Urocissa Erythrorhyncha Research Articles

Red-Billed Blue Magpie Optimizer for Electrical Characterization of Fuel Cells with Prioritizing Estimated Parameters

The red-billed blue magpie optimizer (RBMO) is employed in this research study to address parameter extraction in polymer exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), along with three recently implemented optimizers. The sum of squared deviations (SSD) between the simulated and measured stack voltages defines the fitness function of the optimization problem under investigation subject to a set of working constraints. Three distinct PEMFCs stacks models—the Ballard Mark, Temasek 1 kW, and Horizon H-12 units—are used to illustrate the applied RBMO’s feasibility in solving this challenge in comparison to other recent algorithms. The highest percentages of biased voltage per reading for the Ballard Mark V, Temasek 1 kW, and Horizon H-12 are, respectively, +0.65%, +0.20%, and −0.14%, which are negligible errors. The primary characteristics of PEMFC stacks under changing reactant pressures and cell temperatures are used to evaluate the precision of the cropped optimized parameters. In the final phase of this endeavor, the sensitivity of the cropped parameters to the PEMFCs model’s performance is investigated using two machine learning techniques, namely, artificial neural network and Gaussian process regression models. The simulation results demonstrate that the RBMO approach extracts the PEMFCs’ appropriate parameters with high precision.

Red-billed blue magpie optimizer: a novel metaheuristic algorithm for 2D/3D UAV path planning and engineering design problems

Numerical optimization, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) path planning, and engineering design problems are fundamental to the development of artificial intelligence. Traditional methods show limitations in dealing with these complex nonlinear models. To address these challenges, the swarm intelligence algorithm is introduced as a metaheuristic method and effectively implemented. However, existing technology exhibits drawbacks such as slow convergence speed, low precision, and poor robustness. In this paper, we propose a novel metaheuristic approach called the Red-billed Blue Magpie Optimizer (RBMO), inspired by the cooperative and efficient predation behaviors of red-billed blue magpies. The mathematical model of RBMO was established by simulating the searching, chasing, attacking prey, and food storage behaviors of the red-billed blue magpie. To demonstrate RBMO’s performance, we first conduct qualitative analyses through convergence behavior experiments. Next, RBMO’s numerical optimization capabilities are substantiated using CEC2014 (Dim = 10, 30, 50, and 100) and CEC2017 (Dim = 10, 30, 50, and 100) suites, consistently achieving the best Friedman mean rank. In UAV path planning applications (two-dimensional and three − dimensional), RBMO obtains preferable solutions, demonstrating its effectiveness in solving NP-hard problems. Additionally, in five engineering design problems, RBMO consistently yields the minimum cost, showcasing its advantage in practical problem-solving. We compare our experimental results with three categories of widely recognized algorithms: (1) advanced variants, (2) recently proposed algorithms, and (3) high-performance optimizers, including CEC winners.

First detailed report of cooperative breeding in red-billed blue magpie (Urocissa erythrorhyncha) in central China

Abstract The cooperative breeding system of birds is an ideal model for studying and exploring social evolution in animals. However, a basic question, i.e., how many cooperative-breeding bird species exist in the world, remains controversial due to the lack of accumulated knowledge of the natural history of many birds, which prevents a generalized understanding of the evolution of cooperative breeding in birds and challenges the accuracy of results in many comparative studies. In this paper, we provide the first evidence of cooperative breeding in red-billed blue magpies (Urocissa erythrorhyncha). Moreover, we document and discuss potential relationships between cooperative breeding and nest predation, brood parasitism and breeding performance in U. erythrorhyncha. These findings about cooperative breeding in red-billed blue magpie will lay a foundation for further research on this species’ sociality and provide useful insights into the evolution of cooperative breeding and other social systems in birds.

