bekir kabasakal | Antalya Bilim University (original) (raw)

Papers by bekir kabasakal

Türkiye is considered an important evolutionary area for Chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar), sin... more Türkiye is considered an important evolutionary area for Chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar), since it is both a potential ancestral area and a diversification center for the species. Using 2 mitochondrial (Cty-b and D-loop) and 13 polymorphic microsatellite markers, we investigated the geographic genetic structure of A. chukar populations to determine how past climatic fluctuations and human activities have shaped the gene pool of this species in Türkiye. Our results indicate, firstly, that only A. chukar of the genus Alectoris is present in Türkiye (Anatolia and Thrace), with no natural or artificial gene flow from congenerics. Secondly, the geographic genetic structure of the species in Türkiye has been shaped by topographic heterogeneity, Pleistocene climatic fluctuations, and artificial transport by humans. Third, there appears to be three genetic clusters: Thracian, Eastern, and Western. Fourth, the post-LGM demographic expansion of the Eastern and Western populations has formed a hybrid zone in Central Anatolia (~8 kyBP). Fifth, the rate of China clade-B contamination in Türkiye is about 8% in mtDNA and about 12% in nuDNA, with the Southeastern Anatolian population having the highest contamination. Sixth, the Thracian population was the most genetically distinct, with the lowest genetic diversity and highest level of inbreeding and no China clad-B contamination. These results can contribute to the conservation regarding A. chukar populations, especially the Thracian population.

Aim: We tried to find out breeding biology and behavioral strategies of the YellowventedBulbul, P... more Aim: We tried to find out breeding biology and behavioral strategies of the YellowventedBulbul, Pycnonotus xanthopygos, both in the field and in captivity Methods: Campus of Akdeniz University and its vicinity were selected to field study.During the field study, possible territorial areas of the species were checked daily to find nests and to observe behavioral activities at the beginning of March to end ofAugust in 2013. Each nest was observed every second days to get breeding data. Adults were captured by using mist nests and ringed to individual identification. Ringed individuals were measured to classify individual quality. At the end of breeding season of the species, we captured individuals from Çakırlar, 20 km far from Antalya, districtand put them to aviaries to study behavior of the species in captivity . Results: Territorial and nesting tree features of the species were determined. It was found out that pairing was formed at the beginning of the breeding season and both male and female were selected territory and females decided to nesting tree. Male and female were built nest together and they were showed parental care till fledglings can survive alone at the territory. A total of 35 nests were found at the campus during first breeding season. Of the 35 nests; 16 were abandoned and 6 were failed. The breeding success of the species by clutch size was 3 ± 0.2 (2-4), hatching was % 96.6 ± 3.3 and fledgling was % 90,6 ± 2.1 (n:11). Captured individuals are adjusted to the aviaries and are ready to behavioral experiments. . Conclusion: Although P. xanthopygos is considered as an adapted species to the urban ecosystems, result of the first breeding season showed that 45 % of the nests were abandoned by human activities. This indicate that P. xanthopygos is very sensitive to human activities. The question is that how P. xanthopygos cope with human activities and expand its distribution zone. We will conduct behavioral experiments in field and captivity to understand this phenomenon. Key words: Yellow-vented bulbul, Pycnonotus xanthopygos, behaviour of birds,ethology, parental care, ornament

Bircok otucu kus turunun yetiskinleri eseysel dimorfizm (yapisal farkliliklar) ve eseysel dikroma... more Bircok otucu kus turunun yetiskinleri eseysel dimorfizm (yapisal farkliliklar) ve eseysel dikromatizm (renk farkliligi) gostermemektedir. Bu nedenle morfolojiye dayali esey tayini her zaman mumkun degildir. Bununla birlikte geleneksel esey tayini yontemleri genellikle ureme donemindeki yetiskin bireyler icin kullanilmakta olup cinsiyeti morfolojik olarak anlasilamayan yavru kuslar icin kullanilamamaktadir. Molekuler esey tayini yontemleri ise geleneksel yontemlere gore daha kolay ve bireyi oldurmeyen bir secenek sunmaktadir. Cinsiyet bilgisi davranis ekolojisi, koruma biyolojisi ve populasyon biyolojisi konulu pek cok calisma icin onem arz etmektedir. Bu calismanin amaci CHD genleri kullanilarak uygulanan molekuler esey tayini yontemi hakkinda bilgi vermek, dikkat edilmesi gereken hususlari belirtmek ve konunun onemini vurgulamaktir.

