Cisticola Juncidis Research Articles

Snake-like hissing calls made by nestlings of the open nesting zitting cisticola Cisticola juncidis

Mimicry is widespread in the animal kingdom, with sound/or acoustic mimicry remaining less studied than visual mimicry. Some incubating female birds in cavity nests emit a hissing call when encountering nest predators, which sounds like a snake hiss and serves to scare off predators; this is considered a form of acoustic Batesian mimicry. Similarly, for nearly defenseless bird nestlings, using a hissing call to scare off predators can improve their survival; however, few studies have reported nestlings making hissing calls. In this study, we report on the hissing calls of nestlings of the open-nesting zitting cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) and compare their hissing calls with those of other animals, such as birds and snakes. The results showed that the hissing calls of C. juncidis nestlings closely approximate the sounds of snakes. This study is the first report of sounds that mimic snakes made by the nestlings of any open-nesting passerine bird species.

A fine-grained bird Atlas as tool for spatial monitoring: a case study from a remnant wetland during the breeding period (Torre Flavia, central Italy)

During the 2019 breeding period we carried out a bird atlas for a small coastal natural reserve (Torre Flavia wetland, Special Protection Area IT6030020, central Italy), comparing quantitative data of spatial occurrences with records from an analogous study carried out in 2005. From 2005 to 2019 some water-related species increased their frequency of occurrence (Fulica atra, significantly). Among the reed and rush-bed species, Acrocephalus scirpaceus spatially increased and Cisticola juncidis decreased significantly. Among ecotonal, synanthropic and open habitat species, we registered a significant increase of Chloris chloris. A decreasing trend of Passer italiae, Saxicola torquatus, Emberiza calandra, although not significant, may be probably linked to regional or continental factors. Both causes at local (reedbed expansion, rushbed reduction, water-level management) and at larger scale (decline in their continental range) can explain the observed changes in spatial occurrences during this medium-long temporal range. Local atlases can be quick tools useful to drive management strategies in remnant wetlands.

Response of specialized birds to reed-bed aging in a Mediterranean wetland: Significant changes in bird biomass after two decades

Abstract Traditional fish farming carried out in wetland is declining in many countries of Mediterranean Europe. This decline can lead to a lack of management of the reeds that tend to age progressively. In this work we compared, through a wide temporal range (2001-2019), the densities of four habitat-specialized birds (warblers), strictly linked to Phragmites australis reed-beds in a coastal wetland on the Tyrrhenian central Italy. In this wetland, following the abandonment of fish farming, the average density of reeds significantly decreased, and both the average reed diameter and habitat heterogeneity showed a significant increase. Comparing 2001 to 2019, we observed an increase in the total density of breeding warblers. The two species of Acrocephalus (scirpaceus and arundinaceus), and Cettia cetti showed a marked increase in density, while Cisticola juncidis showed a clear decrease. More particularly, a significant increase in Cettia cetti (p < 0.001) and a decrease in Cisticola juncidis (p < 0.05) emerged when comparing bird biomasses. Species diversity and evenness were more high in 2019 than in 2001. Our data suggest that: (i) these species could be considered indicators of long-term reed-bed changes and (ii) their biomass may be used as a more effective metric when compared to abundance.

Whole-genome analysis across 10 songbird families within Sylvioidea reveals a novel autosome-sex chromosome fusion.

Sex chromosomes in birds have long been considered to be extremely stable. However, this notion has lately been challenged by findings of independent autosome-sex chromosome fusions within songbirds, several of which occur within a single clade, the superfamily Sylvioidea. To understand what ecological and evolutionary processes drive changes in sex chromosome systems, we need complete descriptions of sex chromosome diversity across taxonomic groups. Here, we characterize the sex chromosome systems across Sylvioidea using whole-genome data of species representatives of 10 different families, including two published and eight new genomes. We describe a novel fusion in the family Cisticolidae (represented by Cisticola juncidis) involving a part of chromosome 4. We also confirm the previously identified fusion between chromosome Z and a part of chromosome 4A in all 10 families and show that fusions involving parts of chromosomes 3 and 5 are not found outside the families where they were first discovered (Alaudidae and Panuridae). These findings add to the complexity of the sex chromosome system in Sylvioidea, where four independent autosome-sex chromosome fusions have now been identified.

