Ficedula Zanthopygia Research Articles

Multi-dimensional niche differentiation of two sympatric breeding secondary cave-nesting birds in Northeast China using DNA metabarcoding.

Niche theory predicts that ecologically similar sympatric species should show differentiation in at least one of the main niche dimensions (time, space, and/or food). Here, we combined observations of breeding timing, nest site selection, and diet (the latter determined using DNA metabarcoding) to analyze the niche overlap and differentiation between two sympatric secondary cavity-nesting birds, the Japanese Tit Parus minor and the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia. The results showed that (1) there were significant differences in the first egg laying date, length of the egg laying period, incubation date, and hatching date between tits and flycatchers, and the breeding time of flycatchers peaked later (about 30 days) than that of tits; (2) the two species had a large overlap in nest site selection, although the canopy coverage and shrub density of flycatchers were significantly higher than those of tits; and (3) the niche overlap in diet was minimal, with both species heavily relying on Lepidoptera (39.6% and 63.7% for tits and flycatchers, respectively), but with flycatchers consuming significantly higher percentages of Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Coleoptera than tits. The results indicate that these two sympatric secondary cavity-nesting species have significant niche differentiation in breeding time and diet, but little differentiation in nest site selection.

Does social information affect the settlement decisions of resident birds in their second breeding attempt? A case study of the Japanese Tit (Parusminor)

Individuals may gather information about environmental conditions when deciding where to breed in order to maximize their lifetime fitness. They can obtain social information by observing conspecifics and heterospecifics with similar ecological needs. Many studies have shown that birds can rely on social information to select their nest sites. The location of active nests and the reproductive success of conspecifics and heterospecifics can provide accurate predictions about the quality of the breeding habitat. Some short-lived species can facultatively reproduce two and/or more times within a breeding season. However, few studies have focused on how multiple-brooding individuals select nest sites for their second breeding attempts. In this study, we use long-term data to test whether the Japanese Tit (Parus minor) can use social information from conspecifics and/or heterospecifics (the Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea, the Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus and the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia) to select a nest site for the second breeding attempt. Our results showed that the nest boxes occupied by tits on their second breeding attempt tended to be surrounded by more breeding conspecific nests, successful first nests of conspecifics, and fewer failed first nests of conspecifics than the nest boxes that remained unoccupied (the control group). However, the numbers of breeding heterospecific nests, successful heterospecific nests, and failed heterospecific nests did not differ between the nest boxes occupied by tits on their second breeding attempt and the unoccupied nest boxes. Furthermore, the tits with local successful breeding experience tended to choose areas with more successful first nests of conspecifics than those without successful breeding experience. Thus, we suggest that conspecifics' but not heterospecifics’ social information within the same breeding season is the major factor influencing the nest site selection of Japanese Tits during second breeding attempts.

Organization of the Song of the Yellow-Rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia, Muscicapidae, Aves)

Organization of the Song of the Yellow-Rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia, Muscicapidae, Aves)

Organization of song of the Yellow-rumped flycatcher (<i>Ficedula zanthopygia</i>, Muscicapidae, Aves)

Birdsong consists of stereotypical song types or syllables which follow each other according to certain rules. Based on these rules, linear and combinatorial syntaxes are identified. The former one implies a fixed sequence of song types repeated cyclically. In the combinatorial syntax, there are clusters of song types, within which song types may be performed in a varying sequence. The structure and organization of birdsong have been described for many species, but still remain unexplored for most of them. We studied for the first time the song structure and organization, as well as song sharing for the Yellow-rumped flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia (Hay, 1845). First of all, we determined the repertoire of song types in each male. Then, the organization of singing was analyzed using methods of information theory and network analysis. To analyze the patterns of song sharing, we compared all song types of all males. Individual repertoires consisted from 8–31 song types. While singing, male flycatchers avoid repeating the same song type two or more times in a row (continuous variety). At the same time, different song types alternate with a much degree of freedom: we did not reveal any patterns which could indicate the presence of either linear or combinatorial syntax. Males generally shared few song types, and the similarity of the repertoires of any two males was small. Besides, males did not preferably use shared or individual (i.e., found in the only one male) song types. Song sharing was not related to the distance between males. The results were compared to what is known about the song structure and organization of the other three Ficedula species studied to date.