Birds Visiting Flowers of Erythrina suberosa: Their Abundance, Frequency of Visits and Role as Pollinators in a Sub-Tropical Montane Forest of Garhwal Himalaya

Bird pollination is specific among flowering plants which support mostly cross pollination and has been regarded as an important pollination syndrome. Frequency of bird pollinators visiting flowers of the corky coral tree Erythrina suberosa Roxb., was studied in a subtropical montane forest located in Garhwal Himalaya, India. Forty trees were selected randomly in the population and the observations on birds visitors were recorded for 10 days during peak flowering. In total 18 bird species were found visiting flowers of E. suberosa. The bird species belonging to Passeriformes, Piciformes, Psittaciformes, and Cuculiformes were observed most frequently. The highest bird frequency and abundance among flower-visiting birds were recorded for the red-billed blue magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha (26 ± 3.2 individuals per hour per branch and 60 birds per tree, respectively), whereas the lowest – for the verditer flycatcher Eumyias thalassinus (2 ± 0.02 individuals per hour per branch and 6 individuals per tree, respectively). Majority of the bird species followed bimodal pattern of foraging on nectar in a day (mostly morning and evenings), which is consistent with other studies carried out for other ornithophilous tree species in the Himalayan region. The birds observed in this study are presumed to be pollinators, as the majority of birds foraged on nectar of properly opened flowers oriented upwards; however, possibility of nectar robbing cannot be excluded and requires further investigation in future studies.

Nest site selection and breeding ecology of the red-billed blue magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha in central China

Abstract While knowledge on birds’ breeding ecology is essential for understanding avian adaptation and managing conservation, it is poorly studied for many species, even for some common species. The knowledge of the natural history of the red-billed blue magpie (Urocissa erythrorhyncha), a species widely distributed in China and Southeast Asia, is sketchy. Here we present detailed data of nest site selection and the breeding ecology of red-billed blue magpie in central China, and of the effects of nest predation and brood parasitism on reproductive strategies. Most nests were built on Phyllostachys sulphurea and Quercus acutissima. Breeding season ranged from March to August. The first egg was laid between early April and late July. The incubation period lasted 15 days and the nestling period, 18 days. Average clutch size was 4.6 eggs, and brood size at fledging was 3.3 young. Overall, 43.8% of nesting attempts successfully produced at least one fledged young. Nest predation and brood parasitism were the two main reasons for fledging failure, which mainly occurred after April. Correspondingly, U. erythrorhyncha showed a tendency to build nests higher up and have a smaller clutch size in late stages of the breeding season. This study provides the first reliable and comprehensive information on the reproductive parameters of U. erythrorhyncha, which will lay a foundation for further understanding this species’ biology and opens up an avenue for large-scale comparative studies of the Urocissa genus or higher-level taxa.

Effects of Bird Traits on Seed Dispersal of Endangered Taxus chinensis (Pilger) Rehd. with Ex-Situ and In-Situ Conservation

Biodiversity is rapidly decreasing worldwide. Its great importance has been attached to conservation through in-situ and ex-situ management. Animal-mediated seed dispersal is an important ecological process, linking the threatened plants and animal partners in ex-situ habitats, and in turn affecting tree conservation. However, how bird traits affect seed dispersal within in-situ and ex-situ conservation still remains unclear. Here, we aim to answer this question. We tested whether bird traits affect seed deposition and seedling recruitment. Our results showed that 19 bird species foraged and removed Taxus chinensis (Pilger) Rehd. seeds across botanical gardens (ex-situ) and natural reserves (in-situ). The seed dispersal pattern of T. chinensis varied in the stages of seed removal and seed deposition, but showed no significant difference in the seedling recruitment stage. This showed that bird morphological and behavioral traits affected seed dispersal through the different contributions of varying bird species. Large birds and their high visitation frequency played a central role in seed removal patterns. The frequency of post-foraging habitat use was the most important factor determining the role of birds in seed deposition and the following seedling recruitment. Urocissa erythrorhyncha and Chloropsis hardwickii played the role of keystone species in seed deposition and seedling recruitment, respectively. Our results highlight the importance of bird traits in facilitating the seed dispersal of trees within in-situ and ex-situ conservation, which should be considered in future forest conservation and management.

