The clutch size,incubation behavior of Reeves’s Pheasant(Syrmaticus reevesii) and their responses to ambient temperature and precipitation

Weather conditions play a pivotal role in embryo development and parental incubation costs,potentially impacting the clutch size and incubation behavior of birds.Understanding these effects is crucial for bird conservation.Reeves’ s Pheasant(Syrmaticus reevesii) is a threatened species endemic to China,which is characterized by female-only incubation.However,there is a lack of information regarding the impact of weather conditions on clutch size and incubation behavior in this species.Using satellite tracking,we tracked 27 wild female Reeves’ s Pheasants from 2020 to 2023 in Hubei Province,China.We explored their clutch size and incubation behavior,as well as their responses to ambient temperature and precipitation.Clutch size averaged 7.75 ±1.36,had an association with average ambient temperature and average daily precipitation during the egglaying period,and was potentially linked to female breeding attempts.Throughout the incubation period,females took an average of 0.73 ±0.46 recesses every 24 h,with an average recess duration of 100.80 ±73.37 min and an average nest attendance of 92.98 ±5.27%.They showed a unimodal recess pattern in which nest departures peaked primarily between 13:00 and 16:00.Furthermore,females rarely left nests when daily precipitation was high.Recess duration and nest attendance were influenced by the interaction between daily mean ambient temperature and daily precipitation,as well as day of incubation.Additionally,there was a positive correlation between clutch size and recess duration.These results contribute valuable insights into the lifehistory features of this endangered species.

Dispersal patterns of Reeves's pheasant based on genetic and behavioral evidence

Dispersal is an important life history trait that plays a crucial role in avoiding inbreeding.Uncovering the dispersal pattern of a threatened species facilitates conservation efforts.Most species of Galliformes are forest-dwelling terrestrial birds with a weak dispersal ability and high conservation priorities.However,little is known about the dispersal behavior and dispersal pattern of Galliformes species such as Reeves's pheasant Syrmaticus reevesi,a globally vulnerable species endemic to China.Here,we integrated behavioral and genetic analyses to inves-tigate the dispersal pattern of Reeves's pheasant.Our results revealed that both females and males would disperse,although the overall dispersal pattern was more likely to be male-biased.Reeves's pheasant population had a low level of genetic diversity and a mild level of inbreeding.Speculation low genetic diversity was resulted from fragmented habitat,and male-biased dispersal may reduce the opportunity of inbreeding.Our research indicated that sex-biased dispersal patterns may be a behavioral mechanism adopted by wildlife to avoid inbreeding inafragmented habitat.