Nowhere to escape: the cross‐age avian haemosporidian exposure of migrants in northeast China

Pathogen infection has been progressively recognized as a potential driver of animal migration, and the infection pattern in a certain host may be related to its migration status. Nestling viability can be a crucial life stage in the evolution of the migration cycle but have been irregularly studied to date. In this study, we tested the ‘migratory exposure' hypothesis by comparing the prevalence and diversity of avian haemosporidian parasites in the breeding area between two dominant species including adults and nestlings: yellow‐rumped flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia, which is a summer migratory species, and Japanese tit Parus minor, which is a local resident species. The yellow‐rumped flycatcher harboured more diverse parasite lineages than the Japanese tit, which is in line with the expectation of the ‘migratory exposure' hypothesis, while nestlings present a similar but more applicable pattern. Among the 40 unique identified parasite lineages, only one was shared between host species and three between age classes. Nestlings suffered a high parasite diversity with plenty of age‐specific lineages in the breeding area, mainly Leucocytozoon, which may suggest an extraordinary selection pressure in early life‐stages during migration. However, the most common lineages in adults were not detected in nestlings, and the prevalence of infection is significantly lower in nestlings than in adults. Our results suggest that migratory birds may have suffered from more frequent parasite infections during migration, but escaped from more virulent lineages at the same time. The difference in susceptibility and parasite assembly between adults and nestlings in migrants may result from an intricate interaction along the evolution of life history. Our investigations have revealed the significance of avian haemosporidian parasite infection patterns in nestlings in breeding areas, and provide a novel insight into the driving forces of migration.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia) from Maorshan, China

The Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia) is a secondary cavity nesting bird and widely distributed in China, Mongolia, Russia and Korea. In this study firstly sequenced the mitotic genome of the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia) gathered at Maorshan, China, using Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology, and then annotated the assembly. The total length of the complete mitochondrial genome is 16,730 bp and it consists of 13 protein-coding, 22 tRNA, 2 rRNA genes, and 1 control region (CR). The CR is 1148 bp in length. The nucleotide composition is 29.59% A, 14.75% T, 32.13% G, 23.54% C. The result of phylogenetic analysis showed that there is close genetic relationship among Ficedula zanthopygia and Ficedula hyperythra.

Between Hopes and Threats: New Migratory Birds Records on the Sawala Mandapa Education and Training Forest, Indonesia

Java Island is one of the tropical areas for bird migration, especially the Asian-Australian flyway of migratory birds. The SMETF is one of the protected forest areas that migratory birds can visit in Java. This research aims to identify migratory birds in SMETF. Transect and point count methods are used to observe migratory bird movements and their activities. In the research area, four migratory birds were identified: Ficedula zanthopygia, Agropsar sturninus, Pernis ptilorhynchus o., and Accipiter soloensis. The first and second species showed many activities for four months from October 2020 to January 2021, and this is an indication that both are using the research site as a wintering habitat. The activities of the Pernis ptilorhynchus o., Accipiter soloensis were dominated by flying “flock” over the forest. Only the Pernis ptilorhynchus was observed carrying out hunting activities, indicating that this bird uses the area as a stopover area. This research also identified illegal hunting techniques, such as ngaleugeut and mikat, as severe threats to migratory birds in the SMETF.

