흰눈섭황금새(Muscica narcissina zanthopygia HAY)의 생태-특히 번식경과와 육령기의 식습성

Ecological Notes on Narcissus Flycatcher, Musciapa narcissina zanthopygia HAY - With special reference to the breeding process and feeding habits of nestlings during their nesting period-

1. This report is on the outcome of observation made up the breeding process of Narcissus flycatcher, Muscicapa narcissina zanthopygia, using 15 ness-boxes at Seoul and Kwang Nung Experimental forest in 1964, and the relevant feeding habit was studied by the collar method of wrapping the necks of thenestlings for 50-60 minutes or more in some cases from 1963 to 1964. 2. The Narcissus flycatcheris a common summer resident throughout Korea arriving at the end of April. The earliest data of arrival of this species in Seoul, is April 26, 1964. They migrate southward from the later part of September to early part of October. 3. In a week after their arrival , they start to build nest after a brief courtship. Male and female prepare their nest ina nestboxes in 4 or 5 days. Nests are usually found in the moss, which provide definite frame-work. The inner side of the nest is usually composed of roots of Gramineae or leaves of pine, oak or other broad leave tree. 4. The laying period is generally from the later part of April to the middle of June : and the number of eggs laid is from 3 to 8 , therefore 5 in average : eggs are pink with traces of milky yellow blending of light auburn and orange red spots and chicken-egg-like in shape. 5.The incubation takes place for 7-12 days from the middle part of May to the middle of June, in the order of male and female . The hatching rate tends to increase in proportion to clutch size. 6. The feeding period usually lasts 15 days in average from the early part of June to the middle of July and the feeding urge tends to increase in proportion to brood size. 7. The animals invading into their nest-boxes are red ants, chipmunks, bees , barkbeetles and philippine red-tailed shirkes, etc. 8. On the basis of analysis covering 714 birds in 31 nests, the food they consumed during the nesting period of nestlings were mostly of animal matters composing of : insect larvae form-39. 88% insect adult form 36.26%, insect pupae-0.19%, spider-17.75% and other animal matters 5.92% , Besides a small amount of plant pieces were found . As to the insect larvae, Lepidoptera was the largest in the content followed by Hymenoptera , Orthoptera and Coleoptera. As to the insect adult, Diptera was the largest in the content followed by Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera. In view of forest protection, noxious insect was of 69.38%, useful insect 4.39%, and spider 17.75%. 9. The rich assortment of its food, the ability of acquiring various insect (adults as well as larvae), its destruction of great numbers of harmful insects , and its quick assimilation artificial nesting with the nest-boxes of 2.5-3cm entrance hole employed, allow us to conclude that the flycatcher may be successfully employed in the elimination of fores pests. The above results are only that part obtained near Seoul in the middle of Korea, however, if we would extend the scheme to other broad areas using similar techniques, the nest-boxes could not only be well used by the birds, but also it would help to prevent the increase of harmful. insects.