Pheasants on film: observing the reproductive behaviour of captive Edwards s Pheasants (Lophura edwardsi) to guide potential reintroduction Joseph D Souza, Jo Gregson, Nikkita Bhatia and Andrew Bowkett
What is the Edwards s Pheasant? Endemic to Vietnam Critically Endangered. Intensive deforestation and indiscriminate hunting - no confirmed sightings since 2000. 2015 Action Plan - recommends captive breeding for reintroduction Little known about behaviour and research sparse. The very limited knowledge of the species hampers the effectiveness of conservation actions. - VN-EPWG Action Plan, 2015
Aims and methods Aims - Describe breeding behaviours - Identify behavioural indicators of reproduction and development Two breeding pairs in Paignton Zoo, observed in separate enclosures using camera surveillance systems. Schedule records a random hour slot during daylight hours everyday. Scan sampling of state behaviours and proximity, continuous sampling of event behaviours. Analysed using General Linear Models (GLMs) in R statistical software
Breeding Season No. of clutches No. of eggs/clutch 2016 Pair 1 2 5-6 0 2016 Pair 2 1 6 1 2017 Pair 1 1 7 0 2017 Pair 2 1 7 5 Any Success? Chicks hatched Non-breeding Winter observations Nov 15 Feb 16 Late Breeding Season 2016 observations Mar 16 Early Breeding Season 2016 observations Apr 16 Both females laid eggs Neither female incubated consistently May 16 Mar 17 Jun 16 1 chick born from Female2 start of Non-breeding Rearing observations Start of 2017 Breeding Season observations Both females laid eggs Female1 didn t sit tight Apr 17 May 17 5 chicks born from Female2
Success!
Proportion 0.6 Seasonal activity budgets 0.5 0.4 0.3 Non-breeding Winter Early Breeding Season '16 Late Breeding Season '16 0.2 Non-breeding Rearing Breeding Season '17 0.1 0 Foraging Standing Sitting Locomotion Preening State Behaviour Effect of Season and Individual (P < 0.05) on Foraging, Sitting and Locomotion (Binomial GLM with log link). Effect of Time of day on Sitting (P < 0.01) (Binomial GLM with log link).
Male vocalisations during breeding season
Breeding behaviours Lateral display & Charge Male presents his side to the female whilst approaching her, keeping his head low as he walks in a sideways motion. Successful copulation Male charges and circles female before mounting and pecking her, then mates.
Breeding behaviours Wing whirring Male flaps his wings whilst remaining stationary. Typical display of the Lophura genus. Silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) Swinhoe s pheasant (Lophura swinhoii)
Breeding behaviours
Rate/hr 30 25 20 15 Seasonal male wing whirring Non-breeding Winter Early Breeding Season '16 Late Breeding Season '16 Non-breeding Rearing Breeding Season '17 10 5 0 0 20 20 040 20 60 0 8020 100 40 120 0 20 14040 1600 180 20 200 40 Day Effect of Season (P < 0.001) and Day (P < 0.05) but not Individual (Gamma GLM with Inverse link).
Proportion of time 1 Female to Chick(s) proximity (< 1m) 0.9 0.8 2016 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Days Post-Hatch Significant effect of no. of days post-hatch (P<0.01) on Female-Chick proximity but not Year
Proportion of time 1 Female to Chick(s) proximity (< 1m) 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 2016 2017 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Days Post-Hatch Significant effect of no. of days post-hatch (P<0.01) on Female-Chick proximity but not Year
In Conclusion Activity budgets changed seasonally and differed between males and females. Male wing whirring is a potential indicator of breeding activity. Similarly, proximity is a potential indicator of chick development. Study will continue next year compare behaviour of handreared and parent-reared chicks.
Epheasant.weebly.com! A website dedicated to Edwards s Pheasant conservation Acknowledgments WWCT Supervisor: Dr. Andrew Bowkett Guidance from Nikkita Bhatia PZ bird department: Jo Gregson, Chaz Barr, Paul Smaldon & Peter Smallbones
References Commons.wikimedia.org. (2017). Female Lophura edwardsi. [online] Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/file:lophura_edwardsi.jpg. Iucnredlist.org. (2017). Lophura edwardsi (Edwards's Pheasant). [online] Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/45354985/0. Thiennhienviet.org.vn. (2017). Save the Edwards's Pheasant. [online] Available at: http://thiennhienviet.org.vn/ep/en/. Upload.wikimedia.org. (2017). Vietnam Map. [online] Available at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/vietnameseprovincesmap.png. Adult male Silver Pheasant, Ingo Waschkies (2009). Silver pheasant, [online] Available at: https://i2.wp.com/lamiradadelbosquedethor.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/blue-pheasant.jpg. R Studio statistical software, R Studio, Inc. Raven Lite 2.0 bioacoustics software, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. VLC Media Player, VideoLAN Organisation.