The aims of this research were (1) to provide a description of spurfowl Pternistis spp. calls and their social context;(2) to describe the divergence of advertisement calls;and (3) to appropri-ate 23 spurfowl species ...The aims of this research were (1) to provide a description of spurfowl Pternistis spp. calls and their social context;(2) to describe the divergence of advertisement calls;and (3) to appropri-ate 23 spurfowl species to homologous sound groups which have been synthesized with recognized monophyletic groups within Pternistis spurfowls. Sound group partitioning was primarily based on male advertisement calls. A total of 218 recordings (rendering^300 identifiable calls) were analyzed covering 22 out of 23 spurfowl species in Africa. One species was assessed from written accounts. The repertoire size per spurfowl varies between 7 and 11 calls. Spurfowl calls were arranged into three broad categories including (1) advertisement calls;(2) maintenance calls including distress calls, juve-nile whining (“mews”), cheeps and comfort calls;and (3) male-female and female-offspring bonding calls. Spurfowl species were set out in eight sound groups of which five were more or less congruent with the monophyletic groups of Hall (1963), but sound groups produced more partitioning as Hall described only five groups relevant to Pternistis spp. The divergence of advertisement calls appar-ently minimizes hybridization between sympatric species but the“genetic distance”between spurfowl species is relatively small causing hybridization among spurfowl species. Despite the vocalizations of Hartlaub’s Spurfowl (P. hartlaubi) differing significantly from the rest of the spurfowls, sound analy-ses suggest that it remains within Pternistis.展开更多
The responses of ground-dwelling birds to heat and cold stress encompass a variety of behavioural,physiological and even morphological mechanisms.However,the role of glabrous skin in this respect has been marginally a...The responses of ground-dwelling birds to heat and cold stress encompass a variety of behavioural,physiological and even morphological mechanisms.However,the role of glabrous skin in this respect has been marginally addressed so far.The Helmeted Guineafowl(Numida meleagris)is a landfowl distributed across Sub-Saharan Africa with eight traditionally recognised extant subspecies.Among the most prominent morphological traits underlying intraspecific variability are size and pigmentation of the bare throat skin(or sack),which might be related to the different habitats and environmental conditions across its wide range.In order to explore the Helmeted Guineafowl range-wide sack variation and pigmentation in relation to thermoregulation and sexual signalling,we collected morphometric and environmental information for N.m.coronata integrating field data with the inspection of photographic material encompassing seven subspecies and environmental information from their habitats.Field data evidenced that sack size was significantly correlated with ambient temperature,thus pointing to a likely involvement of the throat sack in thermoregulation.When the pictorial data from all subspecies were pooled,sack size correlated negatively with biomass,rainfall and humidity,while a positive correlation was found with annual solar irradiation.Sack size correlated positively with monthly temperature variation among the bluethroated subspecies from southern Africa as opposed to the black-throated subspecies ranging north to Zambia and Mozambique.Still,in this latter group the sack was often larger during winter months,possibly to maximise solar radiation absorbance.Noteworthy,sack size was related to sex dimorphism in two subspecies.Sack morphology and colour in the Helmeted Guineafowl likely modulate body temperature by evaporative cooling or heating upon needs,but in some subspecies it is also seemingly related to sexual signalling.Additional studies are needed to fully understand the multifunctionality of this important morphological feature in this species.展开更多
The role of bare body parts in sexual signalling in birds has received relatively little attention.I describe how the bare-throated spurfowl males saturate the colours of their throats to attract females.Of the 23 Afr...The role of bare body parts in sexual signalling in birds has received relatively little attention.I describe how the bare-throated spurfowl males saturate the colours of their throats to attract females.Of the 23 Afrotropical spurfowl species,the bare-throated subgroup includes Yellow-necked Spurfowl(Pternistis leucosceptus),Rednecked Spurfowl(P.afer),Grey-breasted Spurfowl(P.rufopictus) and Swainson’s Spurfowl(P.swainsonii).The rest of the species include fully feathered throated spurfowls.Throat colour intensity of bare throats was scored using an extensive online digital photographic archive encompassing the four species across the year’s seasons.Each throat(n=836) was assigned to one of four colour-intensity categories to