Hitchhiking into the future on a fly: Toward a better understanding of phoresy and avian louse evolution (Phthiraptera) by screening bird carcasses for phoretic lice on hippoboscid flies (Diptera)

AbstractMany phoretic relationships between arthropods are understudied because of taxonomic impediments. We here illustrate for avian lice riding on hippoboscid flies how new natural history data on phoretic relationships can be acquired quickly with modern and cost‐effective barcoding techniques. Most avian lice are host‐specific, but some can arrive on new hosts by hitchhiking on hippoboscid flies that feed on bird blood. Our summary of the literature yielded 254 published records which we here show to belong to two large and 13 small interaction networks for birds, flies, and lice. In order to generate new records, we developed a protocol based on screening bird carcasses sourced with the help of citizen scientists. The inspection of 131 carcasses from Singapore led to the first record of a Guimaraesiella Eichler (Ischnocera: Philopteridae) louse species riding on Ornithoica momiyamai Kishida flies collected from a pitta carcass. Phoresy may explain why this louse species is now known from three phylogenetically disparate hosts (Pitta moluccensis (Müller), Ficedula zanthopygia (Hay); Pardaliparus elegans Lesson). A second new case of phoresy enhanced a large interaction network dominated by Ornithophila metallica (Schiner), a cosmopolitan and polyphagous hippoboscid fly species. Overall, we argue that many two‐ and three‐way phoretic relationships between arthropods (e.g., mites, pseudoscorpions, beetles, flies) can be resolved with cost‐effective large‐scale NGS barcoding, which can be used to partially overcome taxonomic impediments by pre‐sorting specimens for taxonomic revision.

Mate choice for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) complementarity in the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia)

BackgroundGenes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are an important component of the vertebrate immune system and play a significant role in mate choice in animal populations. However, the MHC genetic targets of female mate choice have not been clearly identified, and whether female mate choice is based on neutral genetic characteristics remains an open question. Here, we focus on the effects of morphological traits and genetic similarity among individuals in MHC class IIB (MHC IIB) exon 2 on mating in a sexually dimorphic songbird that exhibits social monogamy with extra-pair paternity (EPP).MethodsWe sequenced 64 parent–offspring triads sampled over a 3-year period using two MHC class II loci to detect disassortative mating in the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia).ResultsWe found that MHC similarity in social pairs was lower than that in random pairs. Extra-pair mate choice according to MHC IIB was observed, in which females’ extra-pair mates had fewer MHC alleles than their within-pair mates, but there was no significant band-sharing between extra-pair sires and potential extra-pair mates. However, the interaction between the MHC diversity of females and that of the social males affected the occurrence of EPP.ConclusionsOur results support the “optimality hypothesis” of MHC-based social and extra-pair choice. Female choice probably maintains a certain level of MHC diversity in offspring in the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher.

First record of Yellow-Rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia (Hay, 1845) (Aves: Passeriformes: Muscicapidae) in eastern India

The Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia is an extremely rare bird and historically recorded from two localities in central India and southern India. We record its sighting from Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary of Odisha, eastern India. This offers an opportunity for additional survey throughout the recorded localities to explain its wintering status in India.

Low level of extra-pair paternity between nearest neighbors results from female preference for high-quality males in the yellow-rumped flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia).

Extra-pair copulation is considered to be a means by which females can modify their initial mate choice, and females might obtain indirect benefits to offspring fitness by engaging in this behavior. Here, we examined the patterns of extra-pair paternity and female preferences in the yellow-rumped flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia). We found that female yellow-rumped flycatchers are more likely to choose larger and relatively highly heterozygous males than their social mates as extra-pair mates, that the genetic similarity of pairs that produced mixed-paternity offspring did not differ from the similarity of pairs producing only within-pair offspring, and that extra-pair offspring were more heterozygous than their half-siblings. These findings support the good genes hypothesis but do not exclude the compatibility hypothesis. Most female yellow-rumped flycatchers attained extra-pair paternity with distant males rather than their nearest accessible neighboring males, and no differences in genetic and phenotypic characteristics were detected between cuckolded males and their nearest neighbors. There was no evidence that extra-pair mating by female flycatchers reduced inbreeding. Moreover, breeding density, breeding synchrony and their interaction did not affect the occurrence of extra-pair paternity in this species. Our results suggest that the variation in extra-pair paternity distribution between nearest neighbors in some passerine species might result from female preference for highly heterozygous males.

