摘要: Extra-pair paternity(EPP) is commonly found in socially monogamous birds,especially in small passerine birds,and there are interspecific and intraspecific variations in the extent of EPP.The Chestnut-vented Nuthatch(Sitta nagaensis) is a socially monogamous passerine bird,and verifying whether this species has EPP relies on parentage testing—S.nagaensis is not known to have EPP.In this study,we developed SNP markers of this species that are informative for parentage analysis from double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing(ddRAD-seq) data.A panel consisting of 50 SNP markers,with a mean heterozygosity of 0.343,was used to resolve 95% of nestlings to fathers.The combined exclusion probabilities for the first parent and second parent were 0.991 and 0.9999,respectively.This panel of SNP markers is a powerful tool for parentage assignments in S.nagaensis.In addition,we found that three offspring(7.9%) from three nests(23.1%) were the result of extrapair fertilization out of 38 offspring in 13 nests.Our study provided information on parentage analysis that has not been reported before in S.nagaensis.It also supplemented the understudied EPP behavior of birds in Asia,contributing to a general understanding of the EPP behaviors of birds.

摘要: The gut microbiota of migratory waterbirds is affected by various complex factors,including cross-species transmission,which increases the risk of pathogen spreading among sympatric animals and poses a potential public health risk to humans.In this study,we investigated the microbial communities of wintering Bean Geese(Anser fabalis),Domestic Ducks(A.platyrhynchos domesticus),humans,and soil using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene region in Shengjin Lake,China.In total,6,046,677 clean reads were obtained,representing 41,119 operational taxonomic units(OTUs) across the four groups.The dominant microbial phyla were the Proteobacteria,Firmicutes,Bacteroidota,and Actinobacteriota.The Sorensen similarity index and alpha and beta diversity results showed that the gut microbial communities of Bean Geese and Domestic Ducks were more similar to those of the other pairs.Network analysis revealed that Faecalibacterium prausnitzii,Pseudomonas fragi,and Bradyrhizobium elkanii were hubs of the three major modules.Fourteen common microbiomes were identified in Bean Geese,Domestic Ducks,humans,and soil in Shengjin Lake.A total of 96 potential pathogens were identified among the four groups,with 20 specific potentially pathogenic microbiomes found in the gut of Bean Geese.Some of these pathogens are responsible for significant financial losses in the poultry industry and pose risks to human health.Klebsiella pneumoniae,Morganella morganii,Escherichia coli,and Ralstonia insidiosa are potential core pathogens found in the four groups at Shengjin Lake that can cause diseases in humans and animals and facilitate cross-species transmission through various media.Therefore,humans are at risk of contracting these pathogens from migratory birds because of their frequent contact with domestic poultry.However,further studies are required to explore the potential pathogenic species and transmission pathways among sympatric wintering Bean Geese,Domestic Ducks,humans,and soil.

摘要: Avian interspecific brood parasitism is an excellent system for studying coevolutionary processes in nature because brood parasites directly affect host reproductive success.Most research on avian brood parasitism has,therefore,focused primarily on specific host anti-parasite behaviours and parasite counter-adaptations.However,the population-level consequences of brood parasitism for host species are poorly understood.This study investigated the effect of Common Cuckoo(Cuculus canorus) parasitism on the productivity of a local population of the Great Reed Warbler(Acrocephalus arundinaceus) host in south-western Slovakia.A total of 495 females nesting at the studied site successfully fledged 1321 of their own young and 63 young of the Common Cuckoo over the course of 15 years(2008-2022),and the annual rate of successful parasitism ranged from 18% to 44%over this period.As predicted,higher rates of successful cuckoo parasitism significantly reduced the annual productivity of the local Great Reed Warbler population,and its contribution to decreased host reproductive success was at about the same rate as overall nest failure caused by predation and other environmental factors.Such a heavily parasitized population was probably maintained by immigrants from other populations and density-dependent selection,which is also consistent with source-sink dynamics.However,further long-term studies monitoring parasitized populations are required to confirm these findings.

