Method for effectively improving hatching rate of wild Tragopan caboti

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of rare and endangered pheasant protection and breeding, and discloses a method for effectively improving the hatching rate of wild yellow-bellied pheasant, which comprises the following steps: 1, moderately supplementing with interchanging wood; 2, making bionic artificial bird nests; 3, selecting nesting trees; 4, putting the bionic artificial bird nests; 5, installing infrared cameras; 6, thinning and pruning the connection between the nesting trees and surrounding trees; 7, installing monitoring equipment; 8, installing anti-snake plastic film; 9, making snake catching cages; and 10, putting the snake catching cages in the late hatching period. The present application has the beneficial effect of effectively improving the hatching rate of wild yellow-bellied pheasant and providing strong guarantee for the population development and growth of the wild yellow-bellied pheasant.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of conservation and breeding technology for rare and endangered pheasants, specifically to a method for effectively increasing the hatching rate of wild Cabot's Tragopan. Background Technology

[0002] The Cabot's Tragopan (Tragopan caboti), belonging to the family Phasianidae and genus Tragopan in the order Galliformes, is a rare and endangered pheasant species endemic to my country and is a Class I protected wild animal in China. Wild populations of the Cabot's Tragopan are small, scattered in patches across the southern provinces of my country, typically inhabiting evergreen broad-leaved forests and mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests at altitudes above 600 meters. Resembling a chicken in appearance, the Cabot's Tragopan exhibits sexual dimorphism. It is elusive, typically active at dawn or dusk or in foggy weather, roosting in trees at night. Its diet consists mainly of plants, with the Daphniphyllum macropodum being its primary food source during autumn and winter.

[0003] The Cabot's Tragopan has a relatively low reproductive rate, with the breeding season from March to May. Males employ complex courtship displays, and after mating, the female is solely responsible for incubating and raising the chicks. Females do not build nests themselves, often nesting in recesses of large tree trunks or in abandoned, dish-shaped nests of other animals. They typically produce only one brood per year, with 3-4 eggs per brood. The incubation period lasts up to 28 days. The chicks are precocial, able to descend from the tree and forage as early as the third day, but their growth is slow, taking two years to reach sexual maturity.

[0004] The Cabot's Tragopan has many natural predators, including the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), masked palm civet (Pagumalarvata), blue weasel (Martes flavigula), crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela), and king snake (Elaphecarinata). Among these, the king snake is the most damaging, especially during the later stages of incubation when temperatures rise. The king snake becomes more active and often preys on eggs about to hatch, leading to breeding failures for the Cabot's Tragopan.

[0005] Currently, thanks to the establishment of protected areas, afforestation and other native habitat protection measures, strict legal prohibitions on hunting, and the reduction of some natural predator populations such as the weasel, the wild Cabot's tragopan population is recovering very slowly. Taking the Wuyanling National Nature Reserve in Zhejiang Province as an example, it has gone from being on the verge of extinction and rarely seen in the 1980s to now being able to monitor its wild population at dozens of infrared cameras.

[0006] Research on the Cabot's Tragopan has largely focused on its wild ecology and captive breeding. Currently, there are no effective measures to improve the hatching and brooding rates of wild Cabot's Tragopans; their population mainly relies on slow, natural recovery. Based on long-term field observations and research, the three major limiting factors affecting the growth of the Cabot's Tragopan population are: 1. Food shortages in its habitat during autumn and winter; 2. Insufficient number and lack of security of available natural nests; and 3. King Rat Snakes preying on the hatching eggs during the incubation period. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical problems to be solved

[0008] To address the aforementioned shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a method for effectively improving the hatching rate of wild Cabot's Tragopans. Based on the basic characteristics of Cabot's Tragopans, such as their reliance on tamarisk trees for food in autumn and winter, their lack of nest building, and the predation of eggs by king snakes, this invention employs a series of human interventions. These include appropriately planting tamarisk trees in the activity area to increase food supply during autumn and winter, placing biomimetic artificial nests to attract females to lay eggs, installing infrared cameras and monitoring equipment to track real-time dynamics, and using three methods to prevent king snakes from climbing trees to prey on eggs. These measures create a relatively safe environment for egg laying and hatching, effectively improving the hatching rate of Cabot's Tragopans and thus effectively solving the technical problems mentioned in the background section.