Studies on some harmful and beneficial bird species in newly reclaimed areas in Sohag Governorate

In African countries, birds damage to cereal crops represents economic losses. Serial field trials had been conducted to study some ecological aspects associated with harmful and beneficial bird species at newly reclaimed areas in Sohag Governorate, Upper Egypt. Regarding the harmful bird species, it is clear that the house sparrow, Passer domesticus niloticus was the most prevalent species in newly reclaimed areas, throughout the different year seasons. Hooded crow, Corvus corone sardonius ranked the second followed by palm dove, Streptopelia senegalensis egyptica and rock dove, Columba livia schimpari. On the other hand, crested lark, Galerida cristata and little green bee-eater, Merops orintalis clepatra were found in a few numbers during all seasons of the year. For the beneficial bird species, the results revealed that 9 beneficial and resident bird species Black-winged kite, Elanus coeruleus; fantailed warbler, Cisticola juncidis; hoopoe, Upupa epops epops; kestrl, Falco tinnunculus;little owl, Athene noctua glaux; swallow, Hirundo rustica savignii; spur winged plover, Hoplopterus spinosus; yellow wagtail, Motacilla flava and cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis ibis. White wagtail, Motacilla alba alba and chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita were found abundantly only in winter and spring seasons. With respect to the loss caused by harmful birds, the results revealed that the average of birds damage to wheat and sorghum varied according to the type of habitats. The highest birds damage occurred in crops of nearby trees, while the lowest damage was in those nearby field crops. Also, the most birds damage was recorded in the first 10 meters then, it decreased gradually towards the middle of the field. In conclusion, house sparrow, caused the most serious damage at ripening stage of considered crops. The highest damage was occurred in most cases during the ripening stages of sorghum than that of wheat crop.

Management factors affecting densities of common grassland birds of high elevation grasslands of eastern South Africa: Ingula as a case study

BackgroundWorld-wide grassland birds are in decline due to habitat loss and degradation resulting from intensive agricultural practices. Understanding how key grassland habitat attributes determine grassland bird densities is required to make appropriate conservation decisions. We examine drivers of bird densities in a South African grassland area that has been managed for biodiversity conservation with reduced grazing pressure.MethodsWe estimated the density of the eight most common grassland bird species encountered in our area to evaluate the effects of recent grassland management changes on the avifauna. We collected data on birds and habitat from the austral summers of 2006/2007, 2007/2008 and 2010/2011. We used hierarchical distance sampling methods to estimate density of birds relative to two main habitat variables, i.e., grass cover and height. In addition, we used regression splines within these distance sampling models as a more flexible description of suitable ranges of grass height and cover for each species.ResultsFor most species, density is related to grass height and cover as expected. The African Quailfinch (Ortygospiza atricollis) and Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix) preferred relatively short and open grass. The Yellow-breasted Pipit (Anthus chloris), African Pipit (Anthus cinnamomeus) and Red-capped Lark (Calandrella cinerea) preferred short and relatively dense grass, while the Wing-snapping Cisticola (Cisticola ayresii) preferred grass of intermediate height and cover. The Cape Longclaw (Macronyx capensis) and Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) preferred tall and dense grass. Our results agree with previous studies that grass height combined with grass cover are the most important habitat features that managers should manipulate in order to increase the density of target species. The regression splines show that the effect of these two habitat variables on density is well described by linear relationships for most species.ConclusionsThis study supports previous studies suggesting that grazing and fire are important tools for management to use in order to create a mosaic of grass height and cover that would support high densities of desired species. We suggest that conservation managers of these grasslands combine fire and grazing as management tools to create suitable habitats for grassland birds in general.

English

Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exillis is a small grassland warbler around 10 cm resembling that of Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis. It is a least concerned (IUCN 2014, BirdLife 2014) resident bird distributed in southern part of Uttarkhand, northern part of Uttar Pradesh, north-east and southern hills of Indian subcontinent, Nepal and Bangladesh. Few sighting records are also reported from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. Bird inhabits tall and open grasslands, scrubs, rivers, and wetlands regions up to 1200m. It builds a nest of fine grass and breeds in colonies during April to August (Grimmett at all., 1998, 2011; Grimmett & Inskipp 2007; Rasmussen & Anderton 2012).