摘要: Nests are important structures for birds to raise their offspring and for signaling.Many birds incorporate feathers into the nest,since feathers were traditionally thought to serve the function of insulation.Hypotheses in recent years have considered that some birds place feathers in conspicuous locations in the nest for decoration to trigger a fear response in the competitors.In this study,we investigated whether decorative feathers could deter nest usurpation by Crested Mynas(Acridotheres cristatellus) by manipulating nest box contents.The results revealed that Crested Mynas preferred black feathers to white feathers as decorations and occupied nest boxes decorated with black feathers significantly less than those decorated with white feathers,suggesting that black decorative feathers in the nest could be more effective in preventing nest usurpation by Crested Mynas and that white decorative feathers may have other functions.The black feathers in the nest are prominently placed at the edge of the nest to convey the message that "this nest is occupied" or "the owner of this nest has been preyed upon" to visitor Crested Mynas,thus effectively preventing them from usurping the nest at a later stage.

摘要: Population genomic data could provide valuable information for conservation efforts; however, limited studies have been conducted to investigate the genetic status of threatened pheasants. Reeves' s Pheasant(Syrmaticus reevesii) is facing population decline, attributed to increases in habitat loss. There is a knowledge gap in understanding the genomic status and genetic basis underlying the local adaptation of this threatened bird. Here, we used population genomic data to assess population structure, genetic diversity, inbreeding patterns, and genetic divergence. Furthermore, we identified candidate genes linked with adaptation across the current distribution of Reeves' s Pheasant. The present study assembled the first de novo genome sequence of Reeves' s Pheasant and annotated 19,458 genes. We also sequenced 30 individuals from three populations(Dabie Mountain, Shennongjia, Qinling Mountain) and found that there was clear population structure among those populations. By comparing with other threatened species, we found that Reeves' s Pheasants have low genetic diversity. Runs of homozygosity suggest that the Shennongjia population has experienced serious inbreeding. The demographic history results indicated that three populations experienced several declines during the glacial period. Local adaptative analysis among the populations identified 241 candidate genes under directional selection. They are involved in a large variety of processes, including the immune response and pigmentation. Our results suggest that the three populations should be considered as three different conservation units. The current study provides genetic evidence for conserving the threatened Reeves' s Pheasant and provides genomic resources for global biodiversity management.

摘要: Due to a complex geological and biotic history, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec(IT), has been long recognized as a driver for the evolutionary divergence of numerous lowland and highland taxa. Widely distributed in the lowlands of the American continent, the White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) is a polytypic species with 13 recognized subspecies. Four of these have been recorded in Mexico, and the distribution of three abuts at the IT, suggesting a contact zone. To estimate phylogenetic patterns, divergence times and genetic differentiation, we examined two mt DNA(ND2 and COI) and one n DNA(β-fibint 7) markers. We also used correlative ecological niche models(ENM) to assess whether ecological differences across the IT may have acted as a biogeographical boundary. We estimated paleodistributions during the Middle Holocene, Last Glacial Maximum and Last Interglacial, to evaluate the influence of climate changes on the distribution and demographic changes. Our results showed genetically distinct lineages that diverged approximately 2.5 million years ago. Climatic and ecological factors may have played a dual role in promoting differentiation, but also in the formation of a secondary contact zone in the southern IT. Our ecological niche comparisons indicated that the ecological niche of sympatric lineages at the IT are not identical, suggesting niches divergence; in addition, environmental niche models across the region indicated no abrupt biogeographic barriers, but the presence of regions with low suitability. These results suggest that genetic differentiation originated by a vicariant event probably related to environmental factors, favored the evolution of different ecological niches. Also, the absence of a biogeographic barrier but the presence of less suitable areas in the contact regions, suggest that secondary contact zones may be also maintained by climatic factors for the eastern group, but also by biotic interactions for the western group.

摘要: Bird plumage color has been assessed as a possible trait driving the presence of bird species in urban areas. Although some species can see the ultraviolet(UV) spectrum, the mentioned studies did not take into account UV reflectance when characterizing bird plumage. This study aimed to use a recent database of the colorfulness in passerines that incorporated the UV spectrum to compare bird colorfulness and other traits between urban parks and rural areas in Central-East Argentina. Birds in urban parks were surveyed in 51 parks in 6 cities during breeding and non-breeding seasons. A list of Passeriformes species from parks was created, and a list of urban avoider species was created from the bibliography. Species traits were body mass, clutch size, migratory status, nesting site, diet and habitat breadth, and plumage colorfulness. A total of 85 species were detected in the regional pool, of which 30 species were detected in urban parks. Bird species present in urban parks were more colorful than bird species only present in rural areas. In addition, bird presence in urban parks was positively related to their regional frequency and diet breadth. Moreover, urban presence was related to nesting on trees and buildings, whereas species not present in urban parks nested on the ground. The results obtained showed that bird color is significantly associated with presence of bird species in urban parks.