[0009] Technical solution

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0011] A method for effectively improving the hatching rate of wild Cabot's Tragopan includes the following steps:

[0012] Step 1: Appropriately replant hybrid trees; In December of each year, carry out micro-modification of vegetation habitat in the area where the Cabot's Tragopan is active, replant artificially bred 3-year-old seedlings in containers at a standard of 5 trees / acre, and lightly thin them to ensure the light needs and rapid growth of the replanted hybrid trees;

[0013] Step 2: Make a biomimetic artificial bird nest; use the green part of moso bamboo to weave it, shaped like a shallow basket, with a nest opening diameter of 20-30 cm and a depth of 12-18 cm;

[0014] Step 3: Select nesting trees; Choose suitable nesting trees on both sides of the firebreak along the ridge;

[0015] Step 4: Deploy the bionic artificial bird nest; Place the bionic artificial bird nest made in Step 2 on the nesting tree selected in Step 3;

[0016] Step 5: Install an infrared camera; Select a tree 2-4 meters away from the nesting tree, install an infrared camera, point the lens at the bionic artificial bird nest and the surrounding area, and set the shooting mode to photo and video recording;

[0017] Step 6: Prune the connection between the nesting tree and the surrounding trees; After the bionic artificial bird nest is installed, prune the connection between the nesting tree and the surrounding trees appropriately, pruning as many branches as possible from the surrounding trees while retaining the branches of the nesting tree.

[0018] Step 7: Install monitoring equipment; After the infrared camera confirms that the female bird has finished laying eggs and has been incubating for 2-3 days, go to the site and install monitoring equipment on the surrounding trees 4-6 meters away from the artificial nest. The camera should be aimed at the artificial nest and its surroundings. The monitoring can be zoomed in and out, and adjusted up, down, left, and right to observe the nest and its surroundings. The monitoring data will be transmitted back to the data center in real time.

[0019] Step 8: Install anti-snake plastic film; After the monitoring equipment is installed, promptly install anti-snake plastic film on the trunks of the nesting tree and surrounding trees;

[0020] Step 9: Making a snake trap; Based on the fact that the king rat snake prefers rodents and small birds, carefully make a snake trap specifically for catching the king rat snake. The snake trap is made of woven wire mesh.

[0021] Step 10: Deploy snake traps in the later stages of hatching; depending on the actual temperature in the wild, in late April or early May each year, when the temperature rises by more than 20 degrees Celsius and king snakes are more active, place a snake trap under the nesting tree or in a suitable location 1-5 meters away.

[0022] Preferably, the method further includes the following steps:

[0023] Step 11: Temporarily keep the king snake in captivity; if a king snake is found entering the snake trap, capture it promptly, mark it, and temporarily keep it in a cool, shady place indoors.

[0024] Preferably, the method further includes the following steps:

[0025] Step 12: Release the king snake in place; after the yellow-bellied tragopan has successfully hatched and the chicks have been taken away from the nesting tree, release the king snake in place. Release it into its native habitat according to the number marked in Step 11, and promptly retrieve the snake trap under the nesting tree to reduce unnecessary disturbance to nature.

[0026] Preferably, the method further includes the following steps:

[0027] Step 13: Disassemble the monitoring equipment; if the Cabot's Tragopan successfully hatches and leads the chicks away from the nest, or if hatching fails due to other uncontrollable factors, and it is already May, disassemble the monitoring equipment and reuse it next year.

[0028] Preferably, the method further includes the following steps:

[0029] Step 14: Disassemble the infrared camera; if the Cabot's Tragopan is still not detected using the artificial nest by early June, disassemble the infrared camera and reuse it next year.

