Nest site selection is a vital component of bird reproduction success,and an adaptive behavior conducted to decrease nest predation risk with avoiding external disturbances.Understanding patterns of nest site selectio...Nest site selection is a vital component of bird reproduction success,and an adaptive behavior conducted to decrease nest predation risk with avoiding external disturbances.Understanding patterns of nest site selection can provide insights into how species adapt to changes in their habitat and has important conservation implications.In this study,we used microhabitat variables and multi-scale data with a field survey of nest occurrence to determine nest site selection patterns and adaptive strategies of the breeding Oriental Storks(Ciconia boyciana)in different nest areas.Results demonstrate that the nest site microhabitat characteristics of the breeding Oriental Storks significantly differed among the three nesting areas,and nest height was higher in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain than in the Northeast China and Bohai Bay nest areas.The food resources and intensity of human disturbance had the greatest effects on the nest site selection of the breeding Oriental Storks.The intensity of human disturbance was positively correlated with the nest height of the breeding Oriental Storks in Bohai Bay and the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain;however,nest height decreased with the abundance of food resources in the Northeast China nest area.Our findings indicate that the nest site selection patterns of Oriental Storks showed flexible adaptive strategies.In safer environments,nests were lower and closer to food resources,which allows parent storks to invest more in the nestlings.However,in areas where human activity was intense,nests were higher to ensure the safety of their offspring.Some measures that could be taken to improve the breeding habitat of Oriental Storks include increasing the percentage of wetland areas in nesting areas to enhance food resources availability and setting artificial nests at suitable heights in potential nesting grounds to encourage nesting.Finally,the establishment of soft barriers around the nesting areas could increase the safety of nests.展开更多
The Oriental Stork(Ciconia boyciana)is listed as'Endangered'on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature(IUCN)Red List of Threatened Species and is classified as a first category nationally protec...The Oriental Stork(Ciconia boyciana)is listed as'Endangered'on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature(IUCN)Red List of Threatened Species and is classified as a first category nationally protected bird species in China.Understanding this species'seasonal movements and migration will facilitate effective conservation to promote its population.We tagged 27 Oriental Stork nestlings at Xingkai Lake on the Sanjiang Plain in Heilongjiang Province,China,used GPS tracking to follow them over the periods of 2014-2017 and 2019-2022,and confirmed their detailed migratory routes using the spatial analysis function of ArcGIS 10.7.We discovered four migration routes during autumn migration:one common long-distance migration route in which the storks migrated along the coastline of Bohai Bay to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River for wintering,one short-distance migration route in which the storks wintered in Bohai Bay and two other migration routes in which the storks crossed the Bohai Strait around the Yellow River and wintered in South Korea.There were no significant differences in the number of migration days,residence days,migration distances,number of stopovers and average number of days spent at stopover sites between the autumn and spring migrations(P>0.05).However,the storks migrated significantly faster in spring than in autumn(P=0.03).The same individuals did not exhibit a high degree of repetition in their migration timing and route selection in either autumn or spring migration.Even storks from the same nest exhibited considerable between-individual variation in their migration routes.Some important stopover sites were identified,especially in the Bohai Rim Region and on the Songnen Plain,and we further explored the current conservation status at these two important sites.Overall,our results contribute to the understanding of the annual migration,dispersal and protection status of the endangered Oriental Stork and provide a scientific basis for conservation decisions and the development of action plans for this species.展开更多
Based on the field observation on the parental behavior of Oriental White Stork (Ciconia boyciana)during their brooding period, this paper describes the breeding style, feeding behavior, water chicks, protect chicks,e...Based on the field observation on the parental behavior of Oriental White Stork (Ciconia boyciana)during their brooding period, this paper describes the breeding style, feeding behavior, water chicks, protect chicks,etc. A Ritual" behavior--Culmen Knocking/bill clattering" was observed and which is divided into three styles with deferent meanings. This behavior plays an important role during this season.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.32171530 and 31472020)。
文摘Nest site selection is a vital component of bird reproduction success,and an adaptive behavior conducted to decrease nest predation risk with avoiding external disturbances.Understanding patterns of nest site selection can provide insights into how species adapt to changes in their habitat and has important conservation implications.In this study,we used microhabitat variables and multi-scale data with a field survey of nest occurrence to determine nest site selection patterns and adaptive strategies of the breeding Oriental Storks(Ciconia boyciana)in different nest areas.Results demonstrate that the nest site microhabitat characteristics of the breeding Oriental Storks significantly differed among the three nesting areas,and nest height was higher in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain than in the Northeast China and Bohai Bay nest areas.The food resources and intensity of human disturbance had the greatest effects on the nest site selection of the breeding Oriental Storks.The intensity of human disturbance was positively correlated with the nest height of the breeding Oriental Storks in Bohai Bay and the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain;however,nest height decreased with the abundance of food resources in the Northeast China nest area.Our findings indicate that the nest site selection patterns of Oriental Storks showed flexible adaptive strategies.In safer environments,nests were lower and closer to food resources,which allows parent storks to invest more in the nestlings.However,in areas where human activity was intense,nests were higher to ensure the safety of their offspring.Some measures that could be taken to improve the breeding habitat of Oriental Storks include increasing the percentage of wetland areas in nesting areas to enhance food resources availability and setting artificial nests at suitable heights in potential nesting grounds to encourage nesting.Finally,the establishment of soft barriers around the nesting areas could increase the safety of nests.
基金supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2019YFA0607103)the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China(91217-2022,202999922001,213023721203)。
文摘The Oriental Stork(Ciconia boyciana)is listed as'Endangered'on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature(IUCN)Red List of Threatened Species and is classified as a first category nationally protected bird species in China.Understanding this species'seasonal movements and migration will facilitate effective conservation to promote its population.We tagged 27 Oriental Stork nestlings at Xingkai Lake on the Sanjiang Plain in Heilongjiang Province,China,used GPS tracking to follow them over the periods of 2014-2017 and 2019-2022,and confirmed their detailed migratory routes using the spatial analysis function of ArcGIS 10.7.We discovered four migration routes during autumn migration:one common long-distance migration route in which the storks migrated along the coastline of Bohai Bay to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River for wintering,one short-distance migration route in which the storks wintered in Bohai Bay and two other migration routes in which the storks crossed the Bohai Strait around the Yellow River and wintered in South Korea.There were no significant differences in the number of migration days,residence days,migration distances,number of stopovers and average number of days spent at stopover sites between the autumn and spring migrations(P>0.05).However,the storks migrated significantly faster in spring than in autumn(P=0.03).The same individuals did not exhibit a high degree of repetition in their migration timing and route selection in either autumn or spring migration.Even storks from the same nest exhibited considerable between-individual variation in their migration routes.Some important stopover sites were identified,especially in the Bohai Rim Region and on the Songnen Plain,and we further explored the current conservation status at these two important sites.Overall,our results contribute to the understanding of the annual migration,dispersal and protection status of the endangered Oriental Stork and provide a scientific basis for conservation decisions and the development of action plans for this species.
文摘Based on the field observation on the parental behavior of Oriental White Stork (Ciconia boyciana)during their brooding period, this paper describes the breeding style, feeding behavior, water chicks, protect chicks,etc. A Ritual" behavior--Culmen Knocking/bill clattering" was observed and which is divided into three styles with deferent meanings. This behavior plays an important role during this season.
