Habitat use and population dynamics of the Azure-Winged Magpie ...

Table 3.1 List of the six main areas utilised by C. cyanus and the description of main vegetation
features. Utilised plant species richness here denotes the number of species utilised by C.
cyanus that are present in each area.
Area
Utilised
Plant
Species
Richness
Kassel 11
Betula
woodland
Khonin
Nuga
Main
Breeding
Area
Padus
Patch
Sharlan
Meadows
12
12
10
12
5
3.1.2 Time spent in each area
38
Main habitat features
Meadow with scattered Padus asiatica shrubs; meadow consists of herbs such
as Lilium dauricum, Iris sanguinea and Rosa acicularis
B. platyphylla woodland with Rosa acicularis shrubs and grass; Riverine scrub,
dominated by Salix spp.and P. asiatica with R. acicularis and Ribes rubrus
growing in understorey; Mixed meadows, dominated by Poa spp. and R.
acicularis
Field station, surrounded mainly by grazed meadow; B. platyphylla trees > 5m
in height lining the riverbank
Tall grass meadows, with herbs and shrubs e.g. R. acicularis; meadow with P.
asiatica; B. platyphylla > 5m in height lining riverbank; large patch of Salix
spp. > 5m in height next to riverbank and near foothills
Dense P. asiatica shrubs; B. platyphylla woodland with sparse underground
cover, mostly herbs e.g. R. acicularis
Meadows with Poa spp., other herbs and scattered P. asiatica shrubs near the
stream; B. platyphylla ≤ 5m lining riverbank
I made 68 search attempts over 29 days in 2009 and 80 search attempts over 38 days in 2010. In
2009, 57.4% (39 out of 68) of my search attempts were futile, whereas only 11.25% (9 out of 80)
attempts were futile in 2010. There was a strong association between years (2009 and 2010) and
the search success (χ 2 = 35.651, df =1, P < 0.001). However, there was no difference between the
average amount of time spent observing the colony in 2009 and 2010 (t = 0.034, P = 0.973, n =
47; Fig. 3.7). For both years, I spent an average of 41 minutes for each observation event. I made
152 observations in 2009 and 2010, a total duration of 102 hours and 55 minutes (Table 3.3).
This colony of Cyanopica cyanus spent the greatest amount of time in the Padus Patch area in
both 2009 and 2010 (24% and 38% respectively; Fig. 3.8 & 3.9). There was a significant
difference between the proportions of time spent in Padus Patch between the two years (two
sample binomial test = 14.2%, P < 0.001). Amount of time spent in the Sharlan Meadows was
17% in 2009 but decreased significantly to 6% in 2010 (two sample binomial test = 14.3%, P <
0.001). A similar trend was found with the use of the Kassel area—the proportion of time spent
was 19% in 2009 but decreased significantly to 9% in 2010 (two sample binomial test = 11.42%,
P < 0.001). However, the proportion of time spent in the Betula Woodlands increased