[0030] Preferably, the method further includes the following steps:

[0031] Step 15: Remove the snake-proof plastic film; After the Cabot's Tragopan has finished hatching, remove the plastic film in time to prevent it from aging and breaking and polluting the environment, or being pecked by the Cabot's Tragopan chicks.

[0032] Preferably, in step 3, the nesting tree must have a diameter at breast height of 20 cm or more, 1-3 relatively thick horizontal branches at 3-6 meters on the trunk, lush foliage, good concealment, and the distance between two nesting trees must not be less than 300 meters.

[0033] Preferably, in step 4, when placing the bionic artificial bird nest, the bird nest is first firmly tied to the base of the horizontal branch with a brown rope, and then a layer of dry pine needles 1-2 cm thick is laid inside the nest to increase the comfort, heat preservation and mold prevention of the bird nest. Finally, small branches with leaves of Japanese cedar are inserted around the nest to further increase the concealment of the bird nest.

[0034] Preferably, before installing monitoring equipment, the egg-laying process of female Cabot's Tragopans is monitored by infrared cameras. The visits of Cabot's Tragopans to the artificial nest and egg-laying are determined based on the returned photos and videos from the infrared cameras. Once the visits of female Cabot's Tragopans to the artificial nest are detected, their dynamics and egg-laying are closely monitored. During the egg-laying period, the female bird should not go to the nesting tree or the surrounding area for work.

[0035] More preferably, in step 8, the plastic film is 1.5 meters wide, and the tree trunk 0.3-1.8 meters above the ground is smoothly rolled up twice, and the two ends are tied with wire. The surrounding trees are also covered with anti-snake plastic film.

[0036] Beneficial effects

[0037] This invention improves the hatching rate of wild Cabot's Tragopans by appropriately planting intercropping trees in their habitat to increase food supply during autumn and winter, developing biomimetic artificial nests, and placing them in suitable areas to attract females to lay eggs. It also employs three methods to prevent king snakes from preying on eggs: pruning the connections between nesting trees and surrounding trees, installing snake-proof plastic film, and placing snake traps. Furthermore, it utilizes infrared cameras and monitoring to enhance protection efficiency. These comprehensive measures effectively increase the hatching rate of wild Cabot's Tragopans, providing a strong guarantee for their population growth. This invention effectively attracts wild female Cabot's Tragopans to lay eggs and prevents king snakes from preying on eggs during the incubation period, thereby significantly improving the hatching rate of wild Cabot's Tragopans. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the method flow of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] Example 1