Breeding habitat characteristics and nest survival of yellow-rumped flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia) in natural tree-cavities

Studies of nest-site selection and reproduction are essential for bird species assessment and conservation. We compared breeding habitats and random sites within a secondary cavity-nesting bird, Yellowrumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia), in a 5-year studying period in northeast China. We also modeled the effects of factors on daily nest survival rates. The flycatcher nest cavities were mostly located in tree trunks, with only 15% found in limbs. They often located their nests in east and south direction (45°–180°) with dense canopy cover surrounding the nest trees. Yellow-rumped Flycatcher nest-site selection appears to be nonrandom, such that they select nest sites with higher tree density and higher canopy closure. Yellowrumped Flycatcher daily nest survival rate was 0.9731 ± 0.007. Daily nest survival increased with increasing percent cover of canopy closure and decreased with the distance closing to the edges. The causes for nest failure were mainly nest usurpation by other secondary cavity-nesters. Predation rate and the competition for cavities with other secondary cavity-nesters may constrain the ability of Yellow-rumped Flycatchers to optimize nest nest-site selection.

Taxonomy of the Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina complex: an integrative approach using morphological, bioacoustic and multilocus DNA data

The taxonomy of the Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina–Yellow‐rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia complex from East Asia has long been debated. Most authors recognize two species: F. narcissina, with the subspecies narcissina (most of Japan and Sakhalin Island), owstoni (south Japanese islands) and elisae (northeast China) and F. zanthopygia (monotypic), although species status has been proposed for elisae and sometimes for owstoni. Here, we revise the taxonomy of this complex based on an integrative approach utilizing morphology, songs and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA for all taxa. All taxa were diagnosably different in plumage, and there were also structural differences among them, although the northernmost populations of owstoni (sometimes recognized as jakuschima and shonis) were somewhat intermediate in plumage, structure and male plumage maturation between southern populations of owstoni and narcissina. All taxa had different songs, and a discriminant function analysis of four song variables correctly classified 100% of all songs. A strongly supported phylogeny was recovered based on three mitochondrial genes and three nuclear introns (total of 3543 bp), revealing a sister relationship between F. zanthopygia and the other taxa, between F. n. narcissina and F. n. owstoni, and between F. n. elisae and F. n. narcissina + F. n. owstoni. The corrected COI distances among the three F. narcissina subspecies ranged from 2.8% (narcissina–owstoni) to 8.2% (narcissina–elisae). We suggest that the congruent differences in multiple independent traits and the deep genetic divergences among the four taxa in the F. narcissina–F. zanthopygia complex support treatment of all of these taxa as separate species. However, we acknowledge the paucity of data for F. owstoni and recommend further studies of this taxon. We suggest listing both F. elisae and F. owstoni, which have small and fragmented populations, as globally threatened.

ЖЕЛТОСПИННАЯ МУХОЛОВКА FICEDULA ZANTHOPYGIA (HAY, 1845) У СЕВЕРНОЙ ГРАНИЦЫ АРЕАЛА НА БУРЕИНСКОМ НАГОРЬ

The Yellow-rumped Flycatcher is distributed in Priamurye to the North up to 53°NL, and in Bureinsky uplands up to 51°07’ by NL. In the subboreal zone of uplands it gets into mountains not higher than 200-250 m a.s.l., and in the boreal – to 450-500 m a.s.l. Migrations in all the areas of uplands happen approximately at the same time: the spring one – in mid or late May, the autumn one – in the second decade of August. In the subboreal zone of uplands (southeast part) the highest number is observed in the broad-leaved and mixed woods. In the boreal zone of uplands the highest number is observed in an anthropogenous landscape of internal areas in the secondary slope woods. Look number in the northern part of the geographic range (Priamurye) is higher, than in its southern part (Primorye). The northern border of the range is characterized by the overlap of initial stages of a post-nuptial molt with the period of feeding of nested baby birds. The beginning of a post-juvenile molt is shifted, apparently, for later term. The penetration into internal areas of uplands which is observed in the last 80-100 years is the consequence of the current climatic changes as well as the anthropogenous transformation of the environment.

