Time Budget of Polyandrous Pheasant-Tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus Chirurgus) During Breeding Seaon in Taiwan
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Taiwania, 53(2): 107-115, 2008 Time Budget of Polyandrous Pheasant-Tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) during Breeding Seaon in Taiwan Te-Chih Chen(1), Yao-Sung Lin(2) and Tzung-Su Ding(3,4) (Manuscript received 26 November, 2007; accepted 22 April, 2008) ABSTRACT: The mating system of the Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is classical polyandry. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain the evolution of polyandry. The replacement clutches hypothesis indicates that it would benefit both sexes if females produce more clutches as replacement when clutch lost rate is high. Females should be freed from parental duty in order to accumulate more energy for producing more replacement clutches and males should carry all or most of parental responsibility. By observing daily time budget of both males and females, we tested whether the replacement clutches hypothesis applied to Pheasant-tail Jacanas in Taiwan. Our results indicated that foraging behavior was the major activity of females in breeding season. Females spent significantly more time on foraging behavior than males during both early and late breeding stages. In males, the breeding behaviors were the dominant activity. Females increased foraging time and reduced breeding time from early to late breeding stage. Males lowered their foraging time and spent more time on breeding behaviors at the late breeding stage. The results were consistent with the predictions of the replacement clutches hypothesis. The time spent on breeding behaviors (mostly incubating behavior) of male Pheasant-tailed Jacanas peaked around noon. We suggest this was due to the high air temperature of the study site during breeding season. Males had to stay in the nests to provide eggs and chicks protection from high temperature and ultraviolet ray. KEW WORDS: Pheasant-tailed Jacana, mating system, diurnal pattern, evolution, polyandry, parental care, reproductive strategy. INTRODUCTION 1977). The energetic stress hypothesis suggests that food scarcity and laying-induced energy depletion Time budget data are useful in studying the life reduce females’ parental care. If food deficiency is a history and ecological adaptations of birds (Evers, long-term circumstance, clutch desertion by females 1994; Hamilton et al., 2002; Jonsson and Afton, will increase. If food supply fluctuates, females will 2006), particularly in the evolution of mating system produce multiple clutches for the same or a different (Andersson, 2005). The mating system of male when food supply is abundant (Graul et al., Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) 1977; Lenington, 1980). The uniparental care is classical polyandry (Thong-aree et al., 1995), hypothesis asserts breeding success is greater by which is a rare breeding system that the sex roles are uniparental care than biparental care. Uniparental reversed. The evolution of classical polyandry has care can reduce the predation risks and food been widely discussed but remains unclear so far competition between parents and offspring (Pitelka et (Owens, 2002). Many hypotheses have been al., 1974). The replacement clutches hypothesis proposed to explain the evolution of polyandry. Betts indicates that when clutch lost rate is high, it would and Jenni (1991) assembled them into three main benefit both sexes if females produce more clutches hypotheses, including female energetic stress as replacement. In this case, females should be freed hypothesis (Graul et al., 1977), uniparental care from parental duty to accumulate energy for hypothesis (Pitelka et al., 1974), and replacement producing replacement clutches. Males will carry all clutches hypothesis (Jenni, 1974; Emlen and Oring, or most of parental responsibility (Jenni, 1974; ______________________________________________________________________ Emlen and Oring, 1977). 1. Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan. Andersson (2005) proposed three steps that 2. Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, 1, Sec. emancipated females from parental duties and 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan. prompted the evolution of classical polyandry. He 3. School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan pointed out that the first step was males tended eggs University, 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan. or reared chicks solely. The second step was females 4. Corresponding author. Tel: 886-2-3366-5263; Email: ding@ ntu.edu.tw had ability to lay more eggs than a male could 108 TAIWANIA Vol. 53, No. 2 accommodate. Females obtained extra energy intake to early September) of 2003 and 2004. Data were by moving to habitats with rich food supply during collected by continuous focal animal sampling breeding season or spending more time in foraging. method with continuous recording in minutes from Thus females had enough energy to increase sunrise to sunset. The observed individuals were fecundity. In step three, females competed to lay randomly selected and their activities were more clutches for different males sequentially. continuously monitored through binoculars and Females who laid more clutches could gain more spotting scopes until the birds flew out of sight. reproductive benefit. Polyandrous females raised Although only one male and one female were color more offspring than monogamous pairs (Wiktander banded, we could identify each individual by their et al., 2000). plumage and territorial behavior. When collecting This study systematically collected time budget data, the observer was always in a blind or behind data of the Pheasant-tailed Jacana in Taiwan to test fence in order to ensure the behavior of birds was not the replacement clutches hypothesis. If the influenced by the presence of the observer. replacement clutches hypothesis is correct, the The breeding status of the Pheasant-tailed Jacanas reproductive strategies of males and females shall was divided into four reproductive periods: (1) differ and be reflected in their time budgets pre-laying, the copulative period, from the first day of (Maynard, 1977), particularly in foraging and mating till the day the female laid the first egg; (2) breeding behaviors (Betts and Jenni, 1991). laying, the laying period, from the day the female laid Following the explanations of Andersson (2005), we the first egg till the day the female laid the last egg proposed and tested three predictions of the (generally one egg per day); (3) incubation, the replacement clutches hypothesis. First, after laying, period after laying finished and till the first chick males will reduce their foraging time and spend most appeared; and (4) brooding, the period after the first their time on incubation and tending chicks. Second, chick appeared and till all chicks fledged. We females will spend less time on incubation and combined the pre-laying and laying data into early tending chicks than males. Third, the foraging time of breeding stage and grouped the incubation and females will maintain at a steadily high level to brooding data as the late breeding stage for statistical accumulate more energy for producing more eggs comparison. For the females that mate with more after laying the first clutch. than one male, the periods after laying of the first clutch finished and till re-mating with another male MATERIALS AND METHODS were grouped into late breeding stage; and the periods after re-mating and till laying of the second The breeding system of Pheasant-tailed Jacana is clutch finished were classified as early breeding polyandry in general. Males take most duties of stage. incubation and parental care. The breeding season is The behaviors of the Pheasant-tailed Jacanas were from late April to mid-October in the study site. The divided into 10 categories: (1) foraging, frequently copulative period usually takes three to nine days and pecking at food or peering at vegetation when females generally lay one egg per day. Clutch size walking or standing; (2) alert, actively observing ranges from one to five and four eggs per clutch is the surroundings with hasty alarm calls; (3) aggressive, most common form. Eggs take 28.1 days to incubate hostile interactions involving other jacanas or in average. Males have strong territoriality during potential predators; (4) preening, maintenance of breeding season. Chicks are precocious and feed with feathers including grooming, bathing and stretching; males after hatching. Males tend the chicks for four to (5) flying, normal short-distance flight; (6) resting, five weeks before chicks become independent, and standing without moving or calling; (7) courting, then males will re-mate with females if it is possible socially displaying toward individuals of the opposite (Jung-Syuan Weng and Jiang-Ping Wang, sex or copulating comportment; (8) nest building, unpublished data). We observed 391 clutches from pulling at vegetation and push-stepping on nest year 2002 to 2007. The incubation rate of total platform; (9) incubating, sitting on the nest; (10) clutches was 50.97% (739 chicks from 1450 eggs) tending chicks, walking and feeding with chicks and and the 20 days survival rate of all chicks was actively observing surroundings without alarm calls; 78.62% (581/739 chicks). and (11) being disturbed, flying away caused by We observed and recorded the daily activity time human activity or unknown reasons. For some budget data of the Pheasant-tailed Jacanas in behaviors, such as aggressive and flying, that lasted Guan-Tian Pheasant-tailed Jacana