Breeding biology of two coexisting laughingthrush species in central china

Abstract

The coexistence of ecologically similar species is widespread in nature and has fascinated the evolutionary biologists for a long time. In order to avoid direct competition, closely related bird species that breed alongside each other are expected to use different habitats characteristics for nesting. We looked for possible differences in breeding ecology of two bird species, the plain laughingthrush Garrulax davidi concolor and Elliot,s laughingthrush Trochalopteron elliotii in lianhuashan, try to figure out the mechanisms permit stable coexisting of these two species, and hypothesized that the different nesting site selection favours coexisting of these two species. We determined the breeding time, reproductive success and nesting characteristics through field works, our results revealed highly difference in nest height above the ground and different preference for nesting plants between the two species. However, the nest predation rate and breeding success were not different significantly. Our study suggested that the space segregation of nesting site contribute to the extensive stable coexistence of these two species.