explore the relationship between colour intensities,breeding cycles,and environmental variation.Except for Swainson’s Spurfowl male saturation of throat colours correlated with monthly rainfall,which peaks one or two months before egg laying.Swainson’s Spurfowl peaks during egg laying.Yellow-necked Spurfowl has the largest bare throat.Bare-throated spurfowl males perform an elevated courtship display posture above the female to feature their throat colour.No such displays occur in feather-throated spurfowl.Males with low throat colour saturation harbour more ectoparasites on their bare throats than birds with saturated throats.Male Red-necked Spurfowls have significantly larger bare throats than females.The primary function of bare throats probably assists in thermoregulation,particularly in arid regions.The bare throat may have evolved a secondary role in mating.Yellow-necked,Red-necked,and Greybreasted Spurfowls use their saturated throat colours as ornaments to court females during the breeding season.Unobtrusive female throat colours(unsaturated) may discourage male interlopers and predation during egg laying.Saturation appears to be carotenoid-food based.The different colours among the bare-throated species may serve as prezygotic mechanisms that inhibit cross-breeding and explain why females also have coloured throats.展开更多
Background: This paper describes the chick plumage of spurfowl(Pternistis) and francolin(Francolinus, Dendroperdix Peliperdix and Scleroptila) chicks, tests its significance for phylogenetic relationships and also exp...Background: This paper describes the chick plumage of spurfowl(Pternistis) and francolin(Francolinus, Dendroperdix Peliperdix and Scleroptila) chicks, tests its significance for phylogenetic relationships and also explores the patterns of character evolution in the francolin and spurfowl lineages.Previously regarded as monophyletic, the two evolutionar?ily distant clades are now divided into five genera.Questions considered were whether chick plumage supports the dichotomy between spurfowls and francolins and what role habitat matching plays.Methods: The study was based mainly on photographs of chick skins from the American Museum of Natural History and the Natural History Museum at Tring.Eight plumage characters were selected for comparative scoring, summa?rised in a matrix.These characters were subsequently analysed phylogenetically and their evolution was traced on the existing molecular phylogeny using a parsimony approach.Results: Based on chick plumage the phylogeny of species groups among francolins and spurfowls, was largely unresolved possibly ascribed to a high degree of symplesiomorphy inherent among the Phasianids.This possibly could have resulted in a high degree of polytomy particularly among the spurfowls and francolins.Furthermore, the ancestral state reconstructions revealed high prevalence of symplesiomorphic states and reversals which do not help in the classification of groups.Although the differences are described that separate some African francolins from spurfowls, other francolins(in Asia and Africa) share remarkably similar characteristics with spurfowls.Plain dark dorsal plumage is probably advantageous for avoiding detection by predators in forests, while facial stripes optimise the breaking of body shapes in dense grass cover(as in Scleroptila spp.) and semi?striped faces are advantageous for stationary camouflage under tree and bush cover(as in Pternistis spp.).Conclusions: Although symplesiomorphy is a hereditary explanation for downy colours and patterns, the traits rel?evant for habitat matching are combined in a manner which is determined(adaptation) by natural selection.展开更多
Background:How do Orange River Francolins(Scleroptila levaillantoides) adapt to an intensive farming landscape with grass(grazing) camps and crop cultivation? To answer this question, a study was carried out in south-...Background:How do Orange River Francolins(Scleroptila levaillantoides) adapt to an intensive farming landscape with grass(grazing) camps and crop cultivation? To answer this question, a study was carried out in south-east of Johannesburg in South Africa to clarify the interaction of francolins with a landscape consisting of land use mosaics.Methods:A transect-road of 45 km was traversed weekly during November 2015–October 2016 through flat maize(Zea mays) and cattle(Bos primigenius) grazing fields. Francolins were counted in three land use mosaic types along the transect-road(including the road):grass camps on both sides of the road(grass/grass edges); arable fields on both sides(arable/arable edges) and arable land on one side with grass camps on the opposite side of the road(arable/grass edges).Results:Francolins used all three mosaic types, but the arable/arable edges were least frequented. Nonetheless, the arable/arable edges played an important part:francolins, including females with chicks, moved along the arable/arable edges, which enabled contact between sub-populations, and the arable/arable edges provided temporary cover(e.g. stubble and maize plants) and ploughed firebreaks to forage(e.g. for bulbs).Conclusion:Cultivation of crop within grasslands does not constrain breeding, movement and habitat use by the Orange River Francolin. For conservation purposes it is critical that the fine-scale mosaic of grazing and cultivation areas remain intact.展开更多
