A Preliminary Study on the Incubation Rhythms of the Blue-eared Pheasant at Lianhuashan, Gansu, China
The Blue-eared Pheasant( Crossoptilon auritum) inhabits the conifer and conifer-deciduous mixed forest at Lianhuashan in Gansu Province, central China. During 2002 - 2003, five nests, all found in the forest at altitudes between 2 900 m to 3 020 m, were monitored by Gemini data-loggers. Nest predation was high, mostly by mammals, but was also caused by humans. One female in 2002 took 2-4 breaks from incubating per day, with the duration of such breaks lasting 46.4 ±16.6 min ( n = 34) . This nest was close to a forest path, and the bird was very sensitive to disturbance, leaving her nest when people were still 20 m from the nest. Our three disturbances caused her to leave the nest for 144, 312 and 90 minutes. Another five extra-long breaks in incubation (486, 120, 234, 144 and 132 min) were monitored and were possibly also caused by disturbance. In 2003, two females usually took one or two breaks from incubation per day, however, the other took 4 breaks a day. Figure 1 shows the incubation rhythm of female No. 4, on the last day before hatching, the female did not leave the nest. Of other 26 days of monitoring, the female took one breaks for 13 days, two breaks for 12 days, and 3 breaks for 1 day. When the female took only break per day, time of her first leaving the nest was significantly later than that when they took two or three breaks per day (Mann-Whitley Test, Z = 3.82, P = 0.000) , and the duration of breaks was longer. We monitored the hatching of two clutches; both females left the nests in the morning. Nest constancy from 3 females was averaged 97.0 % . Clutch sizes and egg sizes are also presented.
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
维普
