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The breeding biology and the annual cycle of the Red Bishop Euplectes orix was studied over a two year period in Natal. Some comparative data were also gathered for the related species the Red-shouldered Widow E. axillaris and the Red-collared Widow E. ardens, and additional data from a ringer in Rhodesia have been analysed. The breeding season of these polygynous ploceids coincides with the summer rainy season, and the amount of breeding activity in the Red Bishop appeared to be correlated with the amount of rain during the previous year. Breeding success at the colony studied was low; predation was the major cause of nest failure. In all three species the entire population, including the juveniles, undergoes a complete moult at the end of the breeding season. There is some evidence that the birds may make local movements during the winter dry season. These species are sexually dimorphic, the males being larger than the females. The population sex ratio was Significantly biased in favour of males in the Red Bishop and the Red-shouldered Widow but not in the Red-collared Widow. However, about half the male birds are subadults which do not breed, so that there is an excess of females in the breeding population. Adult males undergo a partial moult at the start of the breeding season and acquire a distinctive nuptial plumage. This is shed again at the post-nuptial moult, and in eclipse plumage they resemble the females. There is a similar pattern of weight change in all three species, with peaks early in the breeding season and again during the moult. The lowest annual weights are recorded during the dry season. The mortality rate of the Red Bishop is not high for a small passerine. The findings of this study are compared with the available information on other members of the genus, and discussed in relation to the evolution of polygyny in the Euplectes species. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1977.

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by Ng Ping-chung. / Thesis (M. Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references. / Chapter 1. --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Natural History of the Bird and the Nest --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- What is More Important in Saliva: Mucin or Proteoglycan? --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3 --- Extraction and characterization of salivary glycoprotein --- p.27 / Chapter 2. --- Materials and Methods / Chapter 2.1 --- Preparation of Swiftlet's Nest Extracts --- p.38 / Chapter 2.2 --- Chemical and Biochemical Analysis of SN extracts --- p.38 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Chemical Analysis --- p.38 / Chapter 2.2.1.1 --- Element Analysis --- p.38 / Chapter 2.2.1.2 --- Ash and Atomic Absorption Analysis --- p.39 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Biochemical Analysis --- p.39 / Chapter 2.2.2.1 --- Protein Determination --- p.39 / Chapter 2.2.2.2 --- Hexose Determination --- p.40 / Chapter 2.2.2.3 --- Uronic Acid Determination --- p.40 / Chapter 2.2.2.4 --- Hexosamine Determination --- p.41 / Chapter 2.2.2.5 --- Sialic Acid Determination --- p.42 / Chapter 2.2.2.6 --- Sulphate Determination --- p.42 / Chapter 2.3 --- Assay of Co-mitogenic Activity in Lymphocyte Culture --- p.43 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Preparation of Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes --- p.43 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Co-mitogenic Assay --- p.43 / Chapter 2.4 --- Effect of SN pretreatment on Concanavalin A-stimulated Blastogenic Response in Mouse Splenocytes --- p.44 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Administration of SN extracts --- p.44 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Preparation of Mouse Splenocytes --- p.45 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Concanavalin A-stimulated Blastogenic Response Assay --- p.45 / Chapter 2.5 --- Characterization of SN extracts by Chromatographic Methods --- p.45 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- Gel Filtration Chromatography --- p.45 / Chapter 2.5.1.1 --- Sephadex G-200 Chromatography --- p.45 / Chapter 2.5.1.2 --- Superose-Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography --- p.46 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- Ion-exchange Chromatography --- p.46 / Chapter 2.5.2.1 --- DEAE-Sepharose --- p.46 / Chapter 2.5.2.2 --- Mono-Q FPLC --- p.46 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography --- p.47 / Chapter 2.5.4 --- Wheat-germ lectin Sepharose Chromatography --- p.47 / Chapter 2.5.5 --- Octyl-Sepharose Chromatography --- p.47 / Chapter 2.5.6 --- Limulus Polyemus Agarose Chromatography --- p.48 / Chapter 2.5.7 --- Heparin-Agarose Chromatography --- p.48 / Chapter 2.6 --- Electrophoretic Analysis of SN extract --- p.49 / Chapter 2.6.1 --- Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate/Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis --- p.49 / Chapter 2.6.2 --- Isoelectrofocusing in Polyacrylamide Gel --- p.50 / Chapter 2.6.2.1 --- Preparation of Gel --- p.50 / Chapter 2.6.2.2 --- Isoelectrofocusing Procedure --- p.51 / Chapter 2.6.2.3 --- "Fixing, Staining and Destaining" --- p.51 / Chapter 2.6.3 --- Gradient Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis --- p.51 / Chapter 2.6.3.1 --- Preparation of Gradient Polyacrylamide Gel --- p.52 / Chapter 2.7 --- Enzymatic Modification of SN extracts --- p.53 / Chapter 2.7.1 --- B-glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.31) --- p.53 / Chapter 2.7.2 --- Hyaluronidase (EC 3.2.1.35) --- p.53 / Chapter 2.7.3 --- Chondroitinase ABC (EC 4.2.2.4) --- p.54 / Chapter 2.8 --- Miscellaneous Reagents --- p.54 / Chapter 2.8.1 --- Phosphate-buffer-saline (PBS) --- p.54 / Chapter 2.8.2 --- Fetal Calf Serum (FGS) --- p.54 / Chapter 2.8.3 --- Mitogen --- p.55 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Penicillin-Streptomycin-Fungizone Solution --- p.55 / Chapter 2.8.5 --- RPMI-1640 Medium --- p.55 / Chapter 2.8.6 --- Scintillant --- p.55 / Chapter 2.8.7 --- Trypan Blue Solution --- p.55 / Chapter 3 --- Results --- p.57 / Chapter 3.1 --- Extraction of Biologically active fractions from swiflet's nest --- p.57 / Chapter 3.2 --- Effect of SN pretreatment on Con A-stimulated Blastogenesis response in mouse splenocytes --- p.57 / Chapter 3.3 --- Chemical and Biochemical Analysis of SN extracts --- p.57 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Atomic absorption analysis of metal elements --- p.57 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Element analysis --- p.61 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Biochemical analysis --- p.61 / Chapter 3.4 --- Chromatographic characterization of SN extracts --- p.67 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Sephadex G-200 chromatography --- p.67 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- DEAE-Sepharose chromatography --- p.67 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography --- p.73 / Chapter 3.4.4 --- Wheat-germ lectin Sepharose Chromatography --- p.73 / Chapter 3.4.5 --- Limulus Polyemus Agarose Chromatography --- p.73 / Chapter 3.4.6 --- Octyl-Sepharose Chromatography --- p.81 / Chapter 3.4.7 --- Heparin-Agarose Chromatography --- p.81 / Chapter 3.5 --- Electrophoretic Analysis of SN extract --- p.88 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate/Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis --- p.88 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Isoelectrofocusing in Thin Layer of Polyacrylamide Gel --- p.88 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Gradient Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis --- p.88 / Chapter 3.6 --- Enzymatic Modification of SN extracts --- p.92 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- B-glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.31) --- p.92 / Chapter 3.6.1.1 --- Alteration in co-mitogenic activity --- p.92 / Chapter 3.6.1.2 --- Alternation in uronic acid content --- p.92 / Chapter 3.7 --- Co-mitogenic activity of glycosaminoglycans --- p.92 / Chapter 3.8 --- Effect of heparin on the co-mitogenic activity of SNp2C fraction --- p.96 / Chapter 4 --- Discussion --- p.99 / Chapter 4.1 --- Extraction of Biologically active fraction from edible bird's nest --- p.99 / Chapter 4.2 --- Chemical and Biochemical characterization of active component(s) in SN extract --- p.100 / Chapter 4.3 --- Some mechanistic considerations --- p.107 / Chapter 4.4 --- Summary and Conclusion --- p.111 / References --- p.114

Orientador: Edwin O'Neill Willis / Resumo: Eu analisei a dieta sazonal e os hábitos alimentares do gavião-peneira (Elanus leucurus) numa área agrícola (29o35'S, 52o12'W) no município de Venâncio Aires, Rio Grande do Sul, através de restos de presas encontradas em 1134 pelotas que eu coletei entre dezembro de 1997 e novembro de 2000. Pequenos mamíferos foram as presas mais consumidas (95%), seguido por aves (4,6%) e répteis mais insetos (0,4%). A dieta do gavião claramente refletiu o impacto da atividade agrícola sobre seu hábitat. O roedor exótico Mus musculus foi a espécie mais predada (67,4%) e, secundariamente, os roedores nativos Akodon paranaensis e Necromys lasiurus, o marsupial Monodelphis dimidiata e as aves. O roedor Cavia aperea também foi importante devido à biomassa fornecida para a dieta do gavião. Mus musculus foi a presa mais consumida durante todas as épocas do ano, porém, apresentou um claro padrão de variação sazonal, com taxas de consumo