Breeding biology of a migratory Australian passerine, the golden whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis)

2005 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wouter F. D. van Dongen ◽  
Larissa L. Yocom
Keyword(s):  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Nest Predation ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
Migratory Behaviour ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Migratory Population ◽  
Breeding Seasons ◽  
Australian Passerines

The breeding biology of Australian passerines is characterised by long breeding seasons and the potential to produce multiple broods within a single season. However, many species undergo a yearly migration from their breeding sites to climatically milder wintering grounds. This migratory behaviour may impose constraints on the breeding biology of these species. We studied a migratory population of golden whistlers (Pachycephala pectoralis) at Toolangi State Forest, Victoria. Individuals typically arrived in early September, attempted to produce a single successful brood over a 3-month period and departed again in late April. Both site- and pair-fidelity were high, with an average of 66% of males returning to the same site, re-pairing with the same female in up to 100% of cases. Nest predation was common, with 45% of nesting attempts failing due to predation. Each pair initiated an average of 1.7 nests per season, resulting in an average of 1.2 fledglings per pair each season. The short breeding season and single-broodedness of the golden whistlers at Toolangi is atypical amongst Australian passerines and suggests that constraints may be imposed on species undergoing annual migration. In this regard, golden whistlers show more similarities to Northern Hemisphere migratory passerines than to the sedentary passerines of the Southern Hemisphere.

Manage one beach or two? Movements and space-use of the threatened hooded plover (Thinornis rubricollis) in south-eastern Australia

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Weston ◽  
Glenn C. Ehmke ◽  
Grainne S. Maguire
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Kernel Analysis ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Southern Central ◽  
Breeding Seasons

An understanding of space use and dispersal of a wildlife species is essential for effective management. We examined the movements of a beach-dwelling, threatened population of hooded plover (Thinornis rubricollis) in southern central Victoria, Australia, by analysing sightings of colour-banded birds (4897 sightings; 194 birds tracked for up to 9 years). Most movements were relatively short (5050 ± 305 m), with 61.4% <1 km and 95.3% <20 km; they lacked directional or sexual bias. The extent of coastline used by individual birds was 47.8 ± 58.0 km. Regional differences in average distances moved by adults were apparent. For adults, movement rates (mean distance per day) were higher during the non-breeding season than during the breeding season. Non-breeding adults generally remained close to their partners (non-breeding, 456.3 ± 163.9 m; breeding, 148.2 ± 45.3 m). Largest flock sizes were recorded during the non-breeding period, and flocking was not uniformly distributed along the coast but appeared to be concentrated in particular locations. The frequency of pair cohesion (i.e. when the distance between partners was zero on a given day) was similar during the breeding (69.6%) and non-breeding seasons (67.7%). Breeding territories (kernel analysis) were 36.7 ± 5.7 ha and overlapped from year to year in all cases (23 pairwise comparisons; 47.9 ± 7.1% overlap). The high fidelity and constancy of territories confirms they warrant ongoing management investment, although the species relies on a matrix of breeding and non-breeding sites. The latter appear to occur in specific parts of the coast and warrant enhanced protection and more research attention. Fragmentation of the breeding population might occur where habitat is rendered unsuitable for > ~50 km.

scholarly journals Breeding biology of Long-tailed Cinclodes Cinclodes pabsti Sick, 1969 (Passeriformes: Furnariidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 ◽  
pp. e20216184
Author(s):  
Jairo José Zocche ◽  
Fernando Carvalho ◽  
Ariovaldo Pereira Cruz-Neto
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Clutch Size ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Nearest Neighbor ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
The Body ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Substrate Type ◽  
Breeding Seasons

Cinclodes pabsti is an endemic passerine restricted to the highland areas in southern Brazil. The aim of this study was to provide information on its breeding biology. The nesting cavities along road cuts were monitored from May 2008 to March 2011. The survey was carried out monthly from May to July 2008, February to July 2009, 2010 (non-breeding season), weekly from August 2008 to January 2009, 2010 (breeding season), and on a 2 to 4-days basis from August 2010 to January 2011. The geographic location, physical characteristics, and soil/substrate type in which the nesting cavities were situated were recorded. The total number of cavities used in the three breeding seasons was 136, resulting in 295 nests. The distance of a nest to its nearest neighbor ranged from 24-2,368 m, with a higher number of nests (n = 34; 59.7%) in the distance interval of 24-500 m. There was a greater usage of cavities located in Inceptisols, and the distances of nesting cavity entrances to the ground and to the top of road cuts were 1.6 ± 0.9 m and 0.8 ± 0.62 m, respectively. The breeding season lasted 148 days from mid-August to early January. Clutch size (n = 256) varied from 2 to 3 eggs, and the eggs (n = 155) had a total length of 27.2 ± 1.3 mm, breadth of 20.9 ± 0.8 mm, and mass of 6.2 ± 0.7 g. The incubation phase lasted 17.3 ± 0.8 days and the nestling phase for 18.3 ± 1.5 days. The body mass of the chicks was 6.0 ± 1.0 g just after hatching and reached a maximum of 59.6 ± 2.4 g at 16 days of age. Our results can contribute to filling the gaps in knowledge of C. pabsti ecology, because its habitat is under high anthropic pressures and the information on its life history is yet limited.

