Foraging and Day-roosting Sites Selection by the Endangered Brown-eared Pheasant Crossoptilon mantchuricum during Autumn in the Huanglong Mountains, Shaanxi Province, China
Foraging and Day-roosting Sites Selection by the Endangered Brown-eared Pheasant Crossoptilon mantchuricum during Autumn in the Huanglong Mountains, Shaanxi Province, China
Hongqun Li1*, Xiaoli Liu2*, Zongxian Han1, Shabin Wu1 and Changlei Cao1
ABSTRACT
Understanding animal habitat selection is significant for informed conservation management actions. The autumn foraging and day-roosting site selection of the brown-eared pheasant (Crossoptilon mantchuricum) was studied in Huanglong MountainsNature Reserve, Shaanxi Province, China from October to November 2018. Data were collected by examination of fresh sites used by the brown-eared pheasant located on 22 transects across the entire study area. The results showed that foraging habitats were characterized by broadleaved forest, mid and upper slope location, and gully while day-roosting habitats by ridge, upper slope location, and sunny slope. The foraging sites utilized by the birds also featured higher altitude, steeper slope, bigger tree heights and diameter, smaller shrub cover and lower herb height, and higher sheltering class. The overall classification model developed from these seven variables helped distinguish foraging sites from random ones at probability of 90.2%; while day-roosting sites tended to be found in the areas of higher altitude, smaller tree cover, lower shrub cover and height, lower herb height and sheltering class, far away from households, and close to woodside and the overall classification model developed from these five variables was successful in distinguishing day-roosting sites from random ones at probability of 88.90%. Besides, water source is not one of the key factors affecting wildlife habitat selection in this season. Management of the brown-eared pheasant populations for conservation must account for the daily activity rhythm shifts in habitat requirements.
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April 2021
Vol. 53, Iss. 2, Pages 401-800
