高山雪鸡繁殖生态研究

STUDY OF BREEDING ECOLOGY OF HIMALAYAN SNOW COCK, Tetraogallus himalayensis

本文报道了高山雪鸡(Tetraogallus himalayensis)的繁殖生态,主要内容包括栖息地,活动规律,雌雄比例,求偶行为,巢和卵,孵化,雏鸟,食物和天敌。

The study of breeding ecology of the Himalayan Snow Cock, Tertaogallus himalayensis, was carried out in the Lenglong Mountain, the Yema Mountain and the Dongda Mountain of Gansu, from April 1984 to May 1988. The breeding period of the Himalayan Snow Cock is from the early of April to the early July. During this period, they reside mainly in the rochy mountain slope with shrubs, the mountain prairie and the alpine grassy marshland, being usually found at an altitude of 2600-3600 m. There arc more males than the females in the population, the ratio of the females to the males is 1:1.13 in the Dongda Mountain and 1:1.10 in the Yema Mountain. The display of the males is frontal. The nests of the Himalayan Snow Cock were found at an altitude of 2750 -3340 m, and being located just beside rock around shrubs and grasses. The laying occurs during the end of April and the early of May. There are 8-12 eggs in a clutch. The eggs arc paler ochraceous in colour with sepia and brown spots, and arc 84.2 (73.4-89.0) g in weight and 70.0 (68.0-72.5) ×48.9 (47-50) mm in size. The incubation period occurs during the end of May and the early of June, the eggs are only incubated by the females, with the incubator the hatching period is 291 days. The Himalayan Snow Cock, foods chiefly on plants during breeding period. Their natural enemies are Mustela altaica, Vulpes vulpes, Pantrera uncia and Aquila chrysaetos.