Avian Communities of a Mixed Mopane-Acacia Savanna in the Cuvelai Drainage System, North-Central Namibia, During the Dry and Wet Season

Abstract Studies were conducted by means of the Line Transect Method in late rainy season (March), in the middle of dry season (July) and at beginning of rainy season (November).Th e total length of all transects was c. 11 km. In total, 70 resident and 13 nonresidentspecies were recorded. Th e number of species in dry season was significantly lower than in rainy season (x2-test: 14.1; p < 0.01). Th e highly significant seasonal differences in abundance were recorded for the following species: Streptopelia senegalensis, Streptopelia capicola, Uraeginthus angolensis, Cisticola juncidis, Upupa africana, Cynniris mariquensis, and Numida meleagris. In overall, five species have been classified as dominants: Streptopelia senegalensis, Streptopelia capicola, Uraeginthus angolensis, Plocepasser mahali and Cypsiurus parvus. They comprised together 43.9 %. Significant variations in the dominance structure between the wet and dry season have been evidenced. Granivores were much more numerous in the dry than in the wet season, while for the insectivores the reverse was true. Although Sorensen Coefficient was much the same between all three seasons, the Shannon’s Diversity Index was lower in July than in March and November.

The Grassland Birds of Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India, with Special Reference to the Impact of Grazing-Free Enclosures

Grassland bird composition was studied in grazed (village grazing lands) and ungrazed grasslands (grassland enclosures of the Forest Department) at Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary from August 1992 to July 1994, using belt transect sampling. A total of 32 grassland dependent birds (21 resident, 4 winter migrant, and 7 seasonal migrant) were recorded in both the habitat types. Of these, 25 species were recorded in each of the two habitat types with 20 of them common to both. Although based on small sample size, our study showed that the species composition differed between grazed and ungrazed grasslands. Five species common in grazed grassland (Indian Courser Cursorius coromandelicus , Redwattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus , Red-winged Bush-Lark Mirafra erythroptera , Rufous-tailed Finch-Lark Ammomanes phoenicurus , and Plain Prinia Prinia inornata ) were not recorded in ungrazed grassland, while two species common in ungrazed grassland (Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis and Black Drongo Edolius macrocercus ) were not recorded in grazed grassland. The abundance of certain bird species differed between the grazed and ungrazed grassland. Ungrazed grassland had higher numbers of Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula , while the numbers of Sykes's Crested Lark Galerida deva , Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix grisea , and Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus were greater in grazed grassland. These differences could be due to the impact of livestock grazing, protection, the interaction of relative abundance of food resources and foraging strategy of birds, and/or other unknown factors. The study suggests that mosaics of grazed and ungrazed grasslands may result in an increase in grassland bird diversity. However, since the majority of Indian grasslands are grazed, we recommend the establishment of more grazing-free refuges encompassing different grassland types, to conserve bird species intolerant to grazing. There necessarily has also to be a landscape-level conservation strategy since the majority of India's grasslands have high human dependence, and thus, their conservation requires the support of local communities in the long run.

Effects of environmental and management factors on the structure of bird communities in the grasslands of northeastern Tochigi, central Japan

Bird communities were surveyed in grasslands and adjacent forest edges in 11 and 14 pastures and meadows of northeastern Tochigi, central Japan, from May to early August and May to June in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Using the strip transect method, 36 bird species were recorded. They were divided into six ecological groups depending on their occurrence in the two types of habitat: six grassland specialists including the Eurasian skylark (Alauda arvensisL.) and the fan-tailed warbler (Cisticola juncidis (Rafinesque)), two semi-grassland species including the barn swallow (Hirundo rusticaL.) and the cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis (L.)), nine semi-forest species, such as the Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus (L.)), the Japanese bush warbler (Cettia diphone (Kittlitz)), and the brown-eared bulbul (Hypsipetes amaurotis (Temminck)), six forest specialists, such as the eastern great tit (Parus minorL.), seven generalists, such as the oriental greenfinch (Chloris sinica (L.)) and the black-eared kite (Milvus migrans (Boddaert)), and six other infrequent species. The bird communities were separated into three groups using principal component analysis (PCA). Combined PCA and multiple regression analyses indicated that the structure of the bird communities was influenced by the height and species richness of vegetation, altitude, and mean annual temperature as major factors.

Do wheat, barley and oats provide similar habitat and food resources for birds in cereal steppes?

Vegetation structure and seed abundance were compared across three types of cereal fields (wheat, barley and oats) in Castro Verde (Portugal). Bird abundance and species richness were also compared across cereal types, during winter, breeding and post-breeding seasons. There was a gradient of increasing vegetation height and density in the sequence oats<barley<wheat. Seed and total bird abundance decreased along the same gradient (oats>barley>wheat) during winter, but no difference was found for the breeding and post-breeding seasons. Significant differences were also obtained for skylark Alauda arvensis and fan-tailed warbler Cisticola juncidis, respectively, for winter and breeding seasons. Bird species richness was not influenced by cereal type in any season. Different cereal species provide different habitat and food resources for birds. This should be taken into account when defining agri-environmental management rules.

