A novel method to collect sperm from brood parasitic cuckoos:Urodeum stimulation(UroS)method

Sperm competition has been studied in numerous species as a representative example of postcopulatory sexual selection,where sampling sperm from male is the most basic and important step.Sperm collection can be tricky in birds,however,because unlike mammals,the genitals of birds are generally latent in the cloacal region and their characteristics vary among species.Various methods to collect sperm from different birds have been tested,such as cloacal massage,feces collection,and electro-stimulation,but their applicability varies depending on species.In this study,we introduced the urodeum stimulation method(UroS method)to collect sperm from Cuculus cuckoos,such as the Common Cuckoo(C.canorus).These species are expected to have interesting patterns of pair bonding and sperm competition because of their unique breeding strategy called brood parasitism;however,it remains unexplored.In this study,we described the application of our new method to expel semen from male common cuckoos,measured the volume of semen collected,checked the presence of sperm in the semen sample,and finally estimated its success rate among 82 males.Samples were successfully collected from 76 cuckoos(approximately 93%)and the colors and volumes of the samples were very diverse.Sperm was present in 43 of these samples(57%),showing a sperm observation rate approximately twice as high as that of the conventional cloacal massage method.We believe that this novel method will contribute to a better understanding of postcopulatory sexual selection in avian brood parasites and facilitate the process of sperm collection and artificial insemination in other medium-sized birds.

Diurnal brooding behavior of long-tailed tits （Aegithalos caudatus glaucogularis）

Brooding is a major breeding investment of parental birds during the early nestling stage, and has important effects on the development and survival of nestlings. Investigating brooding behavior can help to understand avian breeding investment strategies. From January to June in 2013 and 2014, we studied the brooding behaviors of long-tailed tits （Aegithalos caudatus glaucogularis） in Dongzhai National Nature Reserve, Henan Province, China. We analyzed the relationships between parental diurnal brooding duration and nestling age, brood size, temperature, relative breeding season, time of day and nestling frequencies during brooding duration. Results showed that female and male long-tailed tit parents had different breeding investment strategies during the early nestling stage. Female parents bore most of the brooding investment, while male parents performed most of the nestling feedings. In addition, helpers were not found to brood nestlings at the two cooperative breeding nests. Parental brooding duration was significantly associated with the food delivered to nestlings （F=86.10, dr=l, 193.94, P〈0.001）, and was longer when the nestlings received more food. We found that parental brooding duration declined significantly as nestlings aged （F=5.99, dr=-1, 50.13, P=0.018）. When nestlings were six days old, daytime parental brooding almost ceased, implying that long- tailed tit nestlings might be able to maintain their own body temperature by this age. In addition, brooding duration was affected by both brood size （F=12.74, dr=-1,32.08, P=0.001） and temperature （F=5.83, df=-l, 39.59, P=-0.021）, with it being shorter in larger broods and when ambient temperature was higher.

Brood sex ratio in the Yellow-bellied Prinia(Prinia flaviventris)

Background:The adjustment of sex ratios in birds can occur at the egg and nestling stages. Previous studies showed that the sex ratio was affected by environmental factors and parental condition; it may result in seasonal and ecosystem differences.Methods:In this study, the brood sex ratio of the Yellow-bellied Prinia(Prinia flaviventris) in the Nonggang area, Guangxi, southwestern China, was investigated during the breeding season from May to June in 2013 using PCR amplification from whole-genome DNA extracted from blood samples. A total of 31 nests of Yellow-bellied Prinia, including 132 brood fledglings and 31 pairs, were sampled.Results:The results showed that the brood sex ratio of the Yellow-bellied Prinia was 1:1, and sex ratios of different nests were evenly distributed within the study area. No significant relationship was found between parental quality and nest characteristics with the brood sex ratio.Conclusions:The present study indicated that no brood sex ratio bias in the Yellow-bellied Prinia highlighted the complexity of sex ratio adjustment in birds. In spite of our negative results, the lack of an association between brood sex ratio and parental quality and environmental factors in the Yellow-bellied Prinia provides valuable information on the adjustment of sex ratios in birds.

Roles of interleukins in antibacterial immune defense of the brood pouch in the lined seahorse Hippocampus erectus

Seahorse embryos are brooded in the enclosed nutrient-rich environment of the male brood pouch,which may be prone to bacterial infection.The immune responses of interleukin(IL)genes in the brood pouch have not been well studied.We identifi ed 13 interleukins in the lined seahorse Hippocampus erectus.Tissue-specifi c expression analysis revealed increased mRNA expression levels of il-1β,il-18,and il-8 in the brood pouch.When challenged with lipopolysaccharide or Vibrio parahaemolyticus,il-1βand il-18 were active as part of the acute and chronic infl ammatory responses,respectively.Importantly,il-8 may be involved in powerful antibacterial immune responses and may be induced by il-1βand il-18 via a process involving the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway.These results suggest that il-1β,il-18,and il-8 may play key roles in the antibacterial immune defense of the brood pouch in male seahorses.