Predation Patterns on Artificial Nests of Ground Nesting Pheasants in the Montane Forest, Southwest China

Nest predation is a major cause leading to reproductive failure of many avian species. Identifying nest predators is crucial for understanding the ecological context of nest predation and habitat management. The mountains of Southwest China harbors numerous species in the Phasianidae family, many of them endemic or threatened, however, little is known on the nest predation pressure on these ground breeders. We placed 32 artificial nests (each containing two chicken eggs) in broadleaf montane forests with different vegetation structure, and monitored predators with infrared-triggered cameras. The artificial nests were resembling nests of Golden Pheasant Chrysolophus pictus, a representative of the threatened species inhabiting montane broadleaf forest. We analyzed how environmental factors impact survival of artificial nests using Cox proportional hazards regression. With a failure rate of 62.5%, we recorded 40 predations where eggs were preyed or moved away, 19 predation attempts where animals spotted and contacted with, but failed to prey on or move away the eggs, and 109 pass-by events. Corvids, especially Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos was the primary culprit, committing all but one predations on artificial nests. Other potential predators included Pere David's Rock Squirrel Sciurotamias davidianus, Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius, Red-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha, Chinese Porcupine Hystrix hodgsoni and muridaes. We found that understory cover and vertical openness were the determining factors on survival of artificial nests. Presence of understory cover and low vertical openness significantly increased survival time of artificial nests. We didn't detect significant effects from horizontal openness and distance to nearest patrol trail. Further studies with real nests are however required to examine these conclusions, and to explore reproduction strategies of ground nesting pheasants coping with threats from avian predators.

Naturalization of the Red-billed Blue Magpie in western Shikoku Island, Japan

Naturalization of the Red-billed Blue Magpie in western Shikoku Island, Japan

Bulbuls and crows provide complementary seed dispersal for China\u2019s endangered trees

BackgroundDifferent functional frugivores generally exhibit unequal contributions, both in terms of quantity (seed removal) and quality (seedling recruitment), to effective seed dispersal of plant species. However, variations in this dispersal pattern generated by frugivores across different regions are still unknown.MethodsIn our study, we evaluated the contributions of two functional frugivore bird groups, the bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) and crows (Corvidae), in both the seed removal and seedling recruitment of the endangered Chinese yew tree (Taxus chinensis) across three different geographical regions in eastern China.ResultsThe dominant crow species, Urocissa erythrorhyncha, was the most common disperser crow species at all sites, while the dominant bulbul species varied across the three sites. Furthermore, the two functional groups of dispersers diverged in the aspects of seed removal (quantity) and seedling recruitment pattern (quality). While bulbuls outperformed crows in seed removal (quantity), crows took more seeds to a safer site for seedlings (quality).ConclusionsOur results highlight the importance of variations in the effective seed dispersal patterns of different functional disperser groups across different regions in the conservation and management of endangered tree species.

Dispersal of remnant endangered trees in a fragmented and disturbed forest by frugivorous birds.

Most endangered plant species in a fragmented forest behave as a unique source population, with a high dependence on frugivorous birds for recruitment and persistence. In this study, we combined field data of dispersal behavior of birds and GIS information of patch attributes to estimate how frugivorous birds could affect the effective dispersal pattern of Chinese yew (Taxus chinensis) in a fragmented and disturbed forest. Nine bird species were observed to visit T. chinensis trees, with Urocissa erythrorhyncha, Zoothera dauma and Picus canus being the most common dispersers. After foraging, six disperser species exhibited different perching patterns. Three specialist species, P. canus, Turdus hortulorum, and Z. dauma stayed in the source patch, while three generalist species, U. erythrorhyncha, Hypsipetes mcclellandii, and H. castanonotus, could perch in bamboo patches and varied in movement ability due to body size. As a consequence of perching, dispersers significantly contributed to the seed bank, but indirectly affected seedling recruitment. Moreover, the recruitment of T. chinensis was also affected by patch attributes in a fragmented forest (distances to source patch, patch type, size). Our results highlighted the ability of unique source population regeneration of T. chinensis in a fragmented forest, with high dependence on both frugivorous birds and patch attributes, which should be considered in future planning for forest management and conservation.

Dispersal of invasive Phytolacca americana seeds by birds in an urban garden in China

Although seed dispersal is a key process determining the regeneration and spread of invasive plant populations, few studies have explicitly addressed the link between dispersal vector behavior and seedling recruitment to gain insight into the invasion process within an urban garden context. We evaluated the role of bird vectors in the dispersal of pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), a North American herb that is invasive in urban gardens in China. Fruiting P. americana attracted both generalist and specialist bird species that fed on and dispersed its seeds. The generalist species Pycnonotus sinensis and Urocissa erythrorhyncha were the most frequent dispersers. Seedling numbers of P. americana were strongly associated with the perching behavior of frugivorous birds. If newly recruited bird species use seedling-safe perching sites, the P. americana will regenerate faster, which would enhance its invasive potential. Based on our observations, we conclude that the 2 main bird vectors, P. sinensis and U. erythrorhyncha, provide potential effective dispersal agents for P. americana. Our results highlight the role of native birds in seed dispersal of invasive plants in urban gardens.

