黄喉鹀的羽色与雄鸟质量相关性分析

Analysis of the Correlation between Plumage Color and Male Quality in Yellow-throated Buntings

在国内首次利用光纤光谱仪对鸟类的羽色进行量化和分析。对黄喉鹀Emberiza elegans雌、雄鸟羽色的差异以及雄鸟羽色与雄鸟质量的相关性分析结果表明,黄喉鹀雌、雄鸟在人眼看来相同的黄色羽和白色羽部分,在紫外光色度上却存在显著差异,雄鸟紫外光色度高于雌鸟;雄鸟的质量与脸部黑色羽的亮度、可见光色度和色调呈显著正相关,雌鸟可能通过这些羽色来评价雄鸟的质量。研究表明光纤光谱仪不仅可以很好地量化和分析鸟类的羽色和卵色等形态学特征,还能测量到人眼不能探测的紫外光部分。这为鸟类羽色的定量化研究提供了可能,也拓展了相关研究的领域和视角。

A fiber spectrophotometer was used to quantitatively analyze the plumage color of yellow-throated buntings （Emberiza elegans） in Kuankuoshui National Nature Reserve, Guizhou, southwestern China, from March to August 2009. The analyses showed that male and female buntings differed in ultraviolet chroma of yellow and white plumage which looked so similar to human eyes. The male buntings＇ quality was found to be positively correlated with brightness and visible chroma and hue of black plumage on the face. Female buntings might use these characteristics of male plumage as an evaluation tool in sexual selection. We concluded that the fiber speetrophotometer was an excellent tool to quantify and analyze avian plum- age or egg color, which could potentially detect ultraviolet hues invisible to human eyes. Therefore, it presented an opportunity to attain objective data for avian ecological research and shed more light on bird coloration. This was the first study using soectrophotometers to quantitativelv analyze the olumage color of birds in China's Mainland.