Nest-site selection of the White Eared pheasant in southwestern Sichuan Province, China

Abstract

From April to July 2003 and 2004, we surveyed the nest-site selection of the White Eared pheasant (Crossoptilon crossoptilon) in the Zhujie Monastery and in the mountain facing it in Sichuan Province, China. In this paper, we studied the nest characteristics and the clutch size of the pheasant. Habitat sampling method was used to determine the variables that might affect the nest-site selection of the White Eared pheasant. Chi-square test was used to identify which habitat type was likely to be preferred by the bird. Independent-samples t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to find which variables were important for the birds’ nest-site selection. A total of 13 nests were found. Oak shrub was greatly preferred as nest sites (84.62%). Nests under a rock wall (7.69%) and a fallen tree (7.69%) were also found. The average clutch size of a White Eared pheasant is 7.33±0.54 (range, 5–11; n=12). Laying period was between April 27 and May 21. In the Zhujie area, 1 nest was in the forest and 11 nests were in oak shrubs. The species preferred oak shrub as its nesting habitat (χ ²=8.333, df=1, P<0.05). The bird was more likely to place its nest in sites with a high coverage, i.e. 0.5, 1, and 2 m above the ground (independent-samples t test, P<0.05), and with a large shrub diameter (Mann-Whitney U test, P<0.05). The species are more likely to prefer sites with plant cover, shrub cover (independent-samples t test, P<0.05), and shrub height (Mann-Whitney U test, P<0.05) in a relatively small range.