Impact of multiple bird partners on the seed dispersal effectiveness of China's relic trees.

Frugivorous birds generally exhibit an unequal contribution to dispersal effectiveness of plant species as a function of their habitat adaptation and body size. In our study, we compared the effectiveness of multiple bird species that contribute to the dispersal of the endangered relic Chinese yew, Taxus chinensis. Seven bird species dispersed T. chinensis seeds, with Picus canus, Turdus hortulorum, and Urocissa erythrorhyncha being the main dispersers. The quantity part of dispersal effectiveness was strongly influenced by two inherent characteristics of disperser species: body size and habitat adaptation. However, the quality part of dispersal effectiveness was only influenced by disperser type. For instance, small generalist birds and large specialist birds removed more seeds than other type dispersers. Moreover, small birds and specialist birds contributed slightly more to the dispersal quality of T. chinensis than large birds and generalist birds respectively; however, these differences were not significant. Our results suggest that dispersal effectiveness is affected by variety in the body size and habitat adaptation of different dispersers. Therefore, such variation should be incorporated into spatial and temporal management actions of relic plant species in patchy, human-disturbed habitats.

Differential contribution of frugivorous birds to dispersal patterns of the endangered Chinese yew (Taxus chinensis).

The contribution of forest generalists and specialists to the dispersal pattern of tree species is not well understood. Specialists are considered low-quality dispersers because their dispersal distance is often short. However, disregard for seed deposition site may result in underestimation of the dispersal quality of specialists. The present study estimated the contribution of generalist and specialist species to the dispersal patterns of the endangered Chinese yew (Taxus chinensis) in a subtropical patchy forest in Southeast China. A relatively diverse assemblage of frugivorous birds visited T. chinensis source trees, and specialist Hypsipetes leucocephalus and generalist Urocissa erythrorhyncha were by far the highest-quantity dispersers. Considering dispersal effectiveness, the quantity aspect of effectiveness differed between the specialist assemblage and generalist assemblage; the contribution of specialists to the quantity part of effectiveness was significantly higher than that of generalists despite the relatively low diversity of specialists. After foraging, both specialist H. leucocephalus and generalist U. erythrorhyncha significantly contributed to the number of seedlings, and their contributions to seedling recruitment did not differ with regard to quality. Our results highlight the ability of T. chinensis to recruit an effective disperser assemblage in patchy habitats, thus increasing its persistence in this disturbed habitat.

Fruit consumption and seed dispersal by birds in native vs. ex situ individuals of the endangered Chinese yew, Taxus chinensis

AbstractThe conservation success of endangered trees may depend on re‐establishing or replacing the mutualisms that were important in their native habitats. In this study, we quantified avian frugivore diversity on individuals of the endangered Chinese yew (Taxus chinensis) in a botanical garden and at a natural site. We found that frugivore species diversity was lower in the botanical garden than in the natural site. In spite of the relatively low frugivore diversity, however, the ex‐situ population of Chinese yew attracted similar disperser species to those in the natural population, and trees in the ex‐situ population were visited more frequently than those in the natural population. Furthermore, the different perching behavior of dispersers resulted in different dispersal efficiencies. Although the Chinese bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis) was the most common forager in the botanical garden, its dispersal efficiency was the lowest, and thus it could not like the role played by the mountain bulbul (Hypsipetes maclellandii) in the natural site. Only the red‐billed blue magpie (Urocissa erythrorhyncha) provided a high‐quality dispersal service in both sites. Our results highlight the ability of the Chinese yew to recruit seed dispersal agents in new habitats. However, if the newly recruited species is a low‐quality disperser, the plants will depend more heavily on other avian vectors for regeneration.

Key to the species of Morishitium Wienberg, 1928 (Cyclocoelidae), with the description of a new species from the red-billed blue magpie,Urocissa erythrorhyncha (Boddaert) (Corvidae) from Guizhou Province, People's Republic of China.

