กรกช พบประเสริฐ. Nesting habitat selection of Abbotts Babbler (Malacocincla abbotti) in Mo Singto, Khao Yai National Park. Master's Degree(Natural Resources Management). King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi. : King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, 2005.
Nesting habitat selection of Abbotts Babbler (Malacocincla abbotti) in Mo Singto, Khao Yai National Park
Abstract:
One function of nest site selection of birds is to avoid predators. This topic has been studied in temperate regions for many decades while the study on nest site selection of bird in the tropical regions and Asia in particular has been rare. The objective of this study was to examine habitat factors which influence nest
site selection and breeding biology of a common forest bird, the Abbotts Babbler (Malacocincla abbotti). The study was conducted in the Mo-singto long term study plot, Khao Yai National Park during 2003-2004. The breeding season was from January through July. A total of 54 nests were found during 2 years study,
47 of their nests were placed in rattans (Daemonorops sp. or Calamus sp.), while the remaining 7 were placed in other shrubs. Nests were usually placed low, averaging 1.0 ? 0.47 m above ground. Abbotts Babbler had a low nesting success (36% in 2003 and 26% in 2004) but typical of tropical forest passerines due almost entirely to nest predation. Habitat measurements plots (5-m radius circle surrounding the nest) were taken at nest sites, nest patches (the area surrounding nest sites) and at randomly selected locations. Nest placement
was not random in that Abbotts Babbler placed their nests in locations with greater cover of perennial vegetation and nest sites differed from non-use sites primarily in that nest sites had more rattan clumps and higher density of stems of short vegetation (0- to 2-m tall) in the patch (5-m radius circle) surrounding the nest. This behavior may possibly reflect nest site selection of Abbotts Babbler to reduce nest predation by concealing the nest in thorny vegetation or a large number of other potential nest sites (i.e., rattan clumps) near the nest.
In addition, some breeding ecology that found during studied such as this species is socially monogamous that form pair bonds and holding territory approximately 1.75 ha (11 Rais) year-round. My results also suggest that the number of potential nest sites is an important factor in Abbotts Babbler territory selection because each breeding pair may have to make several nesting attempts during the breeding season due to the high predation pressure in the study area.