The Grey-backed Shrike parents adopt brood survival strategy in both the egg and nestling phases

Background:Great diversity exists in the parenting pattern of altricial birds,which has long been considered as an adaptive response to specific environmental conditions but not to their life-history style.Methods:We examined the egg-laying and nestling-raising pattern of the Grey-backed Shrike(Lanius tephronotus)that breeds only once a year on the Tibetan Plateau.We compared the dietary composition to that of its sympatric competitor,the Brown-cheeked Laughing Thrush(Trochalopteron henrici)that breeds twice a year.Results:Female Grey-backed Shrikes produced a fixed clutch size of five,with increasing egg size by their laying sequence.The last offspring in the brood is disadvantageous in the size hierarchy because it hatches later.However,they had the largest fledgling body mass.These findings indicate that Grey-backed Shrikes adopt the brood survival strategy in both the egg and nestling phases.Moreover,males and females exhibit no sexual division in providing parental care as they made an equal contribution to the total amount of food delivered to their brood.This parenting pattern of Grey-backed Shrikes,as well as their dietary items,differ significantly from those of the Brown-cheeked Laughing Thrush.Conclusions:We suggest that the differentiation in life-history style between sympatric competitors,rather than a behavioral response to specific environmental conditions,plays a decisive role in driving avian parenting strategy diversification.

Comparative study of haematological,serum electrolyte and nonelectrolyte parameters of male and female Persian sturgeon(Acipenser persicus)brood stocks

Sturgeons are the most important principal market species in the Caspian Sea. In the present study, measurement of blood parameters was carried out with the aim of evaluating the normal value of hematological and serum biochemical parameters of brood stocks Acipenser persicus during spawning season. Blood samples were collected from 36 brood stocks of A. persicus（18 males and 18 females） during the spawning season. Higher value of red blood cells, white blood cells, haemoglobin, haematocrit was observed in male breeders with significant differences between female breeders（p〉0.05）. Haemoglobin and haematocrit value in this study was within the range of 8.70 to 9.2 g/d L and 29.73% to 30.26%, respectively. The statistically significant differences between mean corpuscular volumes, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, lymphocyte and neutrophil percentages, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and creatine kinase were observed in the male and female brood stocks.It is concluded from this study, some of the hematological and serum biochemical parameters of male and female A. persicus breeders were significantly varied from each other. In comparative investigation with earlier reports,the values of red blood cells, haemoglobin and haematocrit are highly varied due to age variations of fish.However, further studies are necessary to understand the impact of sexual, age, size, length, and season and habitat variation. Serum biochemical parameters can be used for confirming the maturity of A. persicus and monitoring any changes in the water quality parameters and soil.

Linking individual attributes and host specialization in brood parasitic cuckoos

Generalist avian brood parasites vary considerably in their degree of host specialization(e.g.,number of hosts);some parasitize the nests of just a few host species,whereas others exploit more than 100 species.Several factors,including habitat range,habitat type,and geographic location,have been suggested to account for these variations.However,inter-specific differences in individual attributes,such as personality and plasticity,have rarely been considered as potential factors of such variation,despite their potential relationship to,for example,range expansion.Using cage experiments,we tested the hypothesis that parasitic species exploiting more host species may be more active and exploratory.To this end,we quantified behaviors exhibited by two Cuculus cuckoos(Common Cuckoo C.canorus and Oriental Cuckoo C.optatus)that vary greatly in their number of host species.Specifically,we evaluated exploratory behavior displayed by birds in the cage,such as the number of movements,head-turning,wing-flapping,and stepping.The Common Cuckoo,which has a higher number of host species,tended to exhibit higher levels of exploratory behaviors than the Oriental Cuckoo.Our study showed that the two cuckoo species exhibited different exploratory levels,as predicted by the differences in their number of hosts.Further studies regarding the causality between individual attributes and host specialization with improved experimental methodology would greatly enhance our understanding of the role of individual characteristics in the coevolution of avian brood parasites and their hosts.

