Nest predators, nest-site selection and nest success of the Emei Shan Liocichla(Liocichla omeiensis), a vulnerable babbler endemic to southwestern China

Background: The Emei Shan Liocichla(Liocichla omeiensis) is a globally vulnerable babbler, endemic to southwestern China. We investigated its nest predators, nest-site selection and nest success at the Laojunshan National Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China in order to identify the precise nesting-habitat requirements of the species, and to test whether the nest-site-selection cues, preferred by the Emei Shan Liocichla, are positively associated with nest success.Methods: We used infrared cameras to determine nest predators. We compared the microhabitat attributes between nest and random sites, as well as successful and failed nests. We used Binary Logistic Regression to determine the most important variables affecting nest-site selection of the Emei Shan Liocichla. We used the nest survival analysis in Program MARK to estimate daily nest survival rates(DSR). Nest success was calculated using the Mayfield method.Results: In total 56 nests were found. The DSR for all nests that contained at least one egg was 0.9564 ± 0.0091(95 % CI 0.9346–0.9711)(n = 40), while the total nest success was 27.5 %. We identified four categories of predators in 10 nest predation events, i.e. squirrels(n = 5), snakes(n = 3), raptors(n = 1) and wasps(n = 1). We found that:(1) nest predation was the primary reason for nest failure of the Emei Shan Liocichla,(2) tree cover, bamboo cover, liana abundance and distance to forest edge or gap were the most important variables affecting nest-site selection of this species, and(3) the nest-site-selection variables we measured appeared not to be positively associated with nest success.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the Emei Shan Liocichla tended to select nest sites near forest edges or gaps with good concealment and that nest-site selection by this species was nonrandom but not necessarily adaptive. Reducing forest-edge development and protecting bamboo stands should be effective for conservation of this species.

An unusual homing behavior found in the Sichuan Partridge during the early brooding period

In this study,we report an unusual homing behavior of the Sichuan Partridge(Arborophila rufipectus)at the Laojunshan National Nature Reserve,Sichuan Province,China.Hen Sichuan Partridges led the chicks back to the nests where they hatched in the evening and roosted there over night.This behavior lasted 6.7±4.3 nights(range=1–15;n=13)after the chicks hatched.At this stage,the hens became very vigilant to predators and human disturbance.If disturbed,they often abandoned the nests immediately and no longer returned thereafter.The ambient temperature at night during the early brooding period of Sichuan Partridge at our study site was^12.4°C.Our findings suggest that hen Sichuan Partridges may make trade-offs between nest predation risks versus the thermoregulatory needs of their young.

四川老君山国家级自然保护区林下鸟兽多样性及动态变化数据集

物种编目是生物多样性研究和保护的基础,开展野生动物多样性监测对更新本底物种编目至关重要。目前红外相机的应用十分普通,已成为陆生大中型兽类和林下鸟类监测的最有效方法之一。老君山国家级自然保护区位于四川省屏山县,面积35 km2,是我国第一个以四川山鹧鸪(Arborophila rufipectus)等珍稀濒危雉科鸟类以及常绿阔叶林生态系统为主要保护对象的保护区。本文整理了保护区2013年4月至2020年9月的红外相机监测数据并进行了详细的物种鉴定,提供了按照年度统计的红外相机监测数据集。本数据集展示了不同监测年度下的相机位点坐标和相机工作日、每个相机位点拍摄的兽类和鸟类物种数、独立有效记录数、整体鸟兽物种名录(包括分布海拔、分布区域以及不同年度下的网格占有率与相对多度指数等)、代表性物种的红外相机照片等。该数据集是保护区开展红外相机监测工作以来首次全面的成果汇总,可为保护区制定针对性保护与管理决策提供重要科学依据。