Author
Listed:
- Yuping Tong
(State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
The Specimen Museum of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Mori Wildlife Monitoring and Experimentation Station, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mori 831900, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)
- Feng Xu
(State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
The Specimen Museum of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Mori Wildlife Monitoring and Experimentation Station, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mori 831900, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)
- David Blank
(CAS Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Bishkek 720001, Kyrgyzstan)
- Weikang Yang
(State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
The Specimen Museum of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Mori Wildlife Monitoring and Experimentation Station, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mori 831900, China)
Abstract
Nesting-site selection is an important aspect of the breeding process in birds, as it usually determines nesting and breeding successes. Many factors can affect bird nest-site selection, including anthropogenic disturbance. In an extreme desert environment, such as the Taklamakan Desert in China, birds’ survival pressure is high, especially for rare species such as the Xinjiang Ground-jay ( Podoces biddulphi ). We studied nest-site selection in this species from March 2017 to May 2019. A Chi-square test, independent sample t -test, Mann–Whitney U -test, and generalized linear models were applied to possible nest-site selection factors for Xinjiang Ground-jays. The main determining factors were the distances to human settlements, water, and the edge of the oasis. Xinjiang Ground-jays nested near available water resources for easier access, which is important in arid environments. Individuals chose to nest far from the oasis edges and settlements to increase food availability and reduce interference from human activities, respectively. Overall, water, food availability, and anthropogenic influence were the main factors affecting the nest-site selection of Xinjiang Ground-jays in this study. Therefore, these results suggest that there is a trade-off between survival and reproduction. Further studies are required to verify whether similar site preferences may also apply to other desert-dwelling species.
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