scholarly journals On the incidence of the breeding season in mammals after transference to a new latitude

1942 ◽  
Vol 130 (861) ◽  
pp. 396-399 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Activity ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Seasonal Influence ◽  
Light Duration ◽  
Tropical Areas ◽  
Seasonal Influences ◽  
One Year ◽  
Breeding Seasons

Ferrets, like other mammals with fixed breeding seasons in temperate latitudes, when transported to the southern hemisphere reverse their breeding seasons so as to conform to the new conditions. The change-over is very rapid, and consequently individual animals may experience two breeding seasons in one year. Ferrets taken to tropical latitudes where the seasonal conditions, at least as regards daylight duration, are comparatively uniform, experience sexual activity either at their former seasons or else come on heat irregularly. Ruminants and some other mammals inhabiting tropical areas, when taken to temperate areas, do not react to the seasonal influence of daylight duration (in the manner of species inhabiting these countries), probably because they do not possess a developed mechanism of response to seasonal influences in their own countries where conditions in regard to light duration are comparatively uniform. This is shown more particularly for various species of deer.

The Reproductive Rates of Australian Passerines

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoram Yom-Tov
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Clutch Size ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
North African ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Altricial Birds ◽  
Reproductive Rates ◽  
Breeding Seasons ◽  
Australian Passerines ◽  
Early Claim

The relationships between body weight, clutch size, length of breeding season, breeding frequency, incubation and nestling periods were studied in the Australian passerines. The means of the above factors as well as allometric equations were calculated for all Australian passerines and separately for the four major families (Maluridae, Meliphagidae, Muscicapidae and Ploceidae) and six zones of distribution (all Australia; Bassian; Torresian; Torresian and Bassian; Irian; Eyrean). The mean clutch size of Australian passerines is significantly smaller than that of North African passerines. This is because the old invaders to Australia (e.g. the Meliphagidae, Maluridae and Muscicapidae) have significantly smaller clutches than the new invaders (e.g. Ploceidae and Corvidae). A significant difference in clutch size was found between the Irian and Eyrean zones, supporting an early claim by Kikkawa. Negative correlations were found between body weight and clutch size, length of breeding season and breeding frequency. These indicate that small passerines in Australia tend to have larger clutches and longer breeding seasons and to breed more frequently than larger species. Body weight is positively correlated with both incubation and nestling period, as found for other altricial birds. There are no significant differences in incubation length between the zones, but there are differences among the families. The ecological implications and the possible reasons for the above correlations and differences between the groups are discussed.

Alpha-Effect, Current and Kinetic Helicities for Magnetically Driven Turbulence, and Solar Dynamo

2000 ◽  
Vol 179 ◽  
pp. 387-388
Author(s):  
Gaetano Belvedere ◽  
V. V. Pipin ◽  
G. Rüdiger
Keyword(s):  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Convection Zone ◽  
Solar Surface ◽  
Momentum Transport ◽  
Angular Momentum Transport ◽  
Magnetic Buoyancy ◽  
Alpha Effect ◽  
Current Helicity

Extended AbstractRecent numerical simulations lead to the result that turbulence is much more magnetically driven than believed. In particular the role ofmagnetic buoyancyappears quite important for the generation ofα-effect and angular momentum transport (Brandenburg &amp; Schmitt 1998). We present results obtained for a turbulence field driven by a (given) Lorentz force in a non-stratified but rotating convection zone. The main result confirms the numerical findings of Brandenburg &amp; Schmitt that in the northern hemisphere theα-effect and the kinetic helicityℋkin= 〈u′ · rotu′〉 are positive (and negative in the northern hemisphere), this being just opposite to what occurs for the current helicityℋcurr= 〈j′ ·B′〉, which is negative in the northern hemisphere (and positive in the southern hemisphere). There has been an increasing number of papers presenting observations of current helicity at the solar surface, all showing that it isnegativein the northern hemisphere and positive in the southern hemisphere (see Rüdigeret al. 2000, also for a review).