Habitat selection of passerine birds nesting in the Ebro Delta reedbeds (NE Spain): Management implications

In this study, we explored the habitat associations of the five most abundant passerine species nesting in the Ebro Delta reedbeds (NE Spain). Habitat characteristics (water depth, vegetation height and density, and plant-species composition) and abundance of all passerine species were measured at each of the 68 sampling points. The sampled area included most of the reedbeds in the Ebro Delta. Sampling points were classified according to the habitat paramenters measured using cluster analysis. The resulting four habitat types differed in the composition and attributes of their passerine communities. The abundance of the great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) and reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) was greatest in tall, permanently inundated and almost monospecific Phragmites reedbeds. In contrast, the numbers of the reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) and Savi’s warbler (Locustella luscinioides) were greatest in areas of drier soils and a denser basal stratum. Finally, the fan-tailed warbler (Cisticola juncidis) showed no clear habitat association. In the Ebro Delta, reedbed management includes freshwater inputs and burning of standing reeds. These practices promote tall, permanently inundated reedbeds with minimal detrital accumulation. Bird species richness and diversity were greater in less intensely-managed habitats, but only diversity was significant (p<0.001). We conclude that, since reedbeds are important habitats for several scarce bird species, and the abundance of these species seem to be influenced by vegetation structure, bird conservation considerations should be incorporated into future reedbed management practices.

A preliminary study of the breeding bird community of fallows of cereal steppes in southern Portugal

SummaryCounts of breeding birds in fallow land of Castro Verde region, the main steppe area of Portugal, were carried out during the spring of 1994, and the population densities of the most common species were estimated. The bird community is relatively simple, with a low species richness and diversity. Nevertheless, it includes several species with unfavourable conservation status. The most common species were Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra and Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax, with a mean density of, respectively, 5.6 and 2.6 males/10 ha. Other breeding species in the studied fallows include Great Bustard Otis tarda, Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra, Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla, Little Owl Athene noctua, Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus, Quail Coturnix coturnix and Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis. The results suggest that there are differences in population densities in fallows of different age and grazing intensity.

Effects of neighbours: costs of polyterritoriality in the Fan-tailed WarblerCisticola juncidis

The Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis is a polygynous and territorial passerine. Eleven territories were established at an edge habitat over the 3 years of study. All of the owners which were adjacent to only one neighbouring territory attempted to hold secondary territories and four males succeeded in establishing secondary territories. On the contrary, five males adjacent to two neighbours did not attempt to leave their primary territories. The probability of establishing a secondary territory in the Fan-tailed Warbler seems to depend on the risk of intrusion by neighbours.

Mate switching in multibrooded House Wrens

-We studied within-season mate switching in two populations of House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) in central Illinois over nine breeding seasons. On the East Bay site, 35.2% of the monogamous pairs switched mates. On this less-preferred habitat, there were fewer potential mates. In contrast, on the Mackinaw site, 58.8% of the monogamous pairs switched mates, and there were potential mates available throughout the breeding season. There was no consistent immediate reproductive cost or benefit to mate switching. We suggest that mate switching in these House Wren populations is a consequence of varying mate availability and differing gender-related costs of facultative polygyny and territoriality. Because females incubate the eggs and brood the chicks, males have the first opportunity to desert their mate and offspring, which often results in polygynous matings. After the chicks leave the nest, males that feed fledglings may lose their territory and the opportunity to breed again. Females do not incur such a cost, and they easily move to another territory and another mate. Frequencies and relative costs and benefits of mate switching also varied considerably among three other House Wren populations. This reveals considerable flexibility in response to different demographic and environmental situations. Knowledge of the basis for this variability is important to understand mate choice in birds. Received 14 February 1990, accepted 14 July 1990. THE DEGREE to which mated birds maintain the pair bond between breeding attempts within a single breeding season varies among species and among populations within a species. Multibrooded passerines often display almost complete mate fidelity, with the male caring for the offspring while his mate begins the next nest (see reviews in Nice 1930, Burns 1983). In these species, the advantages of mate fidelity (e.g. familiarity of mate and territory) outweigh the advantages of mate switching (finding a better mate or territory). Some species that regularly switch mates within seasons include European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris; Feare and Burnham 1978), Prairie Warblers (Dendroica discolor; Nolan 1978), Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea; Carey and Nolan 1979), Winter Wrens (Troglodytes troglodytes; Garson 1980), Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica; Shields 1984), Song Sparrows (Melodia melospiza; Weatherhead and Boak 1986), Fan-tailed Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis; Ueda 1986), and Pinon Jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus; Marzluff and Balda 1988). The decision of a pair to separate will depend upon the relative costs and benefits of switching to a new partner, and upon mate availability (Maynard Smith 1977). If no potential mates are available, a bird must choose between breeding with its previous mate or not breeding. If new potential mates are available, birds that suffer from low reproductive success at their first nest may have higher subsequent reproductive success if they switch mates. Thus, if there is a direct relationship between immediate reproductive success and mate switching, birds with failed nests should be more likely to switch mates than those with successful nests, and birds that switch mates after nest failure should be more successful subsequently than those not switching. Birds switch mates for various reasons. They may be attempting to increase their reproductive success by finding a more experienced, older mate. They may be attempting to minimize the time between nesting attempts, or to obtain a higher-quality territory (Shields 1984). Switching to an older, more experienced mate may result in higher reproductive success because, in some species, more experienced or older birds have higher reproductive success than less experienced, younger individuals (Rowley 1983). If so, the frequency of mate switching should be lowest in old/experienced pairs, intermediate in mixed old/experienced-young/ inexperienced pairs, and highest in young/inexperienced pairs. Switching could also increase reproductive success by minimizing the time between nesting attempts, if breeding seasons are short or reproductive success decreases as the breeding season progresses (Burns 1983). 60 The Auk 108: 60-70. January 1991 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.51 on Wed, 10 Aug 2016 05:35:54 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms January 1991] Mate Switching in House Wrens 61 In this case, if one parent can raise at least some of the brood alone, the other parent should abandon the first brood and switch to another

