Abstract
Our goal was to document effects of year-round supplemental feeding on breeding ecology of the Buff-throated Partridge, Tetraophasis szechenyii, within a Tibetan sacred site. We evaluated effects of supplemental feeding used as religious/cultural practices which could potentially aid conservation of endangered phasianids. We compared fed breeding groups to neighboring nonfed groups. Fed groups initiated first clutches significantly earlier than nonfed groups. Earlier laying groups within fed and nonfed groups showed significantly lower hatching rates than later groups; however, fed groups showed significantly higher hatching rates than nonfed groups laying in the same period. Earlier laying increased opportunities to renest. All six fed groups with clutch failures renested compared to only one of five nonfed groups with clutch failures. Fed female breeders showed significantly greater investment in their young with larger clutches and larger eggs, which likely increased survivability of early hatchlings. We observed no predation on birds at feeding sites and recorded only four cases of predation on incubating females, which showed no detectable difference between fed and nonfed groups. Ground-nesting birds typically face high risks of predation. Ten of the 48 groups nested in trees, which occurs in few phasianid species. Tree nests showed significantly higher hatching rates compared to ground nests; however, we found no significant difference in tree nesting between fed and nonfed groups. This partridge is one of four gallinaceous species with cooperative breeding. Breeding groups with helpers had significantly greater reproductive success than single pairs, and fed female breeders with helpers laid bigger eggs than single pairs. Comparing annual reproductive output per group, fed groups not only produced significantly more independent young (≥150 days post-hatching), their young hatched significantly earlier, which likely have greater reproductive value over later hatched young of nonfed groups. Supplemental feeding year-round is likely what enabled the successes of the fed partridges.
Highlights
This study began out of interest and concern for the Buff-throated Partridge (Tetraophasis szechenyii Madarász), which is an unusual, little known, and endangered “pheasant-partridge” endemic to high altitude tree-line regions of western China [1,2]
The partridges that live within this sacred site and receive daily supplemental food have become habituated to the presence of humans and, were much easier to observe than wild partridges
The principal goal of this study is to assess the effects of year-long supplemental feeding on the breeding ecology and reproductive success of the Buff-throated Partridges living in the Pamuling sacred site
Summary
This study began out of interest and concern for the Buff-throated Partridge (Tetraophasis szechenyii Madarász), which is an unusual, little known, and endangered “pheasant-partridge” endemic to high altitude tree-line regions of western China [1,2] This species is of special concern as it has undergone a dramatic regional population decline due to the degradation and loss of tree-line habitats and illegal hunting in many areas throughout western China [2,3,4]. The partridges that live within this sacred site and receive daily supplemental food have become habituated to the presence of humans and, were much easier to observe than wild partridges At this Pamuling sacred site, it is this special religious practice of year-round supplemental feeding which made this study possible and which may serve as a potentially valuable practice for the conservation of rare pheasants like the Buff-throated Partridge. These Tibetan sacred sites provide an additional level of protection for populations of several high-elevation montane pheasant species, which are threatened elsewhere by habitat loss and hunting [2,4,12]
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