The Hemispheric Sign Rule of Current Helicity during the Rising Phase of Cycle 23

2000 ◽  
Vol 179 ◽  
pp. 303-306
Author(s):  
S. D. Bao ◽  
G. X. Ai ◽  
H. Q. Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cycle ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Active Regions ◽  
Hemispheric Preference ◽  
Current Helicity

AbstractWe compute the signs of two different current helicity parameters (i.e., αbestandHc) for 87 active regions during the rise of cycle 23. The results indicate that 59% of the active regions in the northern hemisphere have negative αbestand 65% in the southern hemisphere have positive. This is consistent with that of the cycle 22. However, the helicity parameterHcshows a weaker opposite hemispheric preference in the new solar cycle. Possible reasons are discussed.

Observation on the breeding biology of Polypedates teraiensis (Dubois, 1987) (Amphibia: Rhacophoridae)

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-32
Author(s):  
Jacinta Lalchhanhimi ◽  
Lalremsanga H.T.
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Sound Production ◽  
Reproductive Function ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
Tree Frog ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Morphometric Measurements ◽  
Advertisement Calls ◽  
Males And Females

The breeding biology of tree frog, Polypedates teraiensis was studied during the breeding season at Mizoram University Campus. It was found that sound production by male during the breeding season was primarily a reproductive function and advertisement calls attract females to the breeding areas and announce other males that a given territory is occupied. The aim of this study was to provide the detailed information on the breeding behaviour and the advertisement calls of Polypedates teraiensis. The morphometric measurements of the amplecting pairs (males and females) for sexual dimorphism along with clutch sizes were also studied.

The Rain Calls of Frogs and the Reigning Paradigm of American Herpetology

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-35
Author(s):  
Gordon L. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
The United States ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Gradual Disappearance ◽  
The Times ◽  
Traditional Natural ◽  
Breeding Seasons ◽  
The Comparative Study

American zoologists and herpetologists during the past fifty years have successfully deciphered the mating calls of frogs and toads with ever increasing precision and sophistication. However, the vocalizations most commonly termed “rain calls,” which typically occur beyond both normal breeding seasons and breeding sites, have remained a persistent puzzle. This article traces the gradual disappearance of rain calls, along with a corresponding decline in any mention of emotional states, from herpetological studies of anuran vocalizations in the United States from the middle of the twentieth century to the present and examines the historical roots of this disappearance. This evaporation of rain calls is indicative of a much larger change in the scientific climate of the times involving the transition from traditional natural history to the Neo-Darwinian, adaptationist paradigm of contemporary biology. Rain calls thus increasingly became anomalous, thereby eliminating a possibly fruitful line of inquiry in the comparative study of human-animal communication, in this case with evolution's earliest vocalizers. The contours and benefits of a more encompassing paradigm, envisioned by some leading early twentieth-century zoologists, are briefly discussed.

scholarly journals Evidence for use of both capital and income breeding strategies in the mangrove tree crab, Aratus pisonii

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jade Carver ◽  
Morgan Meidell ◽  
Zachary J. Cannizzo ◽  
Blaine D. Griffen
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Breeding Strategy ◽  
Reproductive Period ◽  
Breeding Strategies ◽  
Mangrove Tree ◽  
Income Breeding ◽  
Aratus Pisonii ◽  
Breeding Seasons ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Capital And Income Breeding

AbstractTwo common strategies organisms use to finance reproduction are capital breeding (using energy stored prior to reproduction) and income breeding (using energy gathered during the reproductive period). Understanding which of these two strategies a species uses can help in predicting its population dynamics and how it will respond to environmental change. Brachyuran crabs have historically been considered capital breeders as a group, but recent evidence has challenged this assumption. Here, we focus on the mangrove tree crab, Aratus pisonii, and examine its breeding strategy on the Atlantic Florida coast. We collected crabs during and after their breeding season (March–October) and dissected them to discern how energy was stored and utilized for reproduction. We found patterns of reproduction and energy storage that are consistent with both the use of stored energy (capital) and energy acquired (income) during the breeding season. We also found that energy acquisition and storage patterns that supported reproduction were influenced by unequal tidal patterns associated with the syzygy tide inequality cycle. Contrary to previous assumptions for crabs, we suggest that species of crab that produce multiple clutches of eggs during long breeding seasons (many tropical and subtropical species) may commonly use income breeding strategies.

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