Reproductive ecology and nest-site selection of siamese fireback in lowland forest
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Author list: Suwanrat J., Ngoprasert D., Sukumal N., Suwanwaree P., Savini T.
Publication year: 2014
Journal: Raffles bulletin of Zoology (0217-2445)
Volume number: 62
Start page: 581
End page: 590
Number of pages: 10
ISSN: 0217-2445
Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)
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Abstract
Breeding success in birds is strongly affected by the selection of suitable nesting sites which has the ability to directly affect population dynamics within a given population. Nest-sites are generally selected to reduce the risk of nest predation. In this study we provide information on the reproductive biology of Siamese fireback (Lophura diardi) at Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, Thailand and identify habitat characteristics that influence nest site selection. At this site the species is found both in pristine and disturbed habitats. During a three year period (2010-2012), we found 21 nest-sites. Egg laying occurred from April to early August and the average clutch size was 6.4 ฑ 0.3 SE eggs (range four-eight). Incubation lasted 23-24 days and daily nest survival was estimated at 0.90 ฑ 0.02 SE (95% CI = 0.85-0.94), giving an estimated overall nest success of 0.08 ฑ 0.04 SE. Predation was the main cause of nest failure. Siamese fireback appeared to prefer to site nests between the buttresses of large trees (62.5%), which presumably have the potential to serve as shelter from potential predators. Analyses indicated that Siamese fireback significantly preferred to place nests in an area associated with dense vegetation coverage below 0.5 m, on steeper slopes, large basal areas of trees DBH >10 cm and with low potential predation pressure. This can be interpreted as a strategy to make the nest less conspicuous to predators and facilitate flying out of the nest when predators attack. Primary forest provides large mature trees and a complex structure of understory coverage that is important for optimal nesting sites and nest survival of Siamese fireback. ฉ National University of Singapore.
Keywords
Breeding ecology, Daily nest survival, Lophura diardi, Nesting success, Sakaerat biosphere reserve, The nest concealment hypotheses
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