东方白鹳巢址选择研究概述

An Overview of the Research on the Nest Site Selection of Oriental White Stork (Ciconia boyciana)

摘要: 鸟类的巢址选择过程是一种生境选择的优化过程，巢址选择通常有利于其自身繁殖，受食物资源、巢资源、巢捕食风险、环境条件、亲本鸟的繁殖状况等因素影响。随着东方白鹳种群数量的不断增大，繁殖区域不断向南方扩增，巢址数量逐年增加。繁殖期东方白鹳的巢址选择具有以下特点：(1) 喜欢在食物资源丰富区域筑巢。当淡水水体(水体或河流)、养殖池塘和农田等觅食栖息地中食物资源不足以满足筑巢鸟类的需要时，人工巢对鸟类的吸引效果欠佳。(2) 由于人类活动和食物资源的影响，东方白鹳的巢址选择偏好表现出灵活的适应策略，东北地区东方白鹳的巢址巢高较低；而在渤海湾和长江中下游平原地区等新繁殖地的东方白鹳巢高较高。(3) 随着人类干扰的强度增加，东方白鹳的巢高会增加。结论：东方白鹳的巢址选择是一个复杂的行为适应过程，是物种在特定环境下对食物获取、安全需求和巢址可得性进行精细权衡的结果。鉴于目前东方白鹳巢址选择的研究进展，未来的研究应聚焦于多个关键方向，如(1) 东方白鹳在人为景观中的适应性巢址选择策略；(2) 结合气候模型预测，评估不同气候情景下东方白鹳适宜巢址的动态变化；(3) 巢址选择与繁殖成功率之间的关系；(4) 评估东方白鹳人工巢的有效性也是一个重要的研究方向。以上的关键研究方向深化了对东方白鹳繁殖生态的理解，并为其保护提供更有效的数据支撑。

Abstract: The nest site selection process in birds represents an optimized habitat selection mechanism that typically enhances reproductive success. This selection is influenced by multiple factors, including food availability, nest resources, predation risk, environmental conditions, and parental breeding status. As the Oriental Stork (Ciconia boyciana) population continues to grow, their breeding range has expanded southward, with the number of nest sites increasing annually. During the breeding season, Oriental Storks exhibit the following nest site selection characteristics:(1) They prefer nesting in areas with abundant food resources. However, when freshwater bodies such as rivers or lakes, aquaculture ponds, and farmlands fail to provide sufficient food for nesting birds, artificial nests are less effective at attracting nesting birds. (2) Due to human activities and food resource constraints, Oriental Storks demonstrate flexible adaptive strategies in nest site selection. For instance, storks in northeastern regions nest at lower elevations, whereas new breeding grounds such as Bohai Bay and the plains of the middle-lower Yangtze River exhibit higher nest elevations. (3) With increasing human disturbance, Oriental Storks tend to build nests at higher elevations. Conclusion: Nest-site selection in the Oriental Stork (Ciconia boyciana) is a complex behavioural adaptation that reflects a fine-scale trade-off among food acquisition, safety requirements, and nest-site availability within a given environment. In view of current advances in research on this topic, future studies should focus on four priority areas: (1) adaptive nest-site selection strategies in human-modified landscapes; (2) integration of climate-modelling approaches to forecast spatiotemporal shifts in suitable nest sites under alternative climate scenarios; (3) the relationship between nest-site characteristics and reproductive success; and (4) a rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of artificial nests. Addressing these research gaps will deepen our understanding of the breeding ecology of the Oriental Stork and provide a stronger evidence base for its conservation.