[On nest-site selection of Otic tarda].
During April to July in 2000 and 2001, the nest-site selection of Otis tarda was studied by direct observation and sampling method in the southeast grassland of Keyouqianqi in Inner Mongolia. The results showed that Otis tarda was one kind of big-sized bird built nests on the ground in sparse cluster, and the smallest distance between nests was 9 m. Otis tarda had a significant tendency in nest-site selection. Firstly, this tendency was represented under the scale of landscape. Most nests of Otis tarda were built on the mid-hill of grassland, the elevation range was from 190 m to 230 m, most nests built on the slopes faced to sun, and the biggest gradient was not more than 8 degree. Moreover, the nests were near to roads. Secondly, Otis tarda selected its nest-site according to vegetation structure. It tended to select nest-site with thick hay, high vegetation density and grass height from 15 cm to 35 cm, but would not select the place with over high vegetation density no nest.
Wan
Dongmei
D
College of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024.
Gao
Wei
W
Zhao
Jiang
J
Wang
Haitao
H
Cheng
Jinrui
J
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D002681:China; D017753:Ecosystem; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000502:physiology*