Brood parasitism on the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia) by the Oriental Cuckoo (Cuculus optatus) in an artificial nestbox in Beijing

Brood parasitism on the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia) by the Oriental Cuckoo (Cuculus optatus) in an artificial nestbox in Beijing

Differentiating nest sites characteristics of four sympatric cavity-nesting birds

Diverse group of cavity-nesting birds inhabit secondary forests of northeastern China, accounting for about one-third of breeding avian species. We examined differences in nest-site characteristics among four cavity-nesting birds, including two cavity excavators (i.e., great spotted woodpecker [Dendrocopos major] and grey-headed woodpecker [Picus canus]) and two secondary cavity-nesters (i.e., yellow-rumped flycatcher [Ficedula zanthopygia] and Eurasian nuthatch [Sitta europaea]) in Dagang Forestry Farm, Jilin Province, China. We detected total 160 active hole nests in the breeding season of 2008, including 58 nests of cavity excavators and 102 of secondary cavity-nesters. Secondary cavity-nesters tend to prefer Salix pierotii for nestingtrees, but the excavators not. Picus canus used south-facing cavities, which may have been due to thermal advantages. Nest tree and nest-site quadrat characteristics were different between the two excavator species. Specifically, there were significant differences in the entrance diameter and cavity inner diameter between the nest sites of Dendrocopos major and Picus canus, and the entrance length and canopy height of nest tree between Ficedula zanthopygia and Sitta europaea. The characteristics at the scale of nest tree were 第 6期 周春发等: 四种同域分布洞巢鸟的巢址特征比较 717 important for distinguishing nest sites for cavity excavators as well as secondary cavity-nesters. Discriminant analyses illustrated that Ficedula zanthopygia and Sitta europaea used cavities excavated by Dendrocopos major and Picus canus, respectively. Differences in size of nesting holes excavated by different woodpeckers could affect the usage of nest sites by secondary cavity-nesters, which may have an impact on avian community structure in secondary forests.

