Roost-site Selection of Mrs Hume's Pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae) in Guangxi, China
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Abstract
A study on roost-site selection of Mrs Hume's Pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae) was conducted in Jinzhongshan Bird Natural Nature Reserve, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region with transect and plot sampling approaches in Dec. 2003, May and Dec. 2004, and Apr. 2005. During the study, 12 roost-sites were found and we recorded 5 parameters about the roost-tree, including: tree species and diameter at breast height, roost size, height and upper cover; and 11 parameters about the habitat, including: vegetation type, elevation, slope orientation, slope degree, tree density, coverage of canopy, shrub and herb, distance to water source, forest edge and road. Also we randomly sampled 10 non-roost sites as the control measuring. The results showed: 1) The pheasant preferred broadleaf forest with good canopy as its roost-site; 2) The size of the roosts is 2.5-4 cm in diameter and the roosting places are usually 2-5 m above the ground; 3) Most of the pheasants roosted in a tree alone with few occasions in which 2 or 3 individuals were sleeping in one tree. The variance analysis showed that the roost-sites are significantly associated with slope, coverage of canopy, shrub and herb, distance of forest edge and tree density but not the distance of water source. The pheasants are likely to roost in places with steep slope, open ground and dense forest deep in the forest. With principal component analysis it was found that the pheasant's roost-site selection is sequentially associated with location, shrub/herb coverage, roost size and weather. We believed that safety, comfort and foraging convenience are the three key considerations for the pheasant's roost-site selection. Therefore protecting broadleaf forest would greatly benefit the pheasant species.
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