Abstract:

In this paper the nest-sites selection of brown eared-pheasant （Crossoptilon mantchuricum） was investigated in the Huanglong Mountains Nature Reserve, Shaanxi, China, from April to June in 2006 and from June to July in 2007. A total of 22 nests were found in Beisi Mountains, among which 12 （54.55%,n=22） were under cliff and big rock, 4 （18.18%, n=22） at the base of shrubs, 4 （18.18%,n=22） under fell trees and 2 （9.09%, n=22） besides roots of trees. The mean clutch size of brown eared-pheasant was (9.5±2.20)（n=21, 6～13). This results showed that nests under cliff and big rock were mainly preferred by brown eared-pheasant. Eight nests were found in conifer forest, 10 in broadleaf forest and 4 in conifer-broadleaf forest. By χ² test, conifer forest and broadleaf forest were favorite vegetation types used as nest-sites（χ²=17.123, df=2, P=0.000<0.05）. Compared with random plots, used sites were characterized by bigger coverage of shrub at height of 0.5 m and 1 m, smaller coverage of shrub at height of 2 m and ＞2 m, smaller cover and bigger mean diameter of trees, bigger mean diameter and smaller density of shrubs, close to water source, edge of woods and trail, and steeper slope. Results of the stepwise discriminant analysis showed that coverage of shrub at height of 0.5 m, cover of trees, distance to water source and coverage of shrub at height of 2 m were critically factors to discriminate the used sites and random plots.

Key words: brown eared-pheasant, nest-sites, stepwise discriminant analysis, Huanglong Mountains