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1 December 2006 Abundance and Breeding Ecology of Brown Accentors Prunella fulvescens in Lhasa, Tibet
Xin Lu
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Data are presented for the first time on the abundance and breeding ecology of the Brown Accentor in Lhasa, Tibet. During the non-breeding periods, the accentors occurred across a wide altitudinal gradient in a variety of habitats and remained numerically abundant. When breeding, they were restricted to alpine zones (> 4300 m) with scattered shrubs, and the population density declined to a low level (0.02 nests per ha). Nests were built partially in lone-standing short, thorny bushes and at a low height (< 0.8 m) above the ground. Dates of clutch initiation ranged from early May to mid-July, a period of 80 days. Clutch size varied between 2 and 3 eggs, averaging 2.9 (± 0.1). Eggs hatched after 13–14 days of incubation, and young birds fledged at 13–17 days, when they reached 97% of the adult weight. In terms of the proportion of clutches from which at least one chick fledged, breeding success was 56.3%. No evidence of multiple mating was found in this species.

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Xin Lu "Abundance and Breeding Ecology of Brown Accentors Prunella fulvescens in Lhasa, Tibet," Acta Ornithologica 41(2), 121-128, (1 December 2006). https://doi.org/10.3161/068.041.0208
Received: 1 September 2006; Accepted: 1 November 2006; Published: 1 December 2006
KEYWORDS
abundance
breeding biology
Brown Accentor
habitat selection
nestling diet
nest-site selection
Prunella fulvescens
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