To fill the gap in breeding biology information about the Red-Whiskered Bulbul （Pycnonotus jocosus）, in 2013, we studied the breeding biology of this species in Xishuangbanna, southwest China. The breeding began fro...To fill the gap in breeding biology information about the Red-Whiskered Bulbul （Pycnonotus jocosus）, in 2013, we studied the breeding biology of this species in Xishuangbanna, southwest China. The breeding began from February and continued until early August. The breeding strategy of P. jocosus was more flexible and their nests were only built in cultivated landscapes, whereas, no nest building in native tropical rain forest was found. Small open cup nests were built on 50 different plant species, and at heights ranging from 2.1±0.6 m above the ground （n=102）. The mean clutch size was 2.53±0.51 eggs （n=40） and the mean egg mass was 2.81±0.25 g （n=60）. The average incubation period was 11.1±0.5 days （n=14）, and the average nestling period was 11.0±0.8 days （n=31）. The overall nest success was 34.22%.The hatching and fledging showed either asynchrony or synchrony. Invertebrate food decreased with nestling age, whereas, plant food increased with nestling age. Moreover, distinct parental roles of the parents in nestling period were found. Compared with other passerine species, P. jocosus spent less time in incubating （58%）. The clutch size, incubation and nestling period of the P. jocosus in southwest China were different from those of the R jocosus in India.展开更多
Background: Nest sanitation behavior is one of the most important means to ensure high reproductive efficiency. In avian brood parasitism, nest sanitation behavior may be a pre-adaptation of host birds that allows the...Background: Nest sanitation behavior is one of the most important means to ensure high reproductive efficiency. In avian brood parasitism, nest sanitation behavior may be a pre-adaptation of host birds that allows them to identify the parasitic eggs, so that egg discrimination behavior may have evolved from nest sanitation behavior. However, whether nest sanitation behavior could improve egg rejection in cuckoo hosts was inconclusive.Methods: In this study, we investigated the relationship between nest sanitation and egg discrimination behavior in a potential cuckoo host, the Brown-breasted Bulbul(Pycnonotus xanthorrhous) with two experimental groups. In the first group, we added a blue, non-mimetic egg to the nest of the host, while in the second group we added a blue, non-mimetic egg and a peanut half-shell.Results: The results showed that in the first group, the probability of rejecting the non-mimetic eggs was 53.8%(n = 26 nests). In comparison, all of the Brown-breasted Bulbuls in the second group were able to rapidly remove the peanut shells from the nest, but only 52.6%(n = 19 nests) rejected the non-mimetic eggs. The rejection rates of the non-mimetic eggs in both experimental groups were not significantly different.Conclusions: Our study indicated that nest sanitation behavior of Brown-breasted Bulbuls did not influence their egg recognition and that egg discrimination ability of Brown-breasted Bulbuls was not directly related to nest sanitation behavior.展开更多
Two new records of birds occurred in Beijing are reported. Two flocks of Chinese Bulbul (Pycnontus sinensis sinensis) composed of 38 individuals were found in Hongluosi of Huairou County in September 26—27, 2002. One...Two new records of birds occurred in Beijing are reported. Two flocks of Chinese Bulbul (Pycnontus sinensis sinensis) composed of 38 individuals were found in Hongluosi of Huairou County in September 26—27, 2002. One male Red-winged Crested Cuckoo ( Clamator coromandus ) was observed in Xiaolongmen Wood Farm of Mengtougou District on May 23, 2000. Further surveys indicate that Chinese Bulbul is a resident species of birds in Beijing, the distribution sites include Haidian, Shunyi, Huairou and Fangshan; while Red-winged Crested Cuckoo, a summer visitor, arrives in Beijing in the middle ten days of May and migrates southward in early September. These findings together with the records of Crossoptilon mantchuricum, Ficedula mugimaki, Fringilla coelebs coelebs, F. beijingnica, Phylloscopus sichuanensis since 1990 have increased the bird species living in Beijing from 344 to 351. Habitat restoration and intensive surveys may increase avian species diversity of Beijing.展开更多
基金supported by funding from the National Nature Science Foundation of China(31370452)the Chinese Academy of Science(KSCX2-EW-Q-17)
文摘To fill the gap in breeding biology information about the Red-Whiskered Bulbul （Pycnonotus jocosus）, in 2013, we studied the breeding biology of this species in Xishuangbanna, southwest China. The breeding began from February and continued until early August. The breeding strategy of P. jocosus was more flexible and their nests were only built in cultivated landscapes, whereas, no nest building in native tropical rain forest was found. Small open cup nests were built on 50 different plant species, and at heights ranging from 2.1±0.6 m above the ground （n=102）. The mean clutch size was 2.53±0.51 eggs （n=40） and the mean egg mass was 2.81±0.25 g （n=60）. The average incubation period was 11.1±0.5 days （n=14）, and the average nestling period was 11.0±0.8 days （n=31）. The overall nest success was 34.22%.The hatching and fledging showed either asynchrony or synchrony. Invertebrate food decreased with nestling age, whereas, plant food increased with nestling age. Moreover, distinct parental roles of the parents in nestling period were found. Compared with other passerine species, P. jocosus spent less time in incubating （58%）. The clutch size, incubation and nestling period of the P. jocosus in southwest China were different from those of the R jocosus in India.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.31672303 to CY,31472013 and 31772453 to WL)
文摘Background: Nest sanitation behavior is one of the most important means to ensure high reproductive efficiency. In avian brood parasitism, nest sanitation behavior may be a pre-adaptation of host birds that allows them to identify the parasitic eggs, so that egg discrimination behavior may have evolved from nest sanitation behavior. However, whether nest sanitation behavior could improve egg rejection in cuckoo hosts was inconclusive.Methods: In this study, we investigated the relationship between nest sanitation and egg discrimination behavior in a potential cuckoo host, the Brown-breasted Bulbul(Pycnonotus xanthorrhous) with two experimental groups. In the first group, we added a blue, non-mimetic egg to the nest of the host, while in the second group we added a blue, non-mimetic egg and a peanut half-shell.Results: The results showed that in the first group, the probability of rejecting the non-mimetic eggs was 53.8%(n = 26 nests). In comparison, all of the Brown-breasted Bulbuls in the second group were able to rapidly remove the peanut shells from the nest, but only 52.6%(n = 19 nests) rejected the non-mimetic eggs. The rejection rates of the non-mimetic eggs in both experimental groups were not significantly different.Conclusions: Our study indicated that nest sanitation behavior of Brown-breasted Bulbuls did not influence their egg recognition and that egg discrimination ability of Brown-breasted Bulbuls was not directly related to nest sanitation behavior.
文摘Two new records of birds occurred in Beijing are reported. Two flocks of Chinese Bulbul (Pycnontus sinensis sinensis) composed of 38 individuals were found in Hongluosi of Huairou County in September 26—27, 2002. One male Red-winged Crested Cuckoo ( Clamator coromandus ) was observed in Xiaolongmen Wood Farm of Mengtougou District on May 23, 2000. Further surveys indicate that Chinese Bulbul is a resident species of birds in Beijing, the distribution sites include Haidian, Shunyi, Huairou and Fangshan; while Red-winged Crested Cuckoo, a summer visitor, arrives in Beijing in the middle ten days of May and migrates southward in early September. These findings together with the records of Crossoptilon mantchuricum, Ficedula mugimaki, Fringilla coelebs coelebs, F. beijingnica, Phylloscopus sichuanensis since 1990 have increased the bird species living in Beijing from 344 to 351. Habitat restoration and intensive surveys may increase avian species diversity of Beijing.