Simple Summary: To detect changes in migrating bird populations that are usually gradual, regular... more Simple Summary: To detect changes in migrating bird populations that are usually gradual, regular counts of the flocks should be carried out. This is vital for giving more precise management decisions and taking preventive actions when necessary. Traditional counting methods are widely used. However, these methods can be expensive, time-consuming, and highly dependent on the mental and physical status of the observer and environmental factors. Taking these uncertainties into account, we aimed at taking the advantage of the advances in the artificial intelligence (AI) field for a more standardized counting action. The study has been practically initiated 10 years ago by beginning to take photos on a yearly basis in predefined regions of Turkey. After a large collection of bird photos had been gathered, we predicted the bird counts in photo locations from images by making strong use of AI. Finally, we used these counts to produce several bird distribution maps for further analysis. Our results showed the potential of learning computers in support of real-world bird monitoring applications. Abstract: A challenging problem in the field of avian ecology is deriving information on bird population movement trends. This necessitates the regular counting of birds which is usually not an easily-achievable task. A promising attempt towards solving the bird counting problem in a more consistent and fast way is to predict the number of birds in different regions from their photos. For this purpose, we exploit the ability of computers to learn from past data through deep learning which has been a leading sub-field of AI for image understanding. Our data source is a collection of on-ground photos taken during our long run of birding activity. We employ several state-of-the-art generic object-detection algorithms to learn to detect birds, each being a member of one of the 38 identified species, in natural scenes. The experiments revealed that computer-aided counting outperformed the manual counting with respect to both accuracy and time. As a real-world application of image-based bird counting, we prepared the spatial bird order distribution and species diversity maps of Turkey by utilizing the geographic information system (GIS) technology. Our results suggested that deep learning can assist humans in bird monitoring activities and increase citizen scientists' participation in large-scale bird surveys.

Rüzgar enerjisi, iklim değişikleri ile mücadelede uygun bir alternatif enerji kaynağı olarak öne ... more Rüzgar enerjisi, iklim değişikleri ile mücadelede uygun bir alternatif enerji kaynağı olarak öne çıkmakta ve Rüzgar Enerji Santrallerinin (RES) sayısı küresel olarak son yıllarda hızla artmaktadır. Ancak RES'lerin gerek inşaat esnasında gerekse de sonrasında doğaya, özellikle kuşlara, doğrudan ve dolaylı olarak olumsuz etkilerinin olduğu bilinmektedir. Bu etkiler RES faaliyetleri nedeniyle habitat etkisi (kuşların yaşam alanlarının yok olması veya parçalanması), rahatsızlık (kuşların alanı terk etmesi), bariyer etkisi (kuşların göç veya günlük uçuş yollarını değiştirmesi) ve çarpışmadır (kuşların türbin veya diğer RES yapılarına çarparak ölmesi). Bu kapsamda kurulacak, kurulumu devam ve kurulu RES'lerin mekânsal özellikleri, proje ve türbin özellikleri ve kuşların türe özgü farklılıklarının ornitologlar tarafından değerlendirilerek uygun çözüm önerilerinin verilmesi olumsuzlukların önüne geçilmesi veya minimuma indirilmesine fayda sağlayacaktır.

Turkey is being a bridge be-tween Europe and Asia and it provides the natu-ral pathway for the sp... more Turkey is being a bridge be-tween Europe and Asia and it provides the natu-ral pathway for the spread of species between these continents. The Beydağları Mountains and its surroundings (Antalya) host many Asian, European and Mediterranean faunal and floral elements and the location, which is considered as one of the most important faunal areas in Turkey especially for larger mammals. The study is the first systematic survey of the carnivores in the region which is based on photo trapping. The cameras were set at 45 locations for 2055 trap days between 2005–2009 over the area 294 km 2 at the altitude 1200–2000 m a.s.l. Most of the species and their individual abundance were recorded in maquis habitat type followed by red pine forest, mixed (red pine and maquis), and cedar forest respectively. The wild animals that were captured included five mammalian carni-vore species (red fox Vulpes vulpes, badger Meles meles, stone marten Martes foina, gray wolf Ca-nis lupus and caracal Caracal c...

While the function of ornaments shaped by sexual selection is to attract mates or drive off rival... more While the function of ornaments shaped by sexual selection is to attract mates or drive off rivals, these signals may also evolve through social selection, in which the social context affects the fitness of signallers and receivers. Classical 'mate choice' experiments often reveal preferences for ornaments, but few studies have considered whether these are strictly sexual or reflect general social preferences. Indeed, an alternative possibility is that ornaments evolve through 'non-sexual social selection' (hereafter 'social selection'). We examined the role of ornamentation (yellow ventral patch) and familiarity (individuals recognize group mates with which they have had previous interactions) on mate choice (opposite-sex stimuli preference) and social choice (same-sex stimuli preference) in both male and female white-eyed bulbuls (Pycnonotus xanthopygos). In the mate choice test, females preferred unfamiliar males with increased yellow. There were no biologically important differences in male preferences based on familiarity or intensity of patch colour. In the social choice test, females preferred to associate with familiar females. Males preferred to associate with familiar males but also preferred to associate with less ornamented males. Our results suggest that ornamentation and familiarity are important features, playing different roles in males and females, in both social and sexual selection processes.

kabasa kal b eki r @ g mai l .c o m , 2 DE PAR TM EN T OF BI OLOG Y, FAC ULTY O F SC I ENC E AN D... more kabasa kal b eki r @ g mai l .c o m , 2 DE PAR TM EN T OF BI OLOG Y, FAC ULTY O F SC I ENC E AN D ART, MEH MET A KI F ER S OY U NIV ER SIT Y TU RKE Y ; al bayr ak tam e r @ g mai l .co m

In recent years, with its lack of pollutant emissions wind energy has come forward from among oth... more In recent years, with its lack of pollutant emissions
wind energy has come forward from among other
renewable energy sources. As all man-made objects,
wind farms have impacts on nature too. Among these
impacts, the ones affecting birds are loss of habitat,
displacement due to disturbance, barrier effect and
death by collision. Despite the negative impacts,
wind farms might also become a shelter for certain
species since the wind farm ranges are protected
by private security contractors and/or fences and
alike. Animals facing danger of being hunted by
indigenous people, such as deer, fox and chukar
use these ranges as shelters against the pressure.
Moreover, constructions change indigenous habitats
creating new ones (especially rocky fields and open
lands) allowing species like wheatear, rock nuthatch,
rock sparrow and rock thursh to domicile in the range.
In this content, wind farms have positive impacts on
surrounding environments as well as negative ones.
Despite the possible pros of these energy facilities
constructions should be avoided from siting near
raptors’ nesting-breeding sites at all costs. Besides,
avoiding ecological hotspots, BACI (Before and After
Construction Impact) control procedures should be
implemented. These procedures should involve 2
year monitoring processes divided into 6 months
periods yielding the results determining ornithofauna, target species and possible flight corridors in
the surrounding environment.

Blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species that we can observe natural areas and parks, gardens and c... more Blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species that we
can observe natural areas and parks, gardens
and campuses. It has important functions in its
ecosystem as each species which are adapted to
the urban ecosystem. In this regard, it is important
to know habitat selection, nesting site selection
and breeding parameters of blackbirds which are
living in urban ecosystems. In this study we aim to
determine breeding biology of Blackbirds breeding
in Akdeniz University Campus. In this context, we
followed blackbird pairs to find their nest sites in
breeding season in Akdeniz University Campus. Nests
were checked every 3 days and nest building period,
incubation period, fledging period, number of eggs
fledglings and death chicks were noted. We found 16
blackbird nests. However 2 nests were abandoned
and predated. Hooded crow (Corvus corone) eurasian
jay (Garrulus glandarius) were the predators. We
observed that blackbirds started to build their nests in
the second week of March. We found that incubation
period lasted 10.3± 0.41 (9-11) and fledging period
was 11.1±0.25 (10-12). Cluth size were 4 ± 0.23 (3-5),
hatching succes were 73.93 ± 5.9, fledging succes was
81 ± 10.3 and general breeding success was 63.9 ± 9.8
in 14 nests.

Aim: To emphasise wolf-wild boar relationships as an ecosystem service Methods: We used contempor... more Aim: To emphasise wolf-wild boar relationships as an ecosystem service
Methods: We used contemporary literature such as scientific papers, field and interview reports and our previous field observations in Antalya, Beydagları (Termessos National Park and Çığlıkara National Protected Area)
Results: In our previous studies, wild Boar density of Termessos NP was found higher than Çığlıkara NPA wild Boar density in Çığlıkara NPA was found to be 115 adults and 115 piglets per 100 km2, a higher density was found in Çığlıkara NPA. Termessos NP (213 adults and 101 piglets per 100 km2). Wolf did not detect in Çığlıkara NPA. Furthermore more wild boar damage in the agricultural areas were reported in Termssos NP and its surroundings by villagers.
Conclusion: Ecosystem services can be defined as the conditions and processes through which ecosystems, and the biodiversity that makes them up, sustain and fulfill human life. High density of wild boar in Termessos NP and its surroundings seems to be associated with the wolf absence. Villagers mention that they suffer from the high density of the Wild Boar population which destroyed their agriculture lands due to absence of wolf population. The top predator, the wolf, can keep the balance of Wild Boar populations like Çığlıkara NPA. This can be considered as an ecosystem service.
Key words: Ecosystem services, predator-prey relationship, wolf-wild boar relationship, Beydagları, Antalya