The 11 species currently assigned to Morishitium and the new species described herein are divided into the rauschi, straightum and vagum body types, and keys to species are provided. Morishitium urocissae n. sp. is described from the red-billed blue magpie, Urocissa erythrorhyncha (Corvidae), from the Dashahe Nature Reserve, Guizhou Province, southwestern Peoples Republic of China. Morishitium urocissae n. sp. is similar to M. bivesiculatum by having a similar ratio of the width of the pharynx to the width of the oral sucker (1:1.0-1:1.2 compared to 1:1.0) and a similar sized cirrus sac (470-565 long; 3-5% of body length compared to 400; 4%). Both species also have the anterior extent of the vitelline fields reaching the level of the pharynx, which distinguishes them from all other species in the genus that have an oral sucker present and lack a ventral. The new species differs from M. bivesiculatum by having a larger maximum egg size (135 by 70 compared to 127 by 65), uterine loops that overreach the ceca laterally rather than being intercecal, a shorter distance from the posterior testis to the posterior arch of the cyclocoel (70 [0-110] compared to 400), and by being from a magpie from the People's Republic of China rather than being from a barbet from Sri Lanka. The new species is most similar to M. dumetellae, but differs from this species by having wider eggs (65 compared to 60), a longer body (10,400- 13,350 compared to 8,500), a shorter cirrus sac (470-565; 3-5% of the body length compared to 595; 7%), a smaller ratio of the pharynx to the oral sucker (1:1.0-1:1.3 compared to 1:1.7), more laterally extensive uterine loops (overreaching the ceca compared to being interececal), the anterior extent of the vitelline fields reaching to the level of the pharynx as compared to terminating posterior to the cecal bifurcation, and by being from a magpie from the People's Republic of China rather than from a catbird from the United States.

Influence of the habitat change for birds on community structure

In order to study the influence of habitat change on the community structure of birds, the species and individual numbers in the lakeside developmental land of Thousand-Island Lake have been recorded since January 2009 till December 2010, A fixed sample line was set up in the studied area, and the primary data was obtained about twice a month. In 2009, 1814 individuals were observed belonging to 12 orders, 31 families and 78 species, among which 4 species (Milvus lineatus, Haliastur Indus, Circus cyaneus and Glaucidium cuculoides) are the rank II national key protected species. In 2010, 872 individuals were recorded belonging to 12 orders, 33 families and 77 species, among which 2 species (Milvus lineatus and Glaucidium cuculoides) are the rank II national key protected ones. The total individual number of birds reduced 51.9%. Concerning the species, although the total species number decreased rarely after the habitat change, 23 species fled away and 22 species entered indicating the population similarity index value of 0.55. Among the top 10 species with large number of individuals, 5 species (Spizixos semitorques, Pycnonotus xanthorrhous, Paradoxornis webbianus, Passer montanus and Carduelis sinica) were overlapped indicating the similarity index value of 0.5. Comparison of the data of the corresponding months between two years, the highest similarity (index value>0.6) was from January to February; and the lowest (index value<0.3) from March to May. From June to December, the similarity index value was rebounded to 0.35–0.52 might due to the food tempt. Among the 55 overlapped species, 17 species (Tachybaptus ruficollis, Egretta garzetta, Phasianus colchicus, Streptopelia orientalis, Hirundo rustica, Hirundo daurica, Motacilla alba, Spizixos semitorques, Pycnonotus xanthorrhous, Pycnonotus sinensis, Urocissa erythrorhyncha, Paradoxornis webbianus, Prinia inornata, Passer rutilans, Passer montanus, Lonchura punctulata and Carduelis sinica) showed significant differences in individual number between the unchanged habitat and the changed habitat, including 2 species of water birds and 15 species of forest birds, which indicate these two types of birds were more affected than the others. In other words, the birds living close to the human crowds suffered bigger effect than the birds living away from the crowds. This is considered that the vocals, vehicle and machinery noises, and artificial constructions contributing to habitat change might be one of the main factors. All these analysis suggest the great influence of habitat change caused by human on the bird community structure. The higher diversity, richness and evenness index values in 2010 than in 2009 suggests that environmental modification led to a certain degree of habitat amelioration. Therefore, human being can improve environment by making the plant community structure complexity to increase the habitat heterogeneity, and consequently enhancing the diversity of bird community, as long as the habitat is not fragmented.

