Life History Traits Of Saxaul Sparrow (Passer Ammodendri) In Anxi, Gansu

Life history study has a long histroy in the ornithology, many theories has been developed for ornitholgy and even contributioned to the entire zoology. In this thesis, we present a research on the hife history tratis on Saxaul Sparrow (Passer ammodendri) during the breeding season from2009to2011in Anxi Gansu.Sexual dimorphism in plumage is significant in Saxaul Sparrow, but not in body size.The common nest type is tree nest, and sometimes cavity nest. The breeding season last from early May to late July. The size of completed Saxaul Sparrow clutches ranged from3to7eggs(248nests), and the color of the last egg in a clutch very often deviates from that of the others(130of132in2011). There is a significant differences of clutch size between2010and2011(t=3.066, df=173, p=0.003).Our results revealed no effect of clutch size on mean egg size((r=-0.055, P=0.441, n=197), Mean daily average temperature during the nine-day interval around the laying of the first egg significantly infuluenced mean egg size (r=0.118, P=0.020, n=152).In all of the female characteristics,we found no relationship between egg size and female condition, but female size measured by tarsus length had a highly significant influence on mean egg size (tarsus: r=0.316, p=0.064, n=35).The laying order significantly influenced the egg size.The incubation period and nestling period is12.40±0.76(n=107)and16.50±1.02(n=70)respectively. Nest success rate, hatching rate, fledging rate and reproduction success rate in the three breeding season count up to69.70%,87.43%(n=985),63.48%(n=800) and51.03%(n=972),Our result of manipulating brood sizes experiment in2011showed that the sum feeding rate of+1,+2at nestling age12d is almost twice of6and9, and this is not the result of the change of food availability or environment, because-2,-1,0did not emerge a same trend. It’s clear that parents of+1,+2have the ability to feed their children at a high rate, but they did not increase food deliveries at early time when most of the chicks died from starvation. So the early age brood reduction must be, at least partly, initiative parent control.