广东省饶平县地面筑巢的栗喉蜂虎 种群数量、巢洞特征及生境因子选择.

The blue-tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus) migrates from Southeast Asia and South Asia to China for breeding every year from April to July. Previous studies have indicated that the blue-tailed bee-eater prefered to nest on the bare sandy slopes with a gradient of 30° to 90°. However, in recent years, the blue-tailed bee-eater in Raoping County Guang-dong Province has been found nesting on flat and open ground. To understand the characteristics of the nests and habitat factors of the blue-tailed bee-eater's the flat-ground nesting, we conducted a survey on the population size, nest characteristics, and nesting habitat factors of the ground-nesting blue-ailed bee-eater in Raoping County, Guangdong Province from April to July 2023. The results showed that: the population size of the flat-ground nesting blue-tailed bee-eaters in Raoping Guangdong Province ranged from 128 to 224 individuals; there were statistically significant difference in length, depth, horizontal length, and inclination angle between breeding nests and abandoned nests (P ≤ 0. 005); the nests mainly faced north, east, and northwest; the breeding nests had the narrowest daily temperature range at the bottom of the nest; the average minimum distance between adjacent nests was 3. 8 meters; the degree of exposure in the nesting area was (35. 08 ± 10. 77) %. The distance from the nests to the water source was (107. 92 ± 40. 41) meters; the soil of the nesting site was sandy, with a sand content of (92. 0 ± 3. 4) %, and the soil particle size was mainly concentrated between (0. 125 ~ 0. 250) mm. The research could provide a scientific basis for the conservation of the blue-tailed bee-eater's population and habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]