斑块生境中食果鸟类对南方红豆杉“(Taxus chinensis var. mairei)”种子的取食和传播

生境斑块化对食果鸟类的移动行为产生影响，进而影响其对植物种子的传播格局和效率。南方红豆杉（<em>Taxus chinensis </em>var. <em>mairei</em>）是我国一级保护植物，在南方山区多因人为干扰而呈斑块状分布。2011年，2012年10月底到12月中，以分布于福建梅花山国家级自然保护区红豆杉生态园中南方红豆杉种群为对象，研究斑块生境中鸟类对南方红豆杉种子的取食和传播行为，并评估专性鸟类和泛性鸟类的传播效率。结果发现：南方红豆杉源斑块共吸引22种食果鸟类取食红豆杉种子，并与13种鸟类形成了种子传播关系。不同年间，黑短脚鹎（<em>Hypsipetes leucocephalus</em>）都是植物的主要传播鸟类，而其他鸟类传播者种类具有一定的年间变化。生境斑块化导致专性鸟类黑短脚鹎和泛性鸟类红嘴蓝鹊（<em>Urocissa</em> <em>erythrorhyncha</em>）种子传播效率差异。与红嘴蓝鹊相比，黑短脚鹎飞行的平均距离较短（（16.3±11.0）m，Mean±SD，<em>n </em>= 125），传播距离相对较近；且它们取食后偏好在源斑块中活动，喜栖息在同种成树、甜楮（<em>Castanopsis eyrei</em>）及其他阔叶树等栖树上。红嘴蓝鹊取食后常在斑块间移动，常停歇在同种成树和毛竹（<em>Phyllostachys heterocycla</em>）上，传播距离相对较远（（24.9±20.0）m，Mean±SD，<em>n </em>= 95）。空间一致性结果表明，黑短脚鹎移动距离对幼苗更新距离的空间一致性程度高；而红嘴蓝鹊偏好生境与幼苗更新生境一致性程度高。结果表明，斑块生境中植物能与专性鸟类、泛性鸟类之间形成种子传播互惠关系，且种子传播效率受到专性鸟类和泛性鸟类传播距离和传播生境的影响。;Human disturbance causes the continual loss of natural habitats, and can result in fragmented habitats consisting only of patchy remnants. This habitat modification can lead to changes in plant-animal interactions. Understanding how the movement behavior of animal dispersers affects the regeneration patterns of plant species in patchy environments has been one of the main objectives of ecologists in recent years. Many previous studies have investigated seed dispersal only in terms of the dispersal distance. However, from the perspective of successful plant growth, it is not only important how far seeds are dispersed, but also where they are finally deposited. The quality of seed dispersal crucially depends on the movement patterns of the dispersing animal vectors; however, few ecological studies have focused on how the patchiness of habitats affects the movement patterns of specialist and generalist bird species, and thus, how habitat patchiness affects plant recruitment. Chinese yew (<em>Taxus chinensis</em> var. <em>mairei</em>) is listed as a Category 1 protected species in China, and it has also been listed as a globally endangered species in the IUCN Red List. A large proportion of the wild population of Chinese yew is distributed in patchy environments, and relies on bird vectors for seed dispersal. Previous studies have shown that Chinese yew seedlings can successfully establish away from mature trees as a result of seed dispersal by birds in the Corvidae and Pycnonotidae. However, it is still unknown how habitat patchiness affects the movement patterns of specialist and generalist bird species, and thus, how it affects the regeneration of Chinese yew and the persistence of its populations. In this study, we studied bird dispersal of Chinese yew seeds in the yew ecological garden of Meihuashan National Reserve. We studied the foraging and dispersing behavior of frugivorous birds in this typical patchy environment, and compared the contributions of a specialist (<em>Hypsipetes leucocephalus</em>) and generalist (<em>Urocissa erythrorhyncha</em>) species to seed dispersal by analyzing their post-foraging movement behaviors. The results showed that the Chinese yew source patch attracted 22 species of frugivorous birds to feed on seeds. A mutualistic seed dispersal relationship was formed between 13 bird species and Chinese yew. The main disperser of Chinese yew seeds was <em>H. leucocephalus. </em>There were annual differences in the other disperser species. The effectiveness of seed dispersal differed between the specialist and generalist bird species. After foraging for Chinese yew seeds, the movement and habitat selection differed between the habitat generalist (<em>U. erythrorhyncha</em>) and habitat specialist (<em>H. leucocephalus</em>) bird species. This may explain the differences in the seed dispersal distance and seed deposition sites between these two species. The habitat specialist bird species dispersed seeds over a short distance (16.3±11.0 m, mean±SD; <em>n </em>= 125) and the seeds were randomly distributed in a bamboo recruitment patch. The generalist species always moved between habitat patches and removed the seeds to the recruitment patch, dispersing seeds over a longer distance (24.9±20.0 m, mean±SD; <em>n</em>= 95). There was a high concordance between the movement distance of the specialist species and the seedling recruitment distance (<em>χ</em>²= 5.844, <em>P </em>= 0.211), and also a high spatial concordance between the habitat of the generalist species and the seedling recruitment habitat (<em>χ</em>²= 4.582, <em>P </em>= 0.205). Our results highlight that seed dispersal mutualistic relationships can form between Chinese yew and both specialist and generalist bird species. The effectiveness of Chinese yew dispersal was affected not only by the dispersal distances of specialist and generalist bird species, but also by the habitat in which the seeds were deposited.