máximas e mínimas registradas para o inverno e verão, respectivamente. Houve relativamente pouca variação interanual na dieta. Na época não reprodutiva do gavião-peneira (outono/inverno), M. musculus forneceu a maior parte da biomassa ingerida por este predador. Porém, em sua época reprodutiva (primavera/verão), as presas nativas de pequenos mamíferos também contribuíram significativamente. A biomassa ingerida por pelota e o tamanho das presas de pequenos mamíferos consumidas aumentaram durante a época de reprodução do gavião. Isto aconteceu sobretudo por causa do aumento do consumo sobre indivíduos adultos de M. musculus, A. paranaensis, N. lasiurus e M. dimidiata durante esse período / Abstract: I analyzed the seasonal diet and food habits of the White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) in an agricultural area (29o35'S, 52o12'W) near Venâncio Aires, southern Brazil, from 1,134 pellets collected from December 1997 to November 2000. Small mammals were the main prey (95%), followed by birds (4.6%), and reptiles plus insects (0.4%). The diet of the White-tailed Kite clearly reflected the agricultural impact on its habitat. The exotic rodent Mus musculus was the principal prey (67.4%) and, secondarily, the native rodents Akodon paranaensis and Necromys lasiurus, the marsupial Monodelphis dimidiata, and birds. The rodent Cavia aperea was also important due to its biomass. Mus musculus was the prey more taken during all seasons, however, it showed an evident pattern of seasonal variation, with maximum and minimum consumption rates during the winter and summer, respectively. There was relatively little variation in the kites' diet between years. During the kite non-breeding season (fall-winter), M. musculus furnished most of the biomass ingested. However, during its breeding season (spring-summer), native small mammal prey also contributed significantly. The biomass ingested per pellet and size of small mammal prey taken increased during the kite breeding season. This occurred primarily because of the greater consumption of adult individuals of M. musculus, A. paranaensis, N. lasiurus and M. dimidiata during this period / Mestre

Título da capa: O efeito da estrutura da matriz na percepção de aves de sub-bosque na paisagem / Orientador: Milton Cezar Ribeiro / Coorientador: Marco Aurelio Pizo / Banca: Carlos Otavio Araujo Gussoni / Banca: Eduardo Roberto Alexandrino / Resumo: O aumento da demanda de produtos agrícolas vem causando intensa perda e fragmentação de habitat, resultando em modificações espaciais na paisagem e perda de biodiversidade. As modificações no uso e cobertura do solo, causadas por atividades antrópicas, são chamadas de matriz e sua composição e estrutura podem gerar uma grande barreira na movimentação de organismos entre fragmentos, influenciando negativamente a conectividade funcional para muitas espécies. O experimento de playback tem se mostrado eficiente para realizar experimentos de movimentação de aves entre fragmentos para inferências sobre conectividade funcional e percepção da paisagem pelas espécies. Deste modo, este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a presença e estrutura da matriz na movimentação na paisagem das espécies de aves Thamnophilus caerulescens (choca-da-mata) e Synallaxis frontalis (petrim). Doze paisagens contendo as matrizes cana-de-açúcar e Eucalyptus e fragmentos florestais configurados espacialmente contendo sinuosidades foram selecionados. Utilizando o método de playback nas sinuosidades as aves tiveram a opção de seguir as vocalizações de um ponto para outro da curva por uma rota mais curta atravessando a matriz e outra mais longa pela borda do fragmento. As distâncias entre os playbacks variaram de 30 a 130 metros. O controle foi realizado dentro dos remanescentes, no qual as vocalizações foram reproduzidas inicialmente na borda dos fragmentos e foi-se adentrando ao remanescente até à distância que os indivíduos cessaram as respostas. Assim, através de análises de variância, foi possível verificar que há maior preferência de seguir o playback pela borda do fragmento do que pelas matrizes. Também foi apurado que há uma correlação negativa entre distância e probabilidade de passagem pela matriz e que as espécies seguem o playback a distâncias maiores no controle do que em ambas as matrizes. Ao comparar cana-de-açúcar... / Abstract: The increased demand for agricultural products results in intense habitat loss and fragmentation, causing spatial changes in landscapes and biodiversity loss. The intervening matrix, i.e. non-habitat environments surrounding habitat patches, can act as barrier in the movement of organisms between fragments, reducing the functional connectivity for many species. But the influence of matrix composition and its structure on fauna movement rarely has been quantified. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the influence of the presence and structure of the matrix in the movement of two forest-dependent bird species: Thamnophilus caerulescens and Synallaxis frontalis. Twelve landscapes containing sugarcane and Eucalyptus matrices Using playback trials in the sinuosity the birds had the option of following the vocalizations from one point to another in the curve by two different routes, (1) a shorter one through the matrix and (2) another longer inside fragment's edge. The distances between the playbacks ranged from 30 to 130 meters. Control trials were done within the remaining, in which the vocalizations were first played at the forest edges. As the individuals answered the voalizations, the playback was reproduced 10 meters increasingly inside the remnant, observing the distances traveled by each species. Thus, through analysis of variance and GLMS, it observed that there is a greater preference by following the playback inside the forest edge than by the matrix. It was also found that there is a negative correlation between distance and probability to cross the matrix and the species followed playback at greater distances in control than in both routes. By comparing sugarcane and Eucalyptus it was found that the first was more permeable than the latter, demonstrating that the structure of the matrix interferes their permeability. The routes that individuals followed the playback differ between the matrices, and there was a greater expenditure of ... / Mestre

Orientador: Fernando Frei / Banca: Ciro Cesar Zanini Branco / Banca: Maria Cecília Barbosa de Toledo / Resumo: O habitat de um animal é influenciado por muitos fatores, portanto conhecer suas necessidades ecológicas permite propiciar um sucesso em sua conservação, um exemplo são as aves que devido a alterações ambientais pode ter sua riqueza e abundância modificadas. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar quais fatores determinam a presença de Tangara cayana e Taraba major em uma área influenciada por atividades antrópicas. Testamos a hipótese de que a distribuição de Tangara cayana fosse mais dispersa e a de Taraba major fosse mais próxima a pontos hídricos. O estudo foi realizado entre os meses de agosto de 2014 até setembro de 2015 com observações das aves em 120 pontos fixos de 150m² em propriedades rurais de Assis-SP, foram avaliadas algumas variáveis entre elas céu e temperatura no momento da observação, interior ou borda de uma floresta, área aberta, região de várzea, presença de árvores mortas como poleiro, árvores mortas com insetos, árvores frutíferas, gramíneas, cobertura e altura do dossel, distância de culturas e pastagens, distância da rodovia e de estradas não pavimentadas, distância de linha férrea, distância de pontos hídricos e de residências. Os dados foram analisados através da Regressão Logística para a criação de modelos de probabilidade. E também se comparou o mesmo ambiente estudado entre os anos de 1970 e 2014. Os resultados sugerem que a presença de T. cayana é favorecida quando a temperatura está reduzida, quando há uma proximidade aos pontos hídricos, quando o do... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The habitat of an animal is influenced by many factors, so know their ecological needs enables provide a success in its conservation, an example are the birds that due to environmental changes can have their wealth and abundance changed. The aim of this study was to evaluate which factors determine the presence of Tangara cayana and Taraba major in an area influenced by human activities. We tested the hypothesis that the distribution was more dispersed Tangara cayana and Taraba major was the nearest water point. The study was conducted between the months of August 2014 to September 2015. Observations of birds were conducted in 120 fixed points of 150m² in farms of Assis-SP. We evaluated some variables including sky and temperature at the time of observation, inside or edge a forest, open area, lowland region, the presence of dead trees as perch, dead trees with insects, fruit trees, grasses, canopy cover and height, distance to crops and pastures, away from the highway and unpaved roads, distance rail line, distance to water points and residences. Data were analyzed using logistic regression to create models of probability. Also, comparing the same environment study between 1970 and 2014. The results suggest that the presence of T. cayana is favored when the temperature is reduced when there is a water proximity to points when the canopy is raised and when it is on the edge of the forest. To T. major species reduced temperature, proximity of water points and greater distance ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre