# Home Range and Habitat Selection of Blue-Eared Pheasants Crossoptilon auritum During Breeding Season in Mountains of Southwest China

## TL;DR

This study tracks blue-eared pheasants in China to understand their breeding season behavior and habitat preferences, aiding conservation efforts.

## Contribution

The study provides detailed insights into the fine-scale movement ecology and habitat selection of blue-eared pheasants using satellite telemetry and movement modeling.

## Key findings

- Male blue-eared pheasants have core home ranges of 21.93 ± 16.54 ha and total home ranges of 158.30 ± 109.30 ha.
- The species prefers shrub-dominated areas at higher elevations on steep southeast-facing slopes distant from human disturbance.
- Males show higher daytime activity but slower movement speeds, while females stay near nests with brief excursions.

## Abstract

The blue-eared pheasant (Crossoptilon auritum), a Near Threatened (NT) species endemic to China, is distributed across the northeastern region of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. This study integrates satellite telemetry, movement modeling, and field-based habitat assessments (vegetation, topography, human disturbance). This multidisciplinary approach reveals detailed behavioral patterns throughout the breeding season. Using satellite-tracking data from six individuals in Wanglang National Nature Reserve (WLNNR), Sichuan Province, during the 2018–2019 breeding seasons, we quantified their home ranges and examined the female movement patterns. The results indicated that male core (50% KDE: 21.93 ± 16.54 ha) and total (95% KDE: 158.30 ± 109.30 ha) home ranges, showed spatial overlap among individuals but no significant temporal variation in home range size. Habitat selection analysis indicated that the blue-eared pheasants favored shrub-dominated areas at higher elevations (on steep southeast-facing slopes), regions distant from human disturbance, featuring abundant animal trails. We found that movement patterns differed between sexes: males exhibited higher daytime activity yet slower movement speeds, while females remained predominantly near nests, making brief excursions before returning promptly. These results reveal fine-scale behavioral patterns during the breeding-season and habitat preferences identified using satellite-tracking and provide an essential foundation for developing targeted conservation strategies.

The blue-eared pheasant (Crossoptilon auritum), a Near Threatened (NT) species endemic to China, is primarily distributed across the northeastern region of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. To bridge the fine-scale spatiotemporal gap in blue-eared pheasant behavioral ecology, this study combines satellite telemetry, movement modeling, and field-based habitat assessments (vegetation, topography, human disturbance). This multidisciplinary approach reveals detailed patterns of their behavior throughout the breeding season. Using satellite-tracking data from six individuals (five males tracked at 4 h intervals; one female tracked hourly) in Wanglang National Nature Reserve (WLNNR), Sichuan Province during breeding seasons 2018–2019, we quantified their home ranges via Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and examined the female movement patterns using a Hidden Markov Model (HMM). The results indicated male core (50% KDE: 21.93 ± 16.54 ha) and total (95% KDE: 158.30 ± 109.30 ha) home ranges, with spatial overlap among individuals but no significant temporal variation in home range size. Habitat selection analysis indicated that the blue-eared pheasants favored shrub-dominated areas at higher elevations (steep southeast-facing slopes), regions distant from human disturbance, and with abundant animal trails. We found that their movement patterns differed between sexes: the males exhibited higher daytime activity yet slower movement speeds, while the female remained predominantly near nests, making brief excursions before returning promptly. These results enhance our understanding of the movement ecology of blue-eared pheasants by revealing fine-scale breeding-season behaviors and habitat preferences through satellite-tracking. Such detailed insights provide an essential foundation for developing targeted conservation strategies, particularly regarding effective habitat management and zoning of human activities within the species’ range.