsule Woodland birds were significantly less likely to occur in gardens in years of high beechmast crop.

Aim To test the hypothesis that woodland species that feed on beechmast will have significantly lower occurrence rates at garden feeders in mast years.

Methods Weekly winter occurrence rates at garden feeders between 1970/71 and 1999/2000 for 40 species were analysed in relation to annual beechmast abundance, classified into low, medium and high years. A repeated-measures logistic regression model was used to assess whether beechmast abundance explained further significant variation additional to underlying seasonal and annual trends.

Results Seven species that commonly feed on beechmast showed significantly lower occurrence in gardens in years of highest beechmast abundance: Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major, Woodpigeon Columba palumbus, Great Tit Parus major, Coal Tit Periparus ater, Nuthatch Sitta europaea, Jay Garrulus glandarius and Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs. Blackbird Turdus merula and Siskin Carduelis spinus, which showed similar significant patterns, are likely to take beechmast as elements of their diet. Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba was the only insectivorous species to show significant effects, but occurrence was lowest in years of intermediate beechmast abundance. For the latter species, this may have been due to confounding effects of temperature, but there were no such confounding effects of either temperature, or the number of bird feeders provided in gardens, for the other nine species.

Conclusion Use of artificial food sources by birds in gardens is influenced by resources in the surrounding countryside, suggesting that food provided in gardens may play a significant part in the population dynamics of these species, that population monitoring without consideration of the garden habitat may be deficient, and that volunteer-based garden bird recording may provide data that can be used as an indicator of changes in the wider countryside.     

Preferential learning from non-affiliated individuals in jackdaws (Corvus monedula)

It has been suggested that affiliated social relations may facilitate information transfer between individuals. We here tested this rarely examined hypothesis with juvenile and adult jackdaws (Corvus monedula) in three stimulus enhancement tasks, both in a non-food context (experiment 1) and in a food context (experiments 2 and 3). We first show that siblings and pair partners maintain stronger bonded social relations than do non-siblings and non-pair partners. We therefore tested individuals in sibling and non-sibling dyads and, later in ontogeny, in pair and non-pair dyads. Jackdaws either did not learn from any other conspecific (experiment 1), or they learned from non-affiliated individuals (non-siblings, non-pair partners in experiments 2 and 3). This may be related to two main characteristics of jackdaws' affiliated relationships. First, affiliates share food at a high rate and may rely on their knowledgeable partners to secure food rather than learning from them. Second, affiliates spend most time in close spatial proximity to each other which increases the probability that they simultaneously experience occurrences in their environment. Hence, spatially more distant individuals, which are more likely to be non-affiliated, face different foraging situations and may therefore provide more relevant information which may lead to selective social learning.     

北京麋鹿苑达乌里寒鸦迁徙和越冬期种群动态与集群行为的初步研究

2005年10月～2009年5月,在达乌里寒鸦(Corvus dauurica)迁徙和越冬期间,针对其在北京麇鹿苑内的种群数量变化,成体、幼体组成比例的变化,以及在麋鹿苑集群停歇的原因等问题,进行了调查分析.结果表明,达乌里寒鸦每年10月中旬前后开始到糜鹿苑聚集活动,次年5月份以后,集群现象消失.持续活动时间为(166±11)d,10月底或11月初种群数量达最大,2008年10月下旬,最大数量一度达(6 500±300)只,4个迁徙越冬期的最大种群数量存在极显著差异(X_((3))~ 2=8 484.47,P＜0.01＝.Krushkalwallis H检验表明,4个迁徙越冬季的种群数量之间差异不显著(X_((3))~2=6.14,P=0.11＞0.05).幼体的比例在秋季迁徙前期和春季迁徙后期相对较高,可达100%.观察表明,该鸟在麋鹿苑周边的垃圾场觅食后,选择在苑内饮水是其在麋鹿苑集群的主要原因.     

Evidence for declines in populations of grassland-associated birds in marginal upland areas of Britain

Capsule We report large declines among summer populations between 1968–80 and 2000.

Aim To assess changes in the status of breeding populations of birds in pastoral uplands.

Methods Volunteer observers revisited 13 areas of marginal upland in Britain where Common Birds Census data were collected during 1968–80. This allowed the status of 35 bird species to be examined over about 20 years and to make a comparison between grassland-based and woodland-based species.

Results For 12 species the decline in abundance was significant, particularly among passerines, such as Skylark Alauda arvensis, Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, Whinchat Saxicola rubetra, Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava and Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella, each of which declined by over 80%. Redshank Tringa totanus, Yellow Wagtail, Dipper Cinclus cinclus, Whinchat, Wheatear, Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus and Yellowhammer were found on less than half the number of plots on which they were originally recorded. Most declining species were associated with grassland for nesting and foraging, compared to those species that increased (Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus, Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba, Carrion Crow Corvus corone, Jackdaw C. monedula and Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis) that were less specialized in their habitat requirements. Woodland or woodland edge species showed no significant change in status, suggesting that population declines among grassland species were not due to lower observer effort between recording periods.

Conclusion Long-term changes to grassland ecosystems in marginal upland areas of Britain may have influenced the status of bird populations.