Territory, Home Range And Habitat Use Of Hainan Partridge (Arborophila Ardens) In Yinggeling Nature Reserve, Hainan Island, China

Territory, home range and habitat use of Hainan Partridge have been studied from October 2005 to May 2006 in Yinggeling Nature Reserve, Hainan Island, China. Distance sampling method was used to survey the population density. The present results show that, the individuals per flock are 2.43±1.36 bird and 1.81±0.59 in primary forest and secondary forest, respectively. The population density in primary forest, secondary forest and plantation is 15.7 individuals/ km2,15.8 individuals/km2 and 0, respectively, and with 6.5 flocks/ km2,8.7 flocks/ km2 and 0 respectively.Using playback experiment, we found that, female of Hainan partridge also called in the breeding season, and the songs of the male and female were different. Female may play a key role in its mating system. To our knowledge, this is the first report for female calling of Galliformes in China. Male or female solo playback indicated that there was no significant difference between male and female to the male song playback (Z=-0.369, P=0.712). However, there was highly significant difference between male and female to the female song playback (Z=-4.716, P<0.001). On the other hand, the corresponding responses of male to male song and female song playbacks were highly significant (Z=-3.31, P=0.001). Also, as for the female, the responses between male song and female playbacks had no significant difference (Z=-1.774, P=0.076).Totally 19 partridges were captured in the field using bamboo-trap method. Radio telemetry showed that the day home range size of the Hainan Partridge is 3.85±2.77ha (90% HMT), with 2.23±1.65 ha (50% KH) in core area. The month home range size is 7.72±4.52 ha (90% HMT) and the core area is 2.78±2.32 ha (50% KH). No significant difference of month home range size is found between male and female. The total home range size of Hainan Partridge in dry season is 7.15±3.87 ha (90% HMT) and the core home range size is 2.81±2.87 ha (50% KH). The day displacement is the biggest from 14:30 to 15:30 and 17:30 to 18:30 and, the smallest from 11:30 to 12:30 and 18:30 to 19:30 in all hours intervals in a day. No significant difference was found during the hours intervals in a day to the male and female. Also, we fail to find significant difference between male and female of the displacements in the same time intervals.By radio tracking, component analysis was used to analyse habitat use of Hainan Partridge in the study area. Sampling plot was used to determine microhabitat use with home range. The results show that, primary and secondary natural rain forest were the most used habitat for this species, and plantation was not used by Hainan Partridge. The main factors linked to foraging habitat use of Hainan Partridge in primary forest are distance to vavine, distance to water, proportion of covery, fell down woods, defoliated leaves covery, defoliated leaves thickness and close canopy from 0 to 0.5 m. And the main factors in secondary forest are close canopy from 0 to 0.5 m, close canopy from 2 to 4 m, dense bine, distance to vavine and defoliated leaves thickness. The main factor of the micro-habitat use of Hainan Partridge is level canopy.