[0041] like Figure 1As shown, this embodiment was carried out in the Cabot's Tragopan habitat at an altitude of 1000-1200 meters in the Wuyanling National Nature Reserve in Zhejiang Province. In December of that year, 500 three-year-old container seedlings were replanted in the Cabot's Tragopan habitat at a rate of 5 seedlings per mu (approximately 0.067 hectares), and light thinning was carried out to ensure the replanted seedlings received sufficient sunlight and could grow rapidly. In January and February of the following year, 150 biomimetic artificial bird nests were woven from moso bamboo. The nest openings were about 25 cm in diameter and 15 cm deep, resembling shallow baskets. Based on the requirements that the nesting trees have a diameter at breast height of more than 20 cm, 1-3 relatively thick horizontal branches at 3-6 meters on the trunk, lush foliage, good concealment, and a distance of no less than 300 meters between two nesting trees, 100 nesting trees were selected on both sides of the firebreak on the mountain ridge at an altitude of 1000-1200 meters. Biomimetic artificial bird nests were placed on the trees. First, the bird nests were firmly tied to the base of the horizontal branches with palm rope. Then, a layer of dry pine needles 1-2 cm thick was laid inside the nest. Finally, small branches with leaves of Japanese cedar were inserted around the nest. After installing the artificial nest, select a tree 2-4 meters away from the nesting tree and install an infrared camera to monitor visits to the nest. The camera should be set to take photos and videos simultaneously, with a 1-second interval between shots, capturing 3 images in a burst, and a 10-second video. The photos and videos should be transmitted back to the data center in real time. The connection between the nesting tree and surrounding trees should be pruned appropriately to ensure the nest's concealment. In March, based on the data from 100 infrared cameras, it was confirmed that 12 Cabot's Tragopans visited the artificial nest, and 11 laid eggs inside. Closely monitor the egg-laying behavior of the 11 females. After confirming that egg-laying has ended and the birds have been incubating for 3 days, install monitoring equipment on-site. Install surveillance cameras on surrounding trees 4-6 meters away from the artificial nest, with the lenses pointed at the nest and its surroundings. The monitoring data should be transmitted back to the data center in real time. Installation should be done quietly and quickly to avoid startling the female birds. After installing the surveillance system, snake-proof plastic film was installed on the trunks of the nesting tree and 3-5 other closely connected trees nearby. The plastic film, 1.5 meters wide, was smoothly rolled twice around the trunk 0.3-1.8 meters from the ground, and the ends were tied with wire. Monitoring revealed 38 eggs in 11 nests, with the following egg counts: 3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, and 3. In March, 15 snake traps were constructed. These traps were made of woven wire mesh and consisted of two cages, an outer and an inner cage. The outer cage was 100 cm long, 80 cm wide, and 10 cm high, with an entrance designed to prevent escape, allowing only entry but not exit for the king cobra. The inner cage, located opposite the outer cage entrance, was independently enclosed, measuring 20 cm long, 15 cm wide, and 8 cm high, and contained a drinking and feeding cup. In late April, when temperatures rise above 20 degrees Celsius, place a snake trap under the nesting tree or in a suitable location 1-5 meters away. Inside the trap, place a locally captured spiny rat, with its water cup filled with water and its food cup filled with corn and peanuts. Monitor the trap daily to determine if any king snakes have entered.Water and food were replenished every 3 days. A total of 3 adult king snakes were captured in the 11 snake traps, tagged, and temporarily kept in cages in a cool, indoor location. In mid-to-late May, 11 broods of Cabot's Tragopans successfully hatched, with a total of 36 chicks: 3, 4 (after snake capture), 3, 3, 3 (after snake capture), 3, 4, 3, 3 (after snake capture), 4, and 3. Three days after the female led the chicks away, the 3 king snakes were released back into the wild. The snake traps were retrieved, and the monitoring equipment, infrared camera, and plastic film were removed.

[0042] In this embodiment, a total of 100 artificial bird nests were installed. Twelve nests were visited by female Cabot's Tragopans, and 11 of them were selected for egg-laying, resulting in an attraction rate of 11%. These 11 nests contained a total of 38 eggs. With strict protection, 36 chicks hatched, achieving a hatching rate of 94.74%. Eleven snake traps captured three adult king snakes, effectively protecting three nests and ensuring the successful hatching of 10 eggs (4, 3, and 3 eggs respectively), resulting in a 0% nest loss rate.

[0043] Comparative Example 1

[0044] Another area within the Yellow-bellied Tragopan habitat at an altitude of 1000-1200 meters in the Wuyanling National Nature Reserve in Zhejiang Province was selected as a control. 500 *Tragopan indicum* trees were replanted, and 100 artificial bird nests were constructed and placed. The technical methods were the same as in Example 1, except that no snake-prevention measures were taken; that is, the connection between the nesting trees and surrounding trees was not pruned, snake-proof plastic film was not installed, and snake traps were not placed.

[0045] One hundred artificial bird nests were placed, successfully attracting 10 female Cabot's Tragopans, an attraction rate of 10%. Ten clutches laid a total of 33 eggs: 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, and 4 eggs respectively. In mid-to-late May, 21 chicks hatched: 0 (eaten by snakes in early May), 3, 3, 0 (eaten by snakes in mid-May), 0 (eaten by snakes in early April), 3, 3, 3, 3, and 3, a hatching rate of 54.55%. Of the ten clutches, three were eaten by king cobras: one clutch in mid-incubation and two clutches in late incubation, resulting in a clutch loss rate of 30%.

