Publications

knemidocoptes sp. on wild passerines at the mai po nature reserve, hong kong.	free-ranging passerine birds banded at the mai po nature reserve, hong kong, were affected with a skin disease characterized by crusty, proliferative lesions on legs, feet and beaks. based on retrospective examination of 1990 to 1992 banding records, 83 of 16,353 birds and 5 of 161 species banded at mai po were identified as having these lesions. eurasian tree sparrows (passer montanus) were most commonly affected (58 of 411 birds) although 19 of 428 black-faced buntings (emberiza pusilla), 3 of ...	1994	8028111
avian plasmodium lineages found in spot surveys of mosquitoes from 2007 to 2010 at sakata wetland, japan: do dominant lineages persist for multiple years?	the ecology and geographical distribution of disease vectors are major determinants of spatial and temporal variations in the transmission dynamics of vector-borne pathogens. however, there are limited studies on the ecology of vectors that contribute to the natural transmission of most vector-borne pathogens. avian plasmodium parasites are multihost mosquito-borne pathogens transmitted by multiple mosquito species, which might regulate the diversity and persistence of these parasites. from 2007 ...	2012	23036191
geographic variation in parasitism rates of two sympatric cuckoo hosts in china.	rates of brood parasitism vary extensively among host species and populations of a single host species. in this study, we documented and compared parasitism rates of two sympatric hosts, the oriental reed warbler (acrocephalus orientalis) and the reed parrotbill (paradoxornis heudei), in three populations in china. we found that the common cuckoo (cuculus canorus) is the only parasite using both the oriental reed warbler and reed parrotbill as hosts, with a parasitism rate of 22.4%-34.3% and 0%- ...	2014	24470456
[nest habitat quality evaluation for the oriental great reed warbler (acrocephalus orientalis) in baiyangdian wetland].	the baiyangdian wetland natural reserve is an important breeding habitat for oriental great reed warbler (ogrws), acrocephalus orientalis, in north china plain. we investigated the nesting sites of ogrws by line transect method during june-july, 2011, and 112 nests were found out in total. the ecological-niche factor analysis (enfa) was applied in nesting habitat suitability assessment for ogrws in baiyangdian. the results showed that ogrws in this reserve preferred nesting in dry land reed land ...	2014	25129952
keeping eggs warm: thermal and developmental advantages for parasitic cuckoos of laying unusually thick-shelled eggs.	obligate brood parasites have evolved unusually thick-shelled eggs, which are hypothesized to possess a variety of functions such as resistance to puncture ejection by their hosts. in this study, we tested the hypothesis that obligate brood parasites lay unusually thick-shelled eggs to retain more heat for the developing embryo and thus contribute to early hatching of parasite eggs. by doing so, we used an infrared thermal imaging system as a non-invasive method to quantify the temperature of eg ...	2018	29294204
costs of breeding far away from neighbors: isolated host nests are more vulnerable to cuckoo parasitism.	a series of parasitic and anti-parasitic strategies has evolved during the long-term coevolution between cuckoos and their hosts. the first stage of the arms race is host nest choice by cuckoos, followed by nest defense by hosts. this study examined nest defense strategies of the oriental reed warbler (acrocephalus orientalis) in relation to parasitism by the common cuckoo (cuculus canorus). attack rate of oriental reed warblers against common cuckoo dummies was 100% and neighboring individuals ...	2018	30059764
heterospecific alarm-call recognition in two warbler hosts of common cuckoos.	species facing similar selection pressures should recognize heterospecific alarm signals. however, no study has so far examined heterospecific alarm-call recognition in response to parasitism by cuckoos. in this study, we tested whether two sympatric host species of the common cuckoo cuculus canorus, oriental reed warbler acrocephalus orientalis (orw, main host), and black-browed reed warbler acrocephalus bistrigiceps (brw, rare host), could recognize each other's alarm calls in response to cuck ...	2019	31506795
responses of cuckoo hosts to alarm signals of different nest intruders in non-nesting areas.	the "call for help" hypothesis proposes that alarm calls produced by a bird can transmit warning information to both conspecific and interspecific neighbors. neighbors who are attracted by social transmission might benefit from knowing about the presence of danger or by gaining information about the presence of predators or brood parasites nearby. brood parasite hosts can distinguish threats from different intruders and exhibit varied responses correspondingly. however, most previous studies hav ...	2020	32212428
cuckoos use host egg number to choose host nests for parasitism.	to maximize their offspring success common cuckoo (cuculus canorus) females should lay their eggs into host nests before incubation has begun. this ensures that the parasite chick hatches before all host chicks and can evict its foster siblings to monopolize host parental care. many studies have demonstrated that most cuckoo eggs are indeed laid before the onset of host incubation. but cues used by female cuckoos to choose the right nest at the right time remain unclear. here, we combine field o ...	2020	32517623
egg laying behavior of common cuckoos ( cuculus canorus): data based on field video-recordings.	the egg laying behavior of brood parasites is at the heart of studies on host co-evolution. therefore, research on egg laying behavior can improve our understanding of brood parasitism and associated processes. over a seven year study period, we monitored 455 oriental reed warbler ( acrocephalus orientalis) nests during the egg laying period, 250 of which were parasitized by common cuckoos ( cuculus canorus). we collected 53 clear videos of common cuckoo parasitism, analyzed all recorded parasit ...	2020	32521577
contrasting effects of egg size and appearance on egg recognition and rejection response by oriental reed warblers.	among potential hosts, the rejection of foreign eggs, which is a common and effective strategy to counter brood parasitism, depends on egg recognition. multimodal and multicomponent recognition cues of brood parasitic eggs, which include both tactile (size, shape, and texture) and visual (size, shape, color, and maculation) cues, are potentially involved in the perception and discrimination of foreign eggs by hosts. an egg rejection experiment on the host with different types of model eggs can h ...	2020	33072276