Effect of frugivorous birds on the establishment of a naturally regenerating population of Chinese yew in ex situ conservation

The Chinese yew (Taxus chinensis) is catalogued as an endangered species in China because of the small size and senescent status of most populations. Its lack of natural regeneration is the most important reason for its endangered status. We investigated the regeneration of an ex-situ conservation population, which was introduced into the Nanjing Botanical Garden Memorial Sun Yat-Sen in the 1950s, and evaluated the role of frugivorous birds on the establishment of this regenerating population. Two hundred and thirteen individual yew seedlings and saplings were found on the hillside in 2006, and the nearest seedling was found more than 10 m away from mother trees. The spatial pattern of all seedlings and saplings occurred as a clumped distribution, which is typical for vertebrate-dispersed plants. Six bird species were seen ingesting whole "fruits" at yew trees in the present study and 745 visits by avian frugivores were recorded. Red-billed blue magpie (Urocissa erythrorhyncha), Chinese bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis) and azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyana) were the most frequent visitors over the two years of the study. Comparing the flights of departure and perching habitats of the three main bird species, we inferred that U. erythrorhyncha would be the most important disperser. This regeneration population has had good development over the past 20 or more years; frugivorous birds have removed seeds to the hillside every year until now, and seed germination and seedling growth continue to develop well under natural conditions. We suggest that the conservation system of the Chinese yew should be composed of yews, avian dispersers and habitats for seed germination and seedling growth.

The identity of Neopsittaconirmus palaeornis (Eichler) (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) from Psittacula derbiana (Psittaciformes: Psittacidae), with a new synonymy

Neopsittaconirmus palaeornis was originally described by Eichler (1943: 114; as Pflegeriella palaeornis) based on a single male from the Derbyan Parakeet, Psittacula derbiana (Fraser). Eichler (1943: 114) also examined a female, which appears to belong to the same species, found on a Blue Magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha (Boddaert), almost certainly an accidental host. In his review of the genus Neopsittaconirmus, Guimarães (1974: 186) placed Pflegeriella palaeornis in that genus, and wrote: “Eichler’s description of this species is too deficient, and I had no specimens from the type-host.” Therefore, Guimarães was not able to describe it and compare it against the remaining species of Neopsittaconirmus.

Food storing and the hippocampus in corvids: amount and volume are correlated

The volume of the hippocampal region (dorsomedial cortex) relative to body mass was measured in seven species of corvid (red-billed blue magpie, Cissa erythrorhyncha; European crow, Corvus corone; rook, C. frugilegus; jackdaw, C. monedula; jay, Garrulus glandarius; magpie, Pica pica; and Alpine chough, Pyrrhocorax graculus). The species studied differ in the extent to which they store food, and the results showed that there is a positive correlation between the estimated amount of food-storing behaviour and the relative volume of the hippocampus among the seven species. For two of the species, magpie and jackdaw, intraspecific variation was analysed. These two species show a sex difference in relative hippocampal volume (males larger than females), although there are no reports of sex differences in storing behaviour. In the magpie, which stores food regularly, hippocampal volume relative to body mass is positively related to relative volume of the rest of the telencephalon, whereas in the jackdaw, which rarely stores food, there is no relation.