Background:Generally speaking,playbacks were often ineffective to determine the group sizes of birds since mainly males from leks responded.This limitation has not been tested properly for flocking birds such as Crest...Background:Generally speaking,playbacks were often ineffective to determine the group sizes of birds since mainly males from leks responded.This limitation has not been tested properly for flocking birds such as Crested Guineafowl(Guttera edouardi) with the view to use it as a counting method.The aims of the study reported in this paper were(1) to describe the cal s of Crested Guineafowl in a social context;(2) to interpret cal s in an evolutionary context;and(3) to demonstrate that playbacks can be used to locate and count Crested Guineafowl in smal isolated forests.Methods:The vocal behavior of Crested Guineafowl was observed during a survey conducted in the Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve(Kwa Zulu-Natal,South Africa) from November 2010 to June 2012.Transect line observations and sound playback methods were used.Results:The behavioral context and structure of cal s were described.The eight cal s described for Crested Guineafowl were produced mainly to unite flock members in the dense understory,where visibility was poor,and to repel intruders.When not disturbed,Crested Guineafowl were quiet and only made soft contact calls.Conclusions:The high rate of call back and the fact that flocks invariably approach the source of the call en masse,shows that field researchers are able to assess the population size of Crested Guineafowl with sound playbacks along a transect.The value of playbacks as a conservation tool is assessed.展开更多
Field work was conducted in the southern half of the Molopo Nature Reserve(MNR) near Vostershoop in the North West Province of South Africa to(1) describe the past and present distribution of Red-billed Spurfowl(Ptern...Field work was conducted in the southern half of the Molopo Nature Reserve(MNR) near Vostershoop in the North West Province of South Africa to(1) describe the past and present distribution of Red-billed Spurfowl(Pternistis adspersus) in South Africa and(2) to describe the dispersion of Red-billed Spurfowl at waterholes in the MNR.The Red-billed Spurfowl did not colonize this area from Bo-tswana in the 1990s as reported in Hockey et al.(2005) and their distribution status and population sizes are not determined by long distance(30-100 km) and/or seasonal movements between the two countries.Red-billed Spurfowl are sparsely distributed and mainly occur in clusters near man-made waterholes.Waterholes provide water and food found in and around antelope droppings.The movement of the Red-billed Spurfowl between waterholes over short distances of 2-5 km was probably encouraged by the sinking of more boreholes since the 1980s(and the creation of 'veeposte'(game/livestock camps) around them).Low rainfall that results in limited insects is probably the single most important factor limiting populations of the Red-billed Spurfowl in South Africa.展开更多
文摘The aims of this research were (1) to provide a description of spurfowl Pternistis spp. calls and their social context;(2) to describe the divergence of advertisement calls;and (3) to appropri-ate 23 spurfowl species to homologous sound groups which have been synthesized with recognized monophyletic groups within Pternistis spurfowls. Sound group partitioning was primarily based on male advertisement calls. A total of 218 recordings (rendering^300 identifiable calls) were analyzed covering 22 out of 23 spurfowl species in Africa. One species was assessed from written accounts. The repertoire size per spurfowl varies between 7 and 11 calls. Spurfowl calls were arranged into three broad categories including (1) advertisement calls;(2) maintenance calls including distress calls, juve-nile whining (“mews”), cheeps and comfort calls;and (3) male-female and female-offspring bonding calls. Spurfowl species were set out in eight sound groups of which five were more or less congruent with the monophyletic groups of Hall (1963), but sound groups produced more partitioning as Hall described only five groups relevant to Pternistis spp. The divergence of advertisement calls appar-ently minimizes hybridization between sympatric species but the“genetic distance”between spurfowl species is relatively small causing hybridization among spurfowl species. Despite the vocalizations of Hartlaub’s Spurfowl (P. hartlaubi) differing significantly from the rest of the spurfowls, sound analy-ses suggest that it remains within Pternistis.
