Influence of Nesting Habitat and Nest Emplacement on the Breeding Success of the Black Francolin (<i>Francolinus francolinus</i>, Phasianidae): A Case Study from Pakistan
Limited research exists on the breeding ecology of the black francolin (<i>Francolinus francolinus</i>) in northern Pakistan. This study assessed egg dimensions, clutch size, hatching, fledging, and overall breeding success across different habitats and nests (<i>n</i> = 25)...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| author | Asad Ullah Sumaira Shams Sultan Ayaz Eliana Ibáñez-Arancibia Unays Siraj Patricio R. De los Rios-Escalante Farhad Badshah |
| author_facet | Asad Ullah Sumaira Shams Sultan Ayaz Eliana Ibáñez-Arancibia Unays Siraj Patricio R. De los Rios-Escalante Farhad Badshah |
| author_sort | Asad Ullah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Limited research exists on the breeding ecology of the black francolin (<i>Francolinus francolinus</i>) in northern Pakistan. This study assessed egg dimensions, clutch size, hatching, fledging, and overall breeding success across different habitats and nests (<i>n</i> = 25) at Totali Game Reserve, Buner. Generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to analyze the effects of nest site characteristics and nest traits on breeding parameters. Egg dimensions were consistent across sites whereas bush nests had slightly wider eggs. The average clutch size was 5.9 ± 1.7 eggs, with an average of 4.8 ± 1.0 hatchlings per nest. A total of 111 chicks fledged, averaging 4.4 ± 1.0 per nest, yielding an overall breeding success rate of 75.5%. Nests containing six eggs had higher hatching success (76.6%). GLMs results showed a significant positive relationship between clutch size and hatchling, while nest site and traits had no significant effects. However, fledgling success was positively influenced by hatchling numbers, with nests in wetland habitats yielding significantly more fledglings (4.6 ± 0.9) than those from dryland habitats (4.0 ± 1.2). These findings suggest Black Francolins prefer nesting in wetland areas in bushes, likely due to better protection and favorable conditions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8cd97625bdb54e398e8f6c77e86811ae |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-6004 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-8cd97625bdb54e398e8f6c77e86811ae2025-08-20T03:26:55ZengMDPI AGBirds2673-60042025-03-01621610.3390/birds6020016Influence of Nesting Habitat and Nest Emplacement on the Breeding Success of the Black Francolin (<i>Francolinus francolinus</i>, Phasianidae): A Case Study from PakistanAsad Ullah0Sumaira Shams1Sultan Ayaz2Eliana Ibáñez-Arancibia3Unays Siraj4Patricio R. De los Rios-Escalante5Farhad Badshah6Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, PakistanDepartment of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, PakistanCollege of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, PakistanPhD Program in Sciences Mentioning Applied Molecular and Cell Biology, La Frontera University, Temuco 4780000, ChileDepartment of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, ThailandDepartamento de Ciencias Biologicas y Químicas, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Casilla 15-D, Temuco 4780000, ChileDepartment of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, PakistanLimited research exists on the breeding ecology of the black francolin (<i>Francolinus francolinus</i>) in northern Pakistan. This study assessed egg dimensions, clutch size, hatching, fledging, and overall breeding success across different habitats and nests (<i>n</i> = 25) at Totali Game Reserve, Buner. Generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to analyze the effects of nest site characteristics and nest traits on breeding parameters. Egg dimensions were consistent across sites whereas bush nests had slightly wider eggs. The average clutch size was 5.9 ± 1.7 eggs, with an average of 4.8 ± 1.0 hatchlings per nest. A total of 111 chicks fledged, averaging 4.4 ± 1.0 per nest, yielding an overall breeding success rate of 75.5%. Nests containing six eggs had higher hatching success (76.6%). GLMs results showed a significant positive relationship between clutch size and hatchling, while nest site and traits had no significant effects. However, fledgling success was positively influenced by hatchling numbers, with nests in wetland habitats yielding significantly more fledglings (4.6 ± 0.9) than those from dryland habitats (4.0 ± 1.2). These findings suggest Black Francolins prefer nesting in wetland areas in bushes, likely due to better protection and favorable conditions.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6004/6/2/16eggsnestsmorphometricsTotali Game Reserve |
| spellingShingle | Asad Ullah Sumaira Shams Sultan Ayaz Eliana Ibáñez-Arancibia Unays Siraj Patricio R. De los Rios-Escalante Farhad Badshah Influence of Nesting Habitat and Nest Emplacement on the Breeding Success of the Black Francolin (<i>Francolinus francolinus</i>, Phasianidae): A Case Study from Pakistan Birds eggs nests morphometrics Totali Game Reserve |
| title | Influence of Nesting Habitat and Nest Emplacement on the Breeding Success of the Black Francolin (<i>Francolinus francolinus</i>, Phasianidae): A Case Study from Pakistan |
| title_full | Influence of Nesting Habitat and Nest Emplacement on the Breeding Success of the Black Francolin (<i>Francolinus francolinus</i>, Phasianidae): A Case Study from Pakistan |
| title_fullStr | Influence of Nesting Habitat and Nest Emplacement on the Breeding Success of the Black Francolin (<i>Francolinus francolinus</i>, Phasianidae): A Case Study from Pakistan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influence of Nesting Habitat and Nest Emplacement on the Breeding Success of the Black Francolin (<i>Francolinus francolinus</i>, Phasianidae): A Case Study from Pakistan |
| title_short | Influence of Nesting Habitat and Nest Emplacement on the Breeding Success of the Black Francolin (<i>Francolinus francolinus</i>, Phasianidae): A Case Study from Pakistan |
| title_sort | influence of nesting habitat and nest emplacement on the breeding success of the black francolin i francolinus francolinus i phasianidae a case study from pakistan |
| topic | eggs nests morphometrics Totali Game Reserve |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6004/6/2/16 |
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