title: Effects of Supplementary Feeding on the Breeding Ecology of the Buff-Throated Partridge in a Tibetan Sacred Site, China.
abstract: Our goal was to document effects of year-round supplemental feeding on breeding ecology of the Buff-throated Partridge, Tetraophasis szechenyii, within a Tibetan sacred site. We evaluated effects of supplemental feeding used as religious/cultural practices which could potentially aid conservation of endangered phasianids. We compared fed breeding groups to neighboring nonfed groups. Fed groups initiated first clutches significantly earlier than nonfed groups. Earlier laying groups within fed and nonfed groups showed significantly lower hatching rates than later groups; however, fed groups showed significantly higher hatching rates than nonfed groups laying in the same period. Earlier laying increased opportunities to renest. All six fed groups with clutch failures renested compared to only one of five nonfed groups with clutch failures. Fed female breeders showed significantly greater investment in their young with larger clutches and larger eggs, which likely increased survivability of early hatchlings. We observed no predation on birds at feeding sites and recorded only four cases of predation on incubating females, which showed no detectable difference between fed and nonfed groups. Ground-nesting birds typically face high risks of predation. Ten of the 48 groups nested in trees, which occurs in few phasianid species. Tree nests showed significantly higher hatching rates compared to ground nests; however, we found no significant difference in tree nesting between fed and nonfed groups. This partridge is one of four gallinaceous species with cooperative breeding. Breeding groups with helpers had significantly greater reproductive success than single pairs, and fed female breeders with helpers laid bigger eggs than single pairs. Comparing annual reproductive output per group, fed groups not only produced significantly more independent young (≥ 150 days post-hatching), their young hatched significantly earlier, which likely have greater reproductive value over later hatched young of nonfed groups. Supplemental feeding year-round is likely what enabled the successes of the fed partridges.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
authors.forename: Timothy C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Moermond
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester Street, Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Huw
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
authors.forename: Bisong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
authors.forename: Jianghong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ran
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D052284:Clutch Size; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D004032:Diet; D017753:Ecosystem; D056727:Endangered Species; D005260:Female; D046094:Galliformes; D008297:Male; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D018609:Tibet