Zhou Wenyi, Zhang Zhuyang
Department of Biology University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA.
Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA.
Ecol Evol. 2022 Aug 26;12(8):e9195. doi: 10.1002/ece3.9195. eCollection 2022 Aug.
Allopreening occurs in many species of birds and is known for providing hygienic and social benefits. While this behavior has been extensively studied among conspecifics, its occurrence among different species remains little known. Outside of captive environments, only a few records of interspecific allopreening exist. In this study, we describe our observations of the interspecific allopreening behavior between Spot-necked () and Nonggang Babblers ) in a non-captive environment in southern China. To our knowledge, these observations represent the first record of interspecific allopreening in the family Timaliidae. We suggest that this understudied behavior is most likely related to the dominant-subordinate relationship between these two species: either the dominant species preening the subordinate species to assert dominance or the subordinate species preening the dominant species to reduce tensions by appeasement. We also suggest interspecific allopreening may not be as rare as we thought if we study this behavior under circumstances where different species are close to each other. This study contributes to our understanding of not only the potential mechanism(s) behind interspecific allopreening but also the behavioral ecology of the vulnerable Nonggang Babbler.
相互理毛行为在许多鸟类物种中都有发生，并且以提供卫生和社交益处而闻名。虽然这种行为在同种个体间已得到广泛研究，但其在不同物种间的发生情况仍鲜为人知。在圈养环境之外，种间相互理毛的记录仅有少数几例。在本研究中，我们描述了在中国南方非圈养环境下，斑颈穗鹛（）和弄岗穗鹛（）之间种间相互理毛行为的观察情况。据我们所知，这些观察结果代表了画眉科中种间相互理毛行为的首次记录。我们认为，这种研究较少的行为很可能与这两个物种之间的优势 - 从属关系有关：要么优势物种为确立主导地位而给从属物种理毛，要么从属物种为通过安抚来缓解紧张局势而给优势物种理毛。我们还认为，如果在不同物种彼此接近的情况下研究这种行为，种间相互理毛可能并不像我们认为的那么罕见。这项研究不仅有助于我们理解种间相互理毛背后的潜在机制，还有助于了解易危物种弄岗穗鹛的行为生态学。
