Evaluation ofnest site preferences ofa nest dismantler, the Hair-crested Drongo (Dicrurus

Evaluation ofnest site preferences ofa nest dismantler, the Hair-crested Drongo (Dicrurus hottentottus) inDongzhai National Nature Reserve

ofcentral China

Andrew Cantrell;Lei Lv;Yong Wang;Jianqiang Li;Zhengwang Zhang

【期刊名称】《中国鸟类》 【年(卷),期】2016(007)002

【摘要】Background: The Hair-crested Drongo (Dicrurus hottentottus) exhibits a unique nest-dismantling behavior after the lfedging of the young. One hypothesis explaining this behavior is dismantling one’s own nest may reduce potential competition for nest sites in the following breeding season because suitable breeding habitat might be limited, and sites are often reused.
Methods: By comparing the habitat features at nest and random locations, we determined the nest habitat prefer-ence of the Hair-crested Drongo within Dongzhai National Nature Reserve, Henan, China. We also compared habitat features with nesting success to determine if any trends could be detected.
Results: We found that nest tree height, diameter at breast height, live crown ratio, tree rank, and presence of
overstory were signiifcantly higher at nesting locations than random locations; slope, leaf litter cover percentage and depth, presence of understory and midstory, and number of trees per hectare were