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Ornithological Science
Abstract
Abstract
To explore the environmental adaptation strategies of high-altitude breeding birds to alpine regions, we studied the breeding ecology of the Snow Partridge (Lerwa lerwa) in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Incubation behavior was determined using data loggers in Basu County (2018) and Cuona County (2019), in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. We monitored seven Snow Partridge nests; clutch sizes ranged from 4–5 eggs per nest (mean=4.71±0.45 eggs, N=7), egg mass ranged from 28.1–37.7 g (mean=31.1±2.5 g, N=28), and the hatching success rate was 87.9% (N=33 eggs, six nests hatched successfully, and one nest suffered a predator attack). Nesting females typically took 1–4 recesses each day (mean=1.8±0.7, N=39 days). In five females, the first daily recess occurred at 0601 to 0709 (mean=0626±16 min, N=39 days) and the duration ranged from 60 min to 615 min (mean=179±102 min, N=39 days). The average nest attendance was 85.6±5.9% (75.9–92.8%, N=6 nests). Compared with other Galliformes, Snow Partridges lay larger eggs and smaller clutches, leave their nests fewer times per day but with a lower nest attendance, and a bimodal pattern of recess timing. Additionally, Snow Partridges build cave nest structures. These characteristics are highly adapted to the alpine region of the Tibetan Plateau and balance the thermal needs of the developing embryos and the self-maintenance needs of the incubating females.
This study was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30800101) and the Second National Survey of Terrestrial Wildlife Resources in Tibet of China to Ke-Ji Guo, Independent Research and Development Project of National Forestry and Grassland Administration (Grant No. 2020LC-3-04 to Ke-Ji Guo). We are grateful to those who assisted us in Basu County and Cuona County in the Tibet Autonomous Region. We thank the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of the Tibet Autonomous Region and the governments of the Cuona County and Basu County for supporting our field work. We also thank Yao Hongyan for her suggestions and revision of the manuscript. We would like to thank Editage (www.editage.cn) for English language editing.
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