Giriş: Rüzgar Enerji Santralleri (RES) aracılığıyla enerji üretimi sırasında çevreye kirletici ve... more Giriş: Rüzgar Enerji Santralleri (RES) aracılığıyla enerji üretimi sırasında çevreye kirletici ve kalıcı madde salınmaması ile yenilenebilir enerji kaynakları içerisinde öne çıkmasına rağmen Rüzgar hızının sürekli aynı değerde olmaması ve enerji üretiminin iklimsel koşullara bağlı olması dezavantajları olarak sayılabilir. İnsan yapımı olan her şey gibi RES ‘ler de inşaat esnasında ve sonrasında doğaya, özellikle kuşlara, zarar verme potansiyeli vardır. Bu çalışmanın amacı RES’lerin kuşlara olumsuz etkilerinin belirlenmesi ve bu olumsuzlukların önüne geçilebilmesi için uygun önerilerin verilmesidir.

Gereçler ve Yöntemler: Bu bağlamda, ilgili literatür taranmıştır. Bununla birlikte, çeşitli sebeplerle arazi çalışmalarımız edindiğimiz tecrübeler metne aktarılmıştır.

Bulgular: RES’lerin kuşlara potansiyel etkileri yaşam alanı kaybı ve azalması, çarpma etkisi, rahatsız olma ve yer değiştirme ile bariyer etkisi olarak sıralanabilir. Yaşam alanı kaybı RES kurulacak alanda yaşayan kuş türlerinin habitatlarının inşaat faaliyetleri sonucunda kaybedilmesi ya da azalmasıdır. Çarpma etkisi göç eden büyük bir grubun ya da bölgede dolaşan bir bireyin rüzgar türbinlerine çarparak
zarar görmesi ya da ölmesidir. Rahatsız olma ve yer değiştirme, türbinlerin inşaatı ya da işletilmesi sırasında çıkan gürültü veya benzeri rahatsız edici faktörler nedeniyle kuşların bölgeyi terk etmesi olarak tanımlanabilir. Bariyer etkisi ise RES’ler nedeniyle kuşun göç yollarını ve günlük uçuş yollarını değiştirmesidir.
Sonuç ve Tartışma: Bu etkilerin en aza indirilmesi için RES kurulacak alan özellikle yırtıcı kuş türlerinin üreme alanları ve yakınlarında olmamalıdır. Bununla birlikte kurulacak RES’in bölgedeki kuşlara etkisi için ‘‘İnşaat öncesi ve sonrası dönemde etki değerlendirme’’ protokolleri uygulanmalıdır.
Buna göre inşaat öncesinde bölgenin kuş faunası ve hassas türler ile alandaki ya da çevresindeki olası geçiş rotaları belirlenmelidir. İnşaat bitimini takiben 6 aylık dönemler şeklinde 2 yıl boyunca izleme çalışmaları yürütülmelidir.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Rüzgar enerjisi, İnsan doğa çatışması, İzleme, Çarpışma, Bariyer etkisi

The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is one of the most successful animals in adapting themselve... more The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is one of the most successful animals in adapting themselves to an urban life environment and has a global distribution. We compared three House sparrow populations in Turkey, Antalya (Çığlık village), Burdur (Yazıköy village) and Muğla (Yatağan), by using morphometrical parameters. Fifteen morphometrical characters, body mass, wing, 8th primary, tail, bill length, bill
width, bill height, length of bill apex to back of head, length from nostril to bill apex, alula, tarsus, 4 nails of left leg, were
measured in 109 birds (52 males and 57 females) caught in the three cities. House sparrows were caught near Yatağan Thermal Power Plant (YTPP) which uses coal to produce electric energy in Yatağan. The other caught areas, Antalya and Burdur, do not have any power plant and polluting factory near the area. Polluting heavy metals and gases are emitted by YTPP. We compared the three populations on the basis of gender. The results showed that although we did not find a significant difference between Antalya and Burdur populations, Yatağan females differ significantly in body mass, tail, and 8th primary from the other populations according to Tukey HSD-test ANOVA (P < 0.01). