Published in Avian Research
BackgroundThe taxonomy of the Collared Owlet (Glaucidium brodiei) species complex is confused owing to great individual variation in plumage colouration seemingly unrelated to their distribution. Although generally recognised as a single species, vocal differences among the subspecies have been noted by field recordists. However, there is no study ...
Published in Avian Research
BackgroundAnimals that live at higher latitudes/elevations would have a larger body size (Bergmann’s rule) and a smaller appendage size (Allen’s rule) for thermoregulatory reasons. According to the heat conservation hypothesis, large body size and small appendage size help animals retain heat in the cold, while small body size and large appendage s...
Published in Avian Research
BackgroundSperm motility parameters, which can be measured objectively and repeatedly by a computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system, are important indicators of sperm quality. However, the sperm motility parameters assessed by a CASA system can be affected by various factors, including instrument components and settings, sperm preparation or ...
Published in Avian Research
BackgroundUnderstanding the factors that influence the foraging behavior and perception of habitat quality by animals has long been the focus in ecology. Due to the direct effect resource acquisition has on an individual’s fitness and species’ survival, predation risk is considered widely to be a major driver of foraging decision. The objectives of...
Published in Avian Research
BackgroundThe Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) is an internationally threatened crane living on the plateau, mainly in winter, in the Yarlung Tsangpo River basin in Tibet, western China. In the past five years, some economic development projects have been conducted in this area, posing potential threats to the wintering populations of the cran...
Published in Avian Research
BackgroundAnthropogenic disturbance can negatively affect an animal’s energy budget by evoking movement responses. Existing research focuses mainly on immediate displacement as a disturbance effect, since this can be easily observed in the field. However, effects on movement over longer timescales are poorly examined and it is largely unknown if an...
Published in Avian Research
BackgroundAlthough the species-urban green area relationship (SARu) has been analyzed worldwide, the global consistency of its parameters, such as the fit and the slope of models, remains unexplored. Moreover, the SARu can be explained by 20 different models. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate which models provide a better explanation of SARu...
Published in Avian Research
BackgroundEvidence suggests that wintering waterbirds have become conspicuously more concentrated at two largest lakes of the Yangtze River Floodplain, East Dong Ting Lake (Hunan Province, 29°20′N, 113°E) and Poyang Lake (Jiangxi Province, 29°N, 116°20′E), relative to other lakes, despite the establishment of reserves elsewhere. While this relation...
Published in Avian Research
BackgroundWhile the general migration routes of most waders are known, details concerning connectivity between breeding grounds, stopover sites and wintering grounds are often lacking. Such information is critical from the conservation perspective and necessary for understanding the annual cycle. Studies are especially needed to identify key stopov...
Published in Avian Research
BackgroundDisentangling the relative importance of environmental variables and interspecific interaction in modulating co-occurrence patterns of sympatric species is essential for understanding the mechanisms of community assembly and biodiversity. For the two sympatric Galliformes, Silver Pheasants (Lophura nycthemera) and White-necklaced Partridg...
