Effects Of Nest Site Characteristics On Conspecific Brood Parasitism Host Selection In Mandarin Duck

Conspecific brood parasitism(CBP)is a special reproductive strategy which make parasites individual increase their adaption fitness, this behaviour help them release from reproductive investment and avoid energy consumption by which will benefit offspring. We make an investigation about the Mandarin Duck on five areas, such as nest site selection, the relationship between the parasite and host, nest material and abandoned nest and so on, which by using artificial nest boxes in the natural protective area of Zuojia, Jilin province in 2012-2014. The result showed that nest boxes totally attracted sixty-seven Mandarin Ducks in three years, the occupancy rate was thirty-four percentage; by using microsatellite method to confirm the relationship of forty-five nest between parents and children, thirty-four of which have intraspecific brood parasitism, parasitism rate was seventy-five percentage. Independent sample T test show that three significant differences were existed between nest site and non-nest site, that they are average shrub height, vegetation coverage, tree density within ten meters; We found the main factor of nest site selection by using binomial logistic regression, they are average shrub height, coverage above the nest, vegetation coverage, tree density within ten meters. There should be a correlation mechanism between the nest site characteristic and the frequency of nest parasitism, in which the number of parasite eggs and parasites have a positive significant correlation with crown coverage, tree density within ten meters. The host characteristics have a significant impact on the occurrence of conspecific brood parasitism, the key determine who the parasite choose is the host incubation period, parasite prefer long incubation hosts. Mandarin Duck do not add nest material to artificial nest boxes when reproduced, but prefered nest boxed that have nest material when then make nest site choice. Boxes containing nest materials of Eurasian Red were selected more frequently, followed by other artificial nest materials(dry grass and wood shaving).The occurrence of CBP have a significant relevance with the nest material type. Location factor, nest tree factor, concealment factor show significant impact on the behaviour of abandoned nest in Mandarin Duck.