Coevolution of acoustical communication between obligate avian brood parasites and their hosts

The mutually antagonistic processes producing adaptations and counter-adaptations in avian brood parasites and their hosts provide a model system for the study of coevolution;this topic has long been an area of focus in ornithology and evolutionary biology.Although there is an extensive body of literature dealing with avian brood parasitism,few empirical studies have considered the effects of the coevolutionary processes associated with brood parasitism on the acoustic characteristics of parent–offspring communication.Under the strong selection pressures associated with brood parasitism,parasitic birds may,for instance,produce deceptive songs.The host may in turn evolve the ability to recognize these sounds as deceptive.At present,the mechanisms underlying the different competitive strategies employed by hosts and parasitic birds remain unclear.Here,we reviewed previous studies that investigated acoustic traits in scenarios of brood parasitism,highlighting possible adaptive functions.Using a meta-analysis,we identified no heterogeneity among studies of begging call adaptations in parasitic nestlings.However,our results may have been affected by the small number of applicable papers available for analysis.Our meta-analysis also suggested that studies of acoustic communication and transmission in adult hosts were highly heterogenous,suggesting that research methods were inconsistent among studies.Finally,we identified knowledge gaps and proposed several lines of future research.

Preliminary Researches Regarding the Effectiveness of the Formic Acid Treatment on Varroa(Varroa destructor) Found in the Artificially Decapped Bee Brood

The objective of the study was to establish the effect of formic acid on varroa(Varroa destructor),inside the capped brood cells,artificially decapped.The experiments were carried out in 2017-2018 on honeybee colonies infested with varroa(V.destructor),in a research apiary belonging to the Institute for Beekeeping Research and Development in Bucharest.The decapping method in the present researches used the decapping fork to scrape the capped comb,without affecting the brood,in order to open it for an effective treatment.The combined treatment method was applied on honeybee colonies as a whole,as well as on brood combs,without bees,put in a special treatment box.The researches were focused on establishing the mortality level of various stages of varroa in artificially decapped brood,in normal colony and separately,as well as to make observations on the effect of formic acid on viability of capped bee brood,artificially decapped.The results show a high mortality of varroa,especially the protonymphs and deutonymphs stages(over 80%).The main conclusion is that the brood decapping method combined with formic acid treatment could be a useful technique to control varroa infestation,both in brood and honeybees,shortening strongly the treatment duration as compared to the usual treatments,increasing the efficacy of treatment by cutting the life cycle of varroa in brood.

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.

Key Techniques of Artificial Incubation and Brooding of Bonasa bonasia

The key techniques of artificial incubation and brooding of Bonasa bonasia during breeding technology promotion was summed up in the paper.Electric incubation and dielectric incubation,electric brooding and dielectric brooding were compared with each other.The results showed that the effect of dielectric inoculation was poor,and there were no significant difference between electric brooding and dielectric brooding.

Avian brood parasitism — a growing research area in behavioral ecology (part Ⅱ)

正We are pleased to publish the second special issue on avian brood parasitism and to be responsible guest editors for the two special issues of Chinese Birds (Vol. 3, No. 4, 2012 and Vol. 4, No. 1, 2013), entitled "Avian Brood Parasitism - A Growing Research Area in Behavioral Ecology". The first issue was published in December 2012. The goal of the two special issues is to publish accumulated knowledge and some of the recent developments

The 3rd International Symposium on Avian Brood Parasitism

正Invited participants on the 3rd International Symposium on Avian Brood Parasitism, sponsored by Hainan Normal University (HNU), China, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway, the Research Council of Norway, and China Ornithological Society (COS).

烈火燎原——《StarCraft:Brood War》剧情小说(圣堂武士篇)

地球联邦控制了Char行星并且掳获了Zerg种族的主宰,人类利用强大的能量发射器切断了Kerrigan对其余Zerg的控制联系,无疑这严重削弱了Kerrigan对于这个地区的控制,所以Ker-rigan组成了一支特殊的队伍,他们的任务便是摧毁能量发射器,并且把地球联邦对主宰的控制切断。

Timing of breeding as a determinant of nest success of the vulnerable Chestnut Seedeater(Sporophila cinnamomea)in grasslands of southern South America

The breeding traits of Sporophila seedeaters have been relatively well studied in recent years;nevertheless,a group of ten species in the genus,known as southern capuchinos,remain understudied.That is the case with Chestnut Seedeater(Sporophila cinnamomea),a species vulnerable to extinction,which breeds in the grasslands of southeast South America and,after reproduction,migrates towards the Cerrado region in central Brazil.Here,we investigated breeding ecology and calculated average clutch size,productivity,the sex ratio of nestlings,and estimated nest success.Then we tested(1)whether there is a relationship between the number of active nests and environmental variables,(2)whether the nestling sex ratio deviates from the 1:1 ratio,(3)whether clutch size varies between breeding seasons,and(4)whether the nest success is related to starting date,nest age,plant support,nest height from the ground,and clutch size.During two breeding seasons(October-March 2018-2020),we monitored 98 nests.We generated survival models with five interacting covariates to assess the survival of the nests.We recorded the entire breeding period for Chestnut Seedeater,which was estimated to be 4.6 months,similar to other migratory seedeaters.Clutch size did not differ between breeding seasons.The sex ratio of nestlings was not significantly different from the 1:1 ratio.Nest success was 31%,and predation was the leading cause of unsuccessful nests(83%).The daily survival rate was 0.95±0.01.The main predictor of nest survival was the covariate starting date.These findings,added to other aspects of the species’natural history described here,may help illuminate the ecology and behavior of Chestnut Seedeater and other southern endangered capuchinos,and grassland-dependent species of South America.