北京西山地区大山雀与其它鸟类种群种间联结分析

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 北京西山地区大山雀与其它鸟类种群种间联结分析 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201302060247 作者: 作者单位: 北京林业大学,北京林业大学,北京林业大学,北京林业大学,北京市西山试验林场,北京市西山试验林场,北京林业大学,北京林业大学 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家林业公益性行业科研专项经费项目(200904019) Interspecific associations between Parus major and other bird communities in Beijing Xishan region Author: Affiliation: Beijing Forestry University,Beijing,Beijing Forestry University,Beijing,Beijing Forestry University,Beijing,,Beijing Xishan Experimental Forest Farm,Beijing,Beijing Xishan Experimental Forest Farm,Beijing,Beijing Forestry University,Beijing,Beijing Forestry University,Beijing Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:引入2×2列联表联结指数法,用固定样带法月连续全天定位调查数据,以森林鸟类广布种山雀科大山雀(Parus major)为目标种,研究了北京西山地区该种与留鸟、夏候鸟、冬候鸟、旅鸟的种间联结关系,结合前人关于营巢行为、取食行为、生态位等方面成果分析了产生联结的原因,首次确立了鸟类群落种间联结的研究方法。结果表明:(1)用固定样带法月连续全天定位调查,引入2×2列联表以日尺度的定性数据检验与测定联结度,与月尺度的联结频率结合起来,分析鸟类群落的种间联结是可行的;鸟类群落的种间联结具有时间与空间尺度的双重属性,鸟类群落的种间联结度不仅是鸟类群落时空结构与格局的表征,同时,反映了鸟类群落的动态性,而且,鸟类群落的种间联结对栖息的植物群落具有依赖性与关联性。(2)日尺度上,选择χ2统计量、PCC与PC指数相结合进行种间联结检验、测度,能充分反映鸟类群落的种间联结特征,但由于鸟类的居留、繁殖、迁移等季节动态性特征,种间联结度存有不确定性。(3)月尺度上,鸟类总体种间联结8月份为显著负联结,其余各月为显著正联结;根据PCC联结度的月联结频率,可将鸟类划分为正联结组、正负联结均较弱组、负联结组;大山雀与留鸟、夏候鸟、冬候鸟、旅鸟等不同居留型的联结关系,随着种数的减少,显著联结种对、联结度、联结复杂程度呈递减趋势。大山雀与留鸟的联结:与鸦科鸟类呈明显正联结,与同科鸟类呈正负均等的弱联结并趋于负联结,与体型较大的雉、啄木鸟、乌鸦等鸟类呈负联结。大山雀与夏候鸟的联结:与杜鹃科四声杜鹃呈正联结,与同科的黄腹山雀、鹟科的白眉姬鹟正负联结均较弱,与莺科的黄腰柳莺、鸫科的北红尾鸲等呈负联结。大山雀与冬候鸟的联结:与岩鹨科棕眉山岩鹨的正负联结均较弱,与鸫科的斑鸫、鹀科多种鸟类呈明显的负联结。大山雀与旅鸟的联结:与莺科鸟类由正负联结均较弱到明显的负联结。 Abstract:This paper researched the interspecific associations between Parus major, which is a forest widespread species, and other four settlement pattern birds (resident, summer migrant, winter migrant and migratory bird) in Beijing Xishan based on the use of 2×2 contingency table, association (similarity) coefficients and fixed strip method. The causes of species-associations were analyzed by reviewing literatures on the nest-building behavior, the feeding behavior and niche characteristics. The method of bird community species-associations was established for the first time in this study. The results showed that: (1)Analyzing species-associations of bird communities was possible by using the method of field survey, combining qualitative data test and association (similarity) coefficients under day time scale and frequency of species-associations under monthly scale; The bird species-associations had dual properties of temporal and spatial scales, which not only illuminated the temporal-spatial structure characterizations but also reflected the dynamics of these birds communities. At the same time, bird species-associations depended on the plant communities of the habitat. (2)The result showed that the combination of χ2 test, point correlation coefficient (PCC) and percentage co-ocurrence(PC) was an effective way to measure the associations under day time scale. However, because of seasonal dynamic characteristics of the residence, breeding, migration of birds, the bird species-associations had uncertainty. (3)Significant positive correlation was found in the overall correlation of all species from March to next January, except for August reflecting significant negative correlation under monthly scale. According to the monthly frequency of PCC, the bird communities in Beijing Xishan region were divided into three types: positive association groups, weak positive and negative association groups, negative association groups; With the reduction of species, the species pairs and the complicated degree of interspecific associations showed decreasing trend between the parus major and four settlement pattern birds (resident, summer migrant, winter migrant and migratory bird). The species-associations between parus major and resident: the pairs of parus major and Corvidae showed positive correlation; the pairs of parus major and Paridae showed that weak interspecific association with equipotent positive and negative frequency of PCC tend to form negative correlation; the pairs of parus major and morphological significant lagrer resident (ie, Phasianidae, Picidae etc) showed negative correlation. The species-associations between parus major and summer migrant: the pairs of parus major and Cuculus micropterus showed positive correlation; the pairs of parus major and Parus venustulus, parus major and Ficedula zanthopygia showed weak interspecific association with equipotent positive and negative frequency of PCC; The pairs of parus major and Phylloscopus proregulus, parus major and Phoenicurus auroreus showed negative correlation. The species-associations between parus major and winter migrant: the pairs of parus major and Prunella montanella showed weak interspecific association with equipotent positive and negative frequency of PCC; The pairs of parus major and Turdus naumanni, parus major and most of Emberizidae showed significant negative correlation. The species-associations between parus major and migratory bird: the pairs of parus major and Sylviidae showed that weak interspecific association with equipotent positive and negative frequency of PCC tend to form significant negative correlation. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

