Abundance and breeding ecology of Brown Accentors Prunella fulvescens in Lhasa, Tibet

Abstract

4300 m) with scattered shrubs, and the population density declined to a low level (0.02 nests per ha). Nests were bunt 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.