摘要: Understanding the foraging behavior is essential for investigating seabird ecology and conservation, as well as monitoring the well-being of the marine environment. Breeding seabirds adopt diverse foraging strategies to maximize energy gains and cope with the intensified challenges of parenting and self-maintenance. Such tradeoff may stem from the heterogeneity of food resources and the constraints of central place foraging. Nevertheless, abundant marine productivity could alleviate the energy limitation for seabirds, resulting in a consistent foraging approach. Here, we investigated the foraging strategy during the breeding season of a cryptic small-sized seabird, Swinhoe's Storm-petrel(Hydrobates monorhis), in the Yellow Sea, a productive marginal sea of the Northwest Pacific. Using GPS tracking, we evaluated habitat preference, quantified the foraging strategy, and tested if environmental conditions and individual traits influence foraging trips. We found that Swinhoe's Storm-petrels preferred nearshore areas with shallow water and engaged in primarily short foraging trips. Distinctive southeastward and southwestward strategies emerged when combining trip metrics, including foraging direction, duration, and maximum distance. The bathymetry, proximity to the coastline, and sea surface temperature differed in two foraging strategies. Foraging strategies exhibited flexibility between individuals, potentially explained by wing morphology, in which longer-winged birds are more likely to embark on longer-distance foraging trips. These findings highlight the impact of environmental factors and individual traits on seabirds' foraging decisions in productive marginal sea ecosystems. Our study also provides valuable insights into the foraging ecology of this Asian endemic storm-petrel.

摘要: Functionally referential signals are a complex form of communication that conveys information about the external environment. Such signals have been found in a range of mammal and bird species and have helped us understand the complexities of animal communication. Corvids are well known for their extraordinary cognitive abilities, but relatively little attention has been paid to their vocal function. Here, we investigated the functionally referential signals of a cooperatively breeding corvid species, Azure-winged Magpie(Cyanopica cyanus). Through field observations, we suggest that Azure-winged Magpie uses referential alarm calls to distinguish two types of threats: 'rasp' calls for terrestrial threats and 'chatter' calls for aerial threats. A playback experiment revealed that Azure-winged Magpies responded to the two call types with qualitatively different behaviors. They sought cover by flying into the bushes in response to the 'chatter' calls, and flew to or stayed at higher positions in response to 'rasp' calls, displaying a shorter response time to 'chatter' calls. Significant differences in acoustic structure were found between the two types of calls. Given the extensive cognitive abilities of corvids and the fact that referential signals were once thought to be unique to primates, these findings are important for expanding our understanding of social communication and language evolution.

摘要: Two questions in the research of animal personality—whether there is a correlation between a personality trait and individual reproductive success, and what is the genetic basis underlying a personality trait—remain unresolved. We addressed these two questions in three shrub-nesting birds, the Azure-winged Magpie(Cyanopica cyanus, AM), White-collared Blackbird(Turdus albocinctus, WB), and Brown-cheeked Laughingthrush(Trochalopteron henrici, BL). The personality type of an individual was first identified according to its response to a territorial intruder. Then, we compared the fleeing distance, breeding parameters, and differential expressed genes(DEGs) in the brain transcriptome between bold and shy breeders. In the three species, bold breeders exhibited more aggressiveness towards an intruder of their territory than did shy breeders. The reproductive success of bold breeders was significantly higher than that of shy breeders in AM but not in WB and BL. The three species shared one DEG, crabp1, which was up-regulated in bold relative to in shy individuals. By regulating the expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone, higher crabp1 gene expression can decrease cellular response to retinoic acid. Therefore, bold individuals are insensitive to external stresses and able to exhibit more aggressiveness to intruders than their shier counterparts. Aggressiveness is beneficial to bold individuals in AM but not in WB and BL because the former could evoke neighbors to make the same response of defending against intruders but the latter could not. Although a personality trait may have the same genetic basis across species, its correlation with reproductive success depends largely on the life history style of a species.