Abstract
Incubation is an energetically demanding phase of avian reproduction. Single-sex incubators are often faced with a direct conflict between incubation and foraging. We report an unusual incubation behavior of the Sichuan Partridge (Arborophila rufipectus), with long recesses of females and embryonic hypothermia, at Laojunshan National Nature Reserve, southwest China. The Sichuan Partridge is a globally endangered species that inhabits subtropical evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forests at 1100–2250 m a.s.l. Female Sichuan Partridges incubated eggs alone, and typically took one long incubation recess of 4.5 ± 1.2 h (mean ± SD) day−1. They left the nests at 7:36 a.m. (±50 min) and returned at 12:06 p.m. (±70 min). Nest attentiveness was 81.2 ± 5.2% of the entire incubation period. Females prolonged the recess duration and decreased nest attentiveness significantly in response to high disturbance risk and bad weather. Although eggs experienced ~4.2 h below 26 °C (the physiological zero temperature) for each recess, the total hatching rate was 88.4%, suggesting that embryonic hypothermia had minimal negative effect on the hatching rate. For Sichuan Partridge, the ability to withstand embryonic hypothermia may be an adaptation to cold montane environments.
Zusammenfassung
Untersuchungen zum ungewöhnlichen Inkubationsverhalten und zur Toleranz von Embryonen gegenüber Hypothermie beim Sichuan Waldrebhuhn ( Arborophila rufipectus )
Die Bebrütung ist eine energetisch stark beanspruchende Phase in der Reproduktion bei Vögeln. Arten, bei denen nur ein Geschlechtspartner die Bebrütung übernimmt, sind oftmals mit dem direkten Konflikt zwischen Bebrütung und Nahrungssuche konfrontiert. Wir berichten über das ungewöhnliche Inkubationsverhalten (lange Brutunterbrechungen des Weibchens und Embryo-Hypothermie) des Sichuan Waldrebhuhns (Arborophila rufipectus) im Laojunshan National Nature Reserve, Südwest-China. Das Sichuan Waldrebhuhn ist eine weltweit gefährdete Art, die subtropische immergrüne und sommergrüne breitblättrige Wälder besiedelt auf einer Höhe zwischen 1100–2250 m über dem Meeresspiegel besiedelt. Die Weibchen bebrüten das Gelege allein und unternehmen typischerweise eine lange Unterbrechung von 4,5 ± 1.2 Stunden (Mittelwert ± Standardabweichung) pro Tag. Sie verlassen das Nest um 7:36 Uhr (± 50 min) und kehren zurück um 12:06 Uhr (± 70 min). Die Anwesenheit auf dem Nest lag bei 81,2 ± 5,2% der gesamten Bebrütungsphase. Bei einer hohen Störungsrate und bei schlechtem Wetter verlängerten die Weibchen ihre Brutunterbrechungen und verringerten damit ihre Anwesenheit am Nest deutlich. Obwohl die Eier während jeder Unterbrechung ~4.2 Stunden Temperaturen unter 26 °C (die physiologische Null-Temperatur) ausgesetzt waren, lag die Schlupfrate bei 88,4%. Das deutet darauf hin, dass die Unterkühlung der Embryos nur einen geringen negativen Effekt auf die Schlupfrate hat. Die Fähigkeit, dass Embryos Unterkühlungen aushalten, könnte eine Anpassung des Sichuan Waldrebhuhns an seine kalte montane Umwelt sein.
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Acknowledgements
This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 31272330) and the Scientific Research Innovation Team Projects of Leshan Normal University. We thank Laojunshan Nature Reserve for allowing us to conduct this study. We thank Wencai Chen and Ming Xiang for assistance with the fieldwork. We thank Shangling Lou, Jianqiang Li and Hang Ye for helping with analyzing partial data. We thank Douglas Whitman for improving the English language. We greatly appreciate the comments and suggestions by two anonymous reviewers.
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Fu, Y., Dai, B., Wen, L. et al. Unusual incubation behavior and embryonic tolerance of hypothermia in the Sichuan Partridge (Arborophila rufipectus). J Ornithol 158, 707–715 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-016-1422-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-016-1422-7