Behavioural responses of the whooper swansCygnus cygnusto human disturbance and their adaptability to the different habitats in the Rongcheng lagoon of China

Abstract

With urbanization influences and economic development, the area and integrity of coastal wetlands are suffering destruction in China, which would affect waterfowl wintering. The Rongcheng Lake is an important wintering ground for migratory birds in Central Asia, especially for whooper swans Cygnus cygnus. In this study, we investigated the numbers and behaviours of the whooper swans in the different habitats of the Swan Lake from November in 2015 to April in 2016, collected 72 water samples in the estuaries, and carried out food addition experiments in order to analyse the behavioural responses and adaptability of the whooper swans to the changing environment. Our results showed that the dominant behaviour of the whooper swans was resting, followed by feeding and locomotion and the whooper swans mainly distributed in the beach, estuary, and lagoon. Moreover, their distributions were affected by fresh water and food availability, whereas the human disturbance played an important role in their distributions and behavioural variations. To adapt to the changing environment, different wintering strategies were adopted by the whooper swans during the different overwintering period. The estuary protection and human feeding were very vital tools to help the whooper swans adjust their body to prepare for migrating next year.

Multi-Scale Habitat Selection by the Wintering Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) in Manas National Wetland Park, Northwestern China

“…The impact of artificial feeding on avian populations has been a subject of extensive investigation, revealing both positive and negative implications [58]. Prolonged artificial feeding practices have been shown to alter the behavioral patterns of whooper swans, diminishing their vigilance and alertness levels [59].…”

“…Due to increased snow cover and reduced unfrozen water surfaces in winter, whooper swans face food scarcity challenges during the winter [56]. The daytime range of whooper swans is primarily influenced by the distribution of food resources [58]. Additionally, areas with reeds, sedge, and bulrush in the wetland park, as well as artificially fixed feeding points, are where whooper swans concentrate their foraging activities [23].…”