2012~2013年的4~8月,在贵州宽阔水国家级自然保护区,通过对各类生境中不同鸟巢的搜索和监测,记录到两例红翅凤头鹃Clamator coromandus寄生繁殖现象,其宿主分别为画眉Garrulax canorus和矛纹草鹛Babax lanceolatus,其中红翅凤头鹃对矛纹草鹛的寄生为首次报道。红翅凤头鹃将卵直接产在宿主巢内,每巢都产2枚寄生卵,卵重(7.49±0.14)g,卵长(26.82±0.73)mm,卵宽(22.50±0.69)mm,且卵重和卵宽上都明显大于两种宿主的卵。被寄生的两种宿主均接受了寄生卵,卵色反射光谱的分析发现,相对宿主矛纹草鹛,红翅凤头鹃的卵在亮度和色度上更接近宿主画眉的卵,这表明杜鹃卵对画眉卵的模拟程度高于矛纹草鹛。画眉可能为红翅凤头鹃的主要宿主,而矛纹草鹛为次生宿主,以往对矛纹草鹛卵识别能力的研究符合此推测。进一步确认两种宿主与红翅凤头鹃的关系需要用模拟寄生实验检验画眉的卵识别能力。
Brood parasitism on Hwamei (Garrulax canonts) and Chinese babax (Babax lanceolatus) by chestnut-winged cuckoo (Clamator coromandus) were observed by searching and monitoring various birds' nest in all habitats during the breeding season (April to August) of 2012 and 2013 in Kuankuoshui National Nature Reserve, Guizhou, southwestern China. In this study, it was the first report that the Chinese babax served as a host of the chestnut-winged cuckoo. Chestnutwinged cuckoo laid two eggs in each nest of both hosts, and its egg mass (7.49 g ± 0.14 g), egg length (26.82 mm ± 0.73 mm) and egg width (22.50 mm ±0.69 mm) were significantly larger than the hosts. Analysis of egg reflectance spectrum showed that both the brilliance chroma of chestnut-winged cuckoo eggs were more mimetic to that of Hawmei compared with the Chinese babax. These implied that Hwamei might be the main host of chestnut-winged cuckoo and Chinese babax was the secondary host. Previous study concerned on egg cognition ability of Chinese babax also provided preliminary evidence to support our prediction.