基金funded by a research grant from the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology,University of Cape Town,South Africa[REF.B 717]Partial support was provided by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology[FCT fellowships PTDC/BAA-AGR/28866/2017 and CEECIND/04084/2017]the Spanish Government,Ministry of Universities(“María Zambrano”–Next Generation EU)。
文摘The responses of ground-dwelling birds to heat and cold stress encompass a variety of behavioural,physiological and even morphological mechanisms.However,the role of glabrous skin in this respect has been marginally addressed so far.The Helmeted Guineafowl(Numida meleagris)is a landfowl distributed across Sub-Saharan Africa with eight traditionally recognised extant subspecies.Among the most prominent morphological traits underlying intraspecific variability are size and pigmentation of the bare throat skin(or sack),which might be related to the different habitats and environmental conditions across its wide range.In order to explore the Helmeted Guineafowl range-wide sack variation and pigmentation in relation to thermoregulation and sexual signalling,we collected morphometric and environmental information for N.m.coronata integrating field data with the inspection of photographic material encompassing seven subspecies and environmental information from their habitats.Field data evidenced that sack size was significantly correlated with ambient temperature,thus pointing to a likely involvement of the throat sack in thermoregulation.When the pictorial data from all subspecies were pooled,sack size correlated negatively with biomass,rainfall and humidity,while a positive correlation was found with annual solar irradiation.Sack size correlated positively with monthly temperature variation among the bluethroated subspecies from southern Africa as opposed to the black-throated subspecies ranging north to Zambia and Mozambique.Still,in this latter group the sack was often larger during winter months,possibly to maximise solar radiation absorbance.Noteworthy,sack size was related to sex dimorphism in two subspecies.Sack morphology and colour in the Helmeted Guineafowl likely modulate body temperature by evaporative cooling or heating upon needs,but in some subspecies it is also seemingly related to sexual signalling.Additional studies are needed to fully understand the multifunctionality of this important morphological feature in this species.
文摘The role of bare body parts in sexual signalling in birds has received relatively little attention.I describe how the bare-throated spurfowl males saturate the colours of their throats to attract females.Of the 23 Afrotropical spurfowl species,the bare-throated subgroup includes Yellow-necked Spurfowl(Pternistis leucosceptus),Rednecked Spurfowl(P.afer),Grey-breasted Spurfowl(P.rufopictus) and Swainson’s Spurfowl(P.swainsonii).The rest of the species include fully feathered throated spurfowls.Throat colour intensity of bare throats was scored using an extensive online digital photographic archive encompassing the four species across the year’s seasons.Each throat(n=836) was assigned to one of four colour-intensity categories to explore the relationship between colour intensities,breeding cycles,and environmental variation.Except for Swainson’s Spurfowl male saturation of throat colours correlated with monthly rainfall,which peaks one or two months before egg laying.Swainson’s Spurfowl peaks during egg laying.Yellow-necked Spurfowl has the largest bare throat.Bare-throated spurfowl males perform an elevated courtship display posture above the female to feature their throat colour.No such displays occur in feather-throated spurfowl.Males with low throat colour saturation harbour more ectoparasites on their bare throats than birds with saturated throats.Male Red-necked Spurfowls have significantly larger bare throats than females.The primary function of bare throats probably assists in thermoregulation,particularly in arid regions.The bare throat may have evolved a secondary role in mating.Yellow-necked,Red-necked,and Greybreasted Spurfowls use their saturated throat colours as ornaments to court females during the breeding season.Unobtrusive female throat colours(unsaturated) may discourage male interlopers and predation during egg laying.Saturation appears to be carotenoid-food based.The different colours among the bare-throated species may serve as prezygotic mechanisms that inhibit cross-breeding and explain why females also have coloured throats.
文摘Background: This paper describes the chick plumage of spurfowl(Pternistis) and francolin(Francolinus, Dendroperdix Peliperdix and Scleroptila) chicks, tests its significance for phylogenetic relationships and also explores the patterns of character evolution in the francolin and spurfowl lineages.Previously regarded as monophyletic, the two evolutionar?ily distant clades are now divided into five genera.Questions considered were whether chick plumage supports the dichotomy between spurfowls and francolins and what role habitat matching plays.Methods: The study was based mainly on photographs of chick skins from the American Museum of Natural History and the Natural History Museum at Tring.Eight plumage characters were selected for comparative scoring, summa?rised in a matrix.These characters were subsequently analysed phylogenetically and their evolution was traced on the existing molecular phylogeny using a parsimony approach.Results: Based on chick plumage the phylogeny of species groups among francolins and spurfowls, was largely unresolved possibly ascribed to a high degree of symplesiomorphy inherent among the Phasianids.This possibly could have resulted in a high degree of polytomy particularly among the spurfowls and francolins.Furthermore, the ancestral state reconstructions revealed high prevalence of symplesiomorphic states and reversals which do not help in the classification of groups.Although the differences are described that separate some African francolins from spurfowls, other francolins(in Asia and Africa) share remarkably similar characteristics with spurfowls.Plain dark dorsal plumage is probably advantageous for avoiding detection by predators in forests, while facial stripes optimise the breaking of body shapes in dense grass cover(as in Scleroptila spp.) and semi?striped faces are advantageous for stationary camouflage under tree and bush cover(as in Pternistis spp.).Conclusions: Although symplesiomorphy is a hereditary explanation for downy colours and patterns, the traits rel?evant for habitat matching are combined in a manner which is determined(adaptation) by natural selection.