The Using Rate of Breeding Birds by Artificial Nest Boxes Type at Orchard Area

We installed two types of artificial nest boxes, made by wood chip mixed with cement (A-type) and recycled styrofoam (B-type) at the orchard areas (Apple Research Institute) in Sobo-myeon, Gunwi-gun, Gyungbuk Province in march 2003. And then, the breeding birds using the nest boxes were recorded during the breeding season of 2003 and 2004 for finding the effectiveness of two different nest boxes. A total bred birds were five species, Great Tit (Parus major), Coal Tit (Parus ater), Varied Tit (Parus varius), Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) and Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia). Sixteen pairs Great tits were bred in the nest boxes, so this species was the most dominant breeder and followed by Coal Tit three pairs, Varied Tit three pairs, Tree Sparrow two pairs and Yellow-rumped Flycatcher two pairs. The using rate of nest boxes was 28.2% (11 out of 39) and 38.5% (15 out of 39) in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Thus, the using rate was increased in 2004. Birds were using only A-type nest boxes, so the using rate of A-type was 68.0% (17 out of 25) while none of bird used B-type (0 out of 14). From this result, the breeding bird showed preference for better nest boxes (A-type) when there were abundant breeding sites.

Home ranges and habitat vegetation characters in breeding season of Narcissus Flycatcher and Yellow-rumped Flycatcher

The home ranges of the Narcissus Flycatcher (Ficedula narcissina elisae) and the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (F. zanthopygia) are measured by radio telemetry in a subalpine forest near Beijing, China. The home range is calculated by 100% Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP), and the area varies from 2,000 to 5,000 m2. The majority of flycatchers can be found in the bottom of valleys and the underside of mountains. It is fairly rare for both Flycatcher species to leave their nests more than 70 m. Individuals of the species in pair-banding and nest-detecting periods have larger home ranges than those in incubation and rearing periods. The levels of canopy coverage in the home ranges of Narcissus Flycatchers are significantly higher than that of Yellow-rumped Flycatchers. There are also more tall trees and stumps in the home ranges of Narcissus Flycatchers than in that of Yellow-rumped Flycatchers. The dominant tree species in the home ranges of Narcissus Flycatchers is Dahurian Birch (Betula dahurica), whereas Manchurian Walnut (Juglans mandshurica) is the dominant tree species in the home ranges of Yellow-rumped Flycatchers.

Edge effects on nesting success of cavity-nesting birds in fragmented forests

Forest fragmentation leads to the creation of isolated forest patches and habitat edges with subsequent impact on forest-interior bird species. Although the effects of fragmentation and edge on avian nesting success are well documented for open cup-nesting species in eastern deciduous forests in North America, it is unclear whether these effects are common for all birds nesting in predominantly forested landscapes. In particular, edge effects on nesting success of cavity-nesting birds are poorly understood. Using natural cavity nests, we examined nesting success of four species of cavity-nesting birds (two nonexcavators and two excavators), the yellow-rumped flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia), the great tit (Parus major), the great spotted woodpecker (Picoides major), and the grey-faced woodpecker (Picus canus) in relation to forest edges in Zuojia Nature Reserve, Jilin province, northeastern China. Our primary objective was to assess whether distance to the edge of agricultural lands was related to nesting success for cavity-nesting birds in fragmented forests. A total of 439 natural cavity nests of the four species were located and monitored during four breeding seasons. Probability of nest success was influenced by distance to forest edge for nonexcavators, but not for excavators. The rate of nesting success of the two nonexcavators, yellow-rumped flycatcher and the great tit, increased with distance from the edges. For all cavity nests, nesting success was 0.43 at 0–100m, 0.56 at 101–200m, 0.68 at 201–300m, 0.61 at 301–400m, 0.77 at 401–500m from the edges. Nesting success ranged from 0.57 for the yellow-rumped flycatcher to 0.89 for the Grey-faced Woodpecker. Failed nests were often occupied by nest-site competitors (accounting for 68%). However, predation only accounted for 20% of all nest failures. Our results suggest that negative edge effects do exist for some cavity-nesting birds, especially for nonexcavator species.