专用黑光灯对栗山天牛的诱杀技术研究

栗山天牛Massicus raddei(Blessig)是我国东北林区发生面积最大的林业害虫,造成了严重的经济和生态损失。为探索诱杀栗山天牛的有效技术措施,本研究利用自主研发的专用黑光灯对栗山天牛成虫进行了诱杀技术试验研究。结果表明,将黑光灯设置在山脊是诱集栗山天牛的最佳位置;20:00～22:00是引诱的最佳时间;以天牛成虫羽化前期和末期的雄虫略多,而盛期雌虫略多,但差异不显著。诱集到的雌虫的怀卵量前期和盛期平均30粒/头,和处女雌虫无明显差异,表明诱集到的雌虫为卵刚成熟而未产出的发育阶段的成虫,而在羽化末期诱到的雌虫怀卵量不足10粒/头。和普通手电相比,该专用黑光灯的诱集数量是其2.03倍。晴天诱到的成虫数量远多于阴天。用专用黑光灯诱杀栗山天牛成虫效果显著,将在降低该害虫后代的种群数量上发挥重要作用。

湖南平江棘胸蛙两性异形和雌性个体生育力

测定了湖南平江棘胸蛙成体的体长、体质量、头长、头宽、前肢长、后肢长等形态指标以及雌体的怀卵数量.结果表明:棘胸蛙雄体体长和体质量显著大于雌体.以体长为协变量的多元方差分析表明,雌雄两性在局部形态上不存在显著差异.各局部形态特征指标与体长呈正相关,它们随体长的增长速率在雌雄间无显著差异.棘胸蛙雌体怀卵量与体长和体质量皆成正相关关系,表明棘胸蛙通过增加个体的大小增加繁殖输出.

沼蛙的两性异形和雌性繁殖特征

[目的]研究沼蛙的两性异形状况。[方法]从肇庆地区采集67头沼蛙,测量其形态指标,统计雌性沼蛙的怀卵量,研究沼蛙的两性异形和雌性繁殖特征。[结果]雄性成体沼蛙的平均体长为(75.07±1.21)mm,雌性的平均体长为(78.67±1.23)mm。雌性沼蛙在体长和体重上与雄蛙存在显著差异,说明沼蛙体长和体重均存在显著的两性异形。两性异形程度指数为0.05。沼蛙的局部形态指标皆与体长呈正相关。雌蛙的平均怀卵量为4 916粒/只。雌性沼蛙的怀卵量与体长和体重皆呈正相关。[结论]肇庆地区沼蛙存在明显的两性异形。

泥鳅个体生殖力的研究

本文研究了洞庭湖113尾产卵前雌性泥鳅的个体绝对生殖力(r),个体相对生殖力(r/L,r/W)与雌鱼一些形态学指标的关系。结果表明,泥鳅的个体生殖力不但与体长,体重呈正相关,而且还不同程度地与年龄、成熟系数、肥满度成正相关关系,泥鳅的怀卵量波动在325～63840粒之间,平均为8564粒。

Do brood parasitic Common Cuckoos develop brood patches during the breeding season?

Many birds develop brood patches on their ventral apterium under hormonal regulation to effectively transmit body heat to eggs during incubation.The developed patch has several characteristics,including de-feathering,vascularization,and edema.However,little is known about whether avian brood parasites that do not incubate their eggs exhibit brood patch development during the breeding season.In this study,we measured the size of the ventral apterium in 114 Common Cuckoos(Cuculus canorus)captured in the field throughout the breeding season and examined the appearance of the ventral apterium to confirm the development of brood patches.We also examined whether morphological traits and various factors correlated with the size of the ventral apterium(sternal apterium and abdominal apterium)and how it changed during the breeding season.We found no clear signs of brood patch development in Common Cuckoos captured throughout the breeding season,indicating that they likely did not develop brood patches on the ventral apterium during this period.We also found that ventral apterium size was positively correlated with wing length and body weight.In addition,Common Cuckoos with newly growing feathers on the boundary of the ventral apterium with pteryla were frequently observed as seasons progressed to the end.In conclusion,Common Cuckoos exhibit neither brood patch development nor the vestigial characteristics of ancestral brood patches,except for the growth of feathers on boundary the ventral apterium.Further studies examining brood patches across different groups of avian brood parasites are valuable for enhancing our understanding of the developmental and physiological adaptations of avian brood parasites.