[0046] Comparative Example 2

[0047] Another area within the Yellow-bellied Tragopan habitat at an altitude of 1000-1200 meters in the Wuyanling National Nature Reserve in Zhejiang Province was selected as a control. 500 intercalary trees were replanted, 100 artificial bird nests were constructed and placed, and the connections between the nesting trees and surrounding trees were thinned. The installation of snake-proof plastic film and other technical methods were the same as in Example 1, except that snake traps were not placed during the later stages of incubation.

[0048] One hundred biomimetic artificial nests were placed, successfully attracting 11 female Cabot's Tragopans, an attraction rate of 11%. A total of 35 eggs were laid in the 11 clutches: 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, and 3. In mid-to-late May, 24 chicks hatched: 2, 3, 0 (eaten by snakes in mid-May), 0 (eaten by snakes in early May), 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 0 (eaten by snakes in early May), and 3, for a hatching rate of 68.57%. Three clutches were eaten by king cobras during the later stages of incubation, resulting in a nest loss rate of 27.27%. Table 1 shows the effects of three different snake-proofing treatments on the hatching rate of Cabot's Tragopans.

[0049]

[0050] Table 1

[0051] This invention has been tested for many years in the Wuyanling National Nature Reserve in Zhejiang Province and can effectively improve the hatching rate of wild Cabot's Tragopan. It utilizes a series of comprehensive measures, including: appropriately planting intercropping trees in the Cabot's activity area to increase food supply in autumn and winter; developing biomimetic artificial nests; releasing them in suitable areas to attract females to lay eggs; preventing king snakes from eating the eggs by pruning the connections between nesting trees and surrounding trees; installing snake-proof plastic film; and placing snake traps; and improving protection efficiency through infrared cameras and monitoring. These measures effectively increase the hatching rate of wild Cabot's Tragopans and provide a strong guarantee for the growth and development of their population.

[0052] Ideally, about 10% of the bionic artificial nests can attract wild female Cabot's Tragopans to lay eggs, essentially eliminating the harm caused by King Rat Snakes during the incubation period. Based on the calculation of 100 bionic artificial nests per year, 10 females can be attracted to lay eggs. Assuming an average of 3-4 eggs per clutch, this method can ensure the successful hatching of 30-40 Cabot's Tragopan chicks, greatly improving the hatching rate of wild Cabot's Tragopans and effectively increasing the number of wild Cabot's Tragopan chicks.

