The effects of the Taklimakan Desert Highway on endemic birds <italic>Podoces biddulphi</italic>

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The effects of the Taklimakan Desert Highway on endemic birds Podoces biddulphi

Xu, Feng / Yang, Weikang / Xu, Wenxuan / Xia, Canjun / Liao, Haohong / Blank, David

Highlights ► The Taklimakan Desert Highway and its shelter forest attracted more Xinjiang ground jay to live near the road. ► The highway significantly affected the bird’s vigilance behavior. ► The alert distance and fight initiation distance of the jay decreased with increasing road effect.

Abstract We access the abundance of Xinjiang ground jay near the Taklimakan Desert Highway in Northwestern China, and also we used alert distance and flight initiation distance to evaluate the effects of the Taklimakan Desert Highway on Xinjiang ground jay responses to human encroachment. The results showed that Xinjiang ground jay were more abundant adjacent to the roadway than further way, and the alert distance and flight initiation distance of the Xinjiang ground jay decreased significantly with increasing road effect. These results indicated that the Taklimakan Desert Highway and its shelter forest attracted more Xinjiang ground jay to live near the road, and also the highway significantly affected the bird’s vigilance behavior.