Title:

Nesting and Cooperative Breeding Behaviours of a High-Altitude Babbler, Tibetan Babax Babax koslowi

Subtitle:

Pierwszy opis lęgów tymalaka tybetańskiego ; Short notes

Creator:

Lu, Xin ; Ma, Xuhui ; Fan, Liqing

Contributor:

Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences

Publisher:

Natura Optima Dux Foundation ; Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences

Place of publishing:

Warsaw

Date issued/created:

2007

Description:

pg(s) 181–185

Type of object:

Journal/Article

Subject and Keywords:

Tibetan Babax ; Babax koslowi ; nesting biology ; cooperative breeding ; phylogeny ; tymalak tybetański

Abstract:

The Tibetan Babax is a high-altitude babbler endemic to the NE Tibetan plateau. This is the first report of the species nesting behaviour: the study was based on information gathered during 2005 and 2006 in the upper Mekong River basin (32°N, 96°E, 3700–4300 m.a.s.l.), S Qinghai. The birds nested low (< 2 m) in conifers and laid eggs from early May to late July. The clutch size was 3–4 eggs. Nestlings fledged at 13–14 days, when they reached 52% of the adult female weight. In all four nesting attempts (three nests and one post-fledging social unit), more than two birds (3-6) were observed feeding the young or guarding the nest against conspecific intruders or potential predators. These results indicate that all three member species of the genus Babax (the two others are the high-altitude Giant Babax and the lowland Chinese Babax) display a cooperative breeding system. This provides a good example of phylogeny as a component responsible for the evolution of cooperative breeding behaviour.

Relation:

Acta Ornithologica

Volume:

42

Issue:

2

Start page:

181

End page:

185

Resource type:

Text

Detailed Resource Type:

Journal

Format:

text/xml

Resource Identifier:

10.3161/068.042.0213

Source:

MiIZ PAN, call no. P.257 ; MiIZ PAN, call no. P.4568

Language:

eng

Language of abstract:

pol ; eng

Rights:

Rights Reserved - Free Access

Terms of use:

Copyright-protected material. May be used within the limits of statutory user freedoms

Digitizing institution:

Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Original in:

Library of the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Projects co-financed by:

Programme Innovative Economy, 2010-2014, Priority Axis 2. R&D infrastructure ; European Union. European Regional Development Fund

Access:

Open