[0053] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions will not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for effectively increasing the hatching rate of wild Tragopan bactrianus, characterized in that, Comprise the following steps: Step 1: moderate replanting of exchange wood; in December every year, in the activity area of Tragopan caboti, the vegetation habitat is slightly modified, 3-year-old container seedlings of artificial breeding are replanted at the standard of 5 plants per mu, and light thinning is carried out to ensure the light needs and rapid growth of replanted exchange wood; Step 2: make bionic artificial nest; use bamboo green to weave, like shallow basket, nest mouth diameter 20-30 cm, depth 12-18 cm; Step 3: select nesting tree; select suitable nesting tree on both sides of the ridge firebreak; Step 4: put bionic artificial nest; put the bionic artificial nest made in step 2 on the nesting tree selected in step 3; Step 5: install infrared camera; select a tree 2-4 meters away from the nesting tree, install an infrared camera, lens pointing to the bionic artificial nest and the surrounding area, shooting mode set to photo plus video; Step 6: thinning the connection between nesting tree and surrounding trees; after the bionic artificial nest is installed, the connection between the nesting tree and the surrounding trees is moderately thinned, and the branches of the surrounding trees are thinned as much as possible, while the branches of the nesting tree are retained; Step 7: install monitoring equipment; after the infrared camera determines that the female bird has finished laying eggs and the nest has hatched for 2-3 days, go to the site and install monitoring equipment on the surrounding tree 4-6 meters away from the artificial nest, lens pointing to the artificial nest and surrounding area, monitoring can zoom in and out, up and down, left and right adjustment, in order to observe the nest and surrounding situation, monitoring data real-time back to data center; Step 8: install anti-snake plastic film; after installing the monitoring equipment, install the anti-snake plastic film on the trunk of the nesting tree and the surrounding trees in time; Step 9: make snake cage; according to the characteristics of the king snake that likes mice and small birds, make a special snake cage to catch the king snake, the snake cage is made of iron wire mesh; Step 10: put the snake cage in the later stage of incubation; according to the actual situation of field temperature, in late April or early May, when the temperature rises above 20 degrees Celsius, the king snake is active, put a snake cage in a suitable position 1-5 meters away from the nesting tree; In step 3, the nesting tree needs to meet the following conditions: the diameter at breast height is more than 20 cm, there are 1-3 thick horizontal branches at 3-6 meters of the trunk, the branches and leaves are lush, the hiding property is good, and the distance between 2 nesting trees should not be less than 300 meters; In step 4, when putting the bionic artificial nest, first tie the nest firmly to the base of the horizontal branch with a brown rope, then lay a layer of 1-2 cm thick dry pine needles in the nest to increase the comfort, warmth and mildew resistance of the nest, and finally insert a circle of small branches of cryptomeria with leaves around the nest to further increase the hiding property of the nest; Before installing the monitoring equipment, first monitor the laying process of the female Tragopan caboti through the infrared camera, and determine the visiting of the bionic artificial nest and the laying of the female Tragopan caboti according to the back transmission of the infrared camera photos and videos. Once the female bird visits the artificial nest, pay close attention to its dynamics and egg laying. During the female bird's egg laying period, no operation should be carried out on the nesting tree and the surrounding area; In step 8, the plastic film is 1.5 meters wide, the trunk 0.3-1.8 meters away from the ground is smoothly coiled 2 times, the two ends of the plastic film are tied with iron wire, and the surrounding trees are also installed with anti-snake plastic film.

2. The method for effectively improving the hatching rate of wild Crossoptilon mantchuricum according to claim 1, characterized in that, Further comprise the following steps: Step 11: temporarily keep the R. sanguineus in captivity; if the R. sanguineus is found in the snake cage, it should be captured in time, marked, and temporarily kept in a cool indoor cage.

3. The method for effectively improving the hatching rate of wild Crossoptilon mantchuricum according to claim 2, characterized in that, Further comprising the following steps: Step 12: release the R. sanguineus in the wild; after the success of the hatching of the Mrs. Hume's Pheasant and the departure of the nestling from the nest tree, the R. sanguineus is released in the wild, and the snake cage under the nest tree is collected in time to reduce unnecessary disturbance to nature.

4. The method for effectively improving the hatching rate of wild Crossoptilon mantchuricum according to claim 3, characterized in that, Further comprising the following steps: Step 13: disassemble the monitoring equipment; after the success of the hatching of the Mrs. Hume's Pheasant and the departure of the nestling from the nest or other uncontrollable factors leading to the failure of hatching, and the time has come to May, the monitoring equipment is disassembled and used again next year.

5. The method for effectively improving the hatching rate of wild Crossoptilon mantchuricum according to claim 4, characterized in that, Further comprising the following steps: Step 14: disassemble the infrared camera; in early June, if the Mrs. Hume's Pheasant has not used the artificial nest, the infrared camera is disassembled and used again next year.

6. The method for effectively improving the hatching rate of wild Crossoptilon mantchuricum according to claim 5, characterized in that, Further comprising the following steps: Step 15: disassemble the plastic snake-proof film; After the hatching of the Mrs. Hume's Pheasant, the plastic film is disassembled in time to prevent the plastic film from aging and breaking and polluting the environment, or being pecked by the Mrs. Hume's Pheasant nestling.

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