Water, Food Availability, and Anthropogenic Influence Determine the Nesting-Site Selection of a Desert-Dwelling Bird, Xinjiang Ground-Jay ( Podoces biddulphi )

Yuping Tong, Feng Xu, David Blank and Weikang Yang
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Yuping Tong: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Feng Xu: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
David Blank: CAS Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Bishkek 720001, Kyrgyzstan
Weikang Yang: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-7

Abstract: Nesting-site selection is an important aspect of the breeding process in birds, as it usually determines nesting and breeding successes. Many factors can affect bird nest-site selection, including anthropogenic disturbance. In an extreme desert environment, such as the Taklamakan Desert in China, birds’ survival pressure is high, especially for rare species such as the Xinjiang Ground-jay ( Podoces biddulphi ). We studied nest-site selection in this species from March 2017 to May 2019. A Chi-square test, independent sample t -test, Mann–Whitney U -test, and generalized linear models were applied to possible nest-site selection factors for Xinjiang Ground-jays. The main determining factors were the distances to human settlements, water, and the edge of the oasis. Xinjiang Ground-jays nested near available water resources for easier access, which is important in arid environments. Individuals chose to nest far from the oasis edges and settlements to increase food availability and reduce interference from human activities, respectively. Overall, water, food availability, and anthropogenic influence were the main factors affecting the nest-site selection of Xinjiang Ground-jays in this study. Therefore, these results suggest that there is a trade-off between survival and reproduction. Further studies are required to verify whether similar site preferences may also apply to other desert-dwelling species.

Keywords: Taklamakan Desert; generalized linear models; disturbance; food abundance; Podoces biddulphi; nesting site; oasis habitat; edge effect; human influence; breeding success (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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