Ecological factors influencing the occurrence of ‘flash marks’ in wading birds
Ecological factors influencing the occurrence of ‘flash marks’ in wading birds
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影响涉水鸟类“闪痕”发生的生态因素
DOI：
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发表时间：
1998
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
M. Brooke
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
M. Brooke
1. 虽然鸟类的羽毛对于飞行和体温调节很重要，但它也用于种间和种内的交流。特定羽毛特征在交流中的作用可以通过实验来研究，或者通过相关分析来研究。
2. 这项研究是针对 210 种涉水鸟类进行的，例如鸻、鹬、厚膝鸟和近亲鸟，这些鸟类属于传统的鸻形目。
3. 不同物种的“闪光痕迹”的位置和范围有所不同，“闪光痕迹”是鸟类飞行时羽毛上通常很明显的白色斑点。这些斑块在不同物种中以不同的排列出现在翅膀（初级、次级、隐蔽）、背部、臀部和尾巴上。
4. 在系统发育框架内，有人询问几个广泛的生态变量（迁徙、栖息地选择、饲养技术、群体倾向）中的哪一个与闪光标记的发生相关。只有植绒显着相关。特别是，群居的类群比非群居的近亲有更华丽的背部和隐蔽处。
5. 对这种相关性的三种非排他性解释是：（i）为躲避捕食者而飞行的个体可能会受益于向群体伙伴发出起飞信号，然后群体伙伴自己也开始飞行； (ii) 闪光标记可以增强群体内的混乱效果，使捕食者更难辨认出个体； (iii) 闪光标记可以促进鸡群内的协调飞行。
1. Although the plumage of birds is important for flight and thermoregulation, it is also employed in inter- and intraspecific communication. The role in communication of particular plumage features can be studied by experiment or, as here, by correlational analysis.
2. The study was carried out on the 210 species of wading birds, such as plovers, sandpipers, thick-knees and allies, that are placed within the traditional order Charadriiformes.
3. Species differ in the location and extent of ‘flash marks’, patches of white on the plumage that are typically conspicuous when the bird flies. These patches occur, in various permutations in different species, on the wing (primaries, secondaries, coverts), back, rump and tail.
4. Within a phylogenetic framework, it was asked which of several broad ecological variables (migration, habitat choice, feeding technique, propensity to flock) were correlated with the occurrence of flash marks. Only flocking correlated significantly. In particular, taxa that flock have flashier backs and coverts than their non-flocking relatives.
5. Three non-exclusive explanations for this correlation are: (i) individuals that take flight to avoid a predator may benefit from signalling their take-off to flock mates which themselves then take flight; (ii) flash marks could enhance the confusion effect within flocks, making it more difficult for a predator to single out an individual; and (iii) flash marks may facilitate co-ordinated flight within flocks.