Individual differences in the displays of Fan‐tailed Warblers Cisticola juncidis: associations with territory and male quality

Etude des variations interindividuelles des performances des mâles de C. juncidis et des relations entre ces variations et la qualite du territoire du mâle

Re‐use of courtship nests for quick remating in the polygynous Fan‐tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis

In a population of Fan‐tailed Warblers Cisticola juncidis near Osaka, Japan, the males were polygynous, building a succession of elaborate courtship nests within their territories, and advertising them to females. Nest desertion by females frequently occurred early in the breeding cycle. Deserted nests were generally left untouched, but 17 out of 88 territorial males cleaned and re‐used 20 of 79 nests deserted by females for their next courtship. The frequency of nest re‐use increased with season. Of the re‐used nests six (300%) were re‐occupied by secondary females. Newly built nests were preferred to the ‘second‐hand’ nests, probably because new nests were likely to last longer. Breeding success did not differ between the two categories of nests. In males, nest re‐use seems to save time and energy expenditure for additional mating.

セッカ&lt;i&gt;Cisticola juncidis&lt;/i&gt;のオス・メス判別法

In the Fan-tailed Warbler population, males were found to have significantly longer wings than females. There was no overlap, except two adult males with the shortest wings and one female with the longest ones, contrary to the observations of Gauci & Sultana (1981). The same was also true for juveniles, there was no overlap. There were also significant differences in body weight and bill length between adult males and females, however, these measurements were not used for sexing because of overlapping. In juveniles, body weight and bill lenght did not differ significantly between the sexes.

Brood Desertion in the Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis

In the polygynous Fan-tailed Warbler Cistcola junicidis, complete clutches and nestlings were frequently deserted by parent females late in the breeding stage.1) Desertion by females inevitably means loss of offspring, because the eggs and young are left without parental care.2) The mortality rate caused by desertion was 9.3% of eggs incubated and 15.2% of nestlings.3) The desertion showed a strong seasonal pattern. Twelve (40%) out of 30 nests during and after August, were deserted in contrast to only three (1.9%) out of 160 nests before August.4) Some proximate factors favoring such desertion are discussed. Self maintenance against delay of moult and migration seems to be important, although it is costly for females to desert grown offspring.

A Polygamous Social System of the Fan‐tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis

AbstractThe social system of an individually‐marked population of the fan‐tailed warbler Cisticola juncidis was studied in Japan, over six breeding seasons from 1978 to 1983. More than 127 males established territories, some 50–70% were polygynists each year. Territorial males were replaced frequently within seasons. Females were less faithful than males to their first breeding sites. Perennial or seasonal pair bonds were rare, maintained over two successive breeding attempts, by only 13.6% of females. Half the females left the area after one breeding attempt. Frequent divorce, rapid and multiple remating of females, multiple breedings, and female movement over a wide area all combine to skew breeding sex ratio from unity and favor polygyny.