文摘Background:How do Orange River Francolins(Scleroptila levaillantoides) adapt to an intensive farming landscape with grass(grazing) camps and crop cultivation? To answer this question, a study was carried out in south-east of Johannesburg in South Africa to clarify the interaction of francolins with a landscape consisting of land use mosaics.Methods:A transect-road of 45 km was traversed weekly during November 2015–October 2016 through flat maize(Zea mays) and cattle(Bos primigenius) grazing fields. Francolins were counted in three land use mosaic types along the transect-road(including the road):grass camps on both sides of the road(grass/grass edges); arable fields on both sides(arable/arable edges) and arable land on one side with grass camps on the opposite side of the road(arable/grass edges).Results:Francolins used all three mosaic types, but the arable/arable edges were least frequented. Nonetheless, the arable/arable edges played an important part:francolins, including females with chicks, moved along the arable/arable edges, which enabled contact between sub-populations, and the arable/arable edges provided temporary cover(e.g. stubble and maize plants) and ploughed firebreaks to forage(e.g. for bulbs).Conclusion:Cultivation of crop within grasslands does not constrain breeding, movement and habitat use by the Orange River Francolin. For conservation purposes it is critical that the fine-scale mosaic of grazing and cultivation areas remain intact.
文摘Background:Generally speaking,playbacks were often ineffective to determine the group sizes of birds since mainly males from leks responded.This limitation has not been tested properly for flocking birds such as Crested Guineafowl(Guttera edouardi) with the view to use it as a counting method.The aims of the study reported in this paper were(1) to describe the cal s of Crested Guineafowl in a social context;(2) to interpret cal s in an evolutionary context;and(3) to demonstrate that playbacks can be used to locate and count Crested Guineafowl in smal isolated forests.Methods:The vocal behavior of Crested Guineafowl was observed during a survey conducted in the Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve(Kwa Zulu-Natal,South Africa) from November 2010 to June 2012.Transect line observations and sound playback methods were used.Results:The behavioral context and structure of cal s were described.The eight cal s described for Crested Guineafowl were produced mainly to unite flock members in the dense understory,where visibility was poor,and to repel intruders.When not disturbed,Crested Guineafowl were quiet and only made soft contact calls.Conclusions:The high rate of call back and the fact that flocks invariably approach the source of the call en masse,shows that field researchers are able to assess the population size of Crested Guineafowl with sound playbacks along a transect.The value of playbacks as a conservation tool is assessed.
文摘Field work was conducted in the southern half of the Molopo Nature Reserve(MNR) near Vostershoop in the North West Province of South Africa to(1) describe the past and present distribution of Red-billed Spurfowl(Pternistis adspersus) in South Africa and(2) to describe the dispersion of Red-billed Spurfowl at waterholes in the MNR.The Red-billed Spurfowl did not colonize this area from Bo-tswana in the 1990s as reported in Hockey et al.(2005) and their distribution status and population sizes are not determined by long distance(30-100 km) and/or seasonal movements between the two countries.Red-billed Spurfowl are sparsely distributed and mainly occur in clusters near man-made waterholes.Waterholes provide water and food found in and around antelope droppings.The movement of the Red-billed Spurfowl between waterholes over short distances of 2-5 km was probably encouraged by the sinking of more boreholes since the 1980s(and the creation of 'veeposte'(game/livestock camps) around them).Low rainfall that results in limited insects is probably the single most important factor limiting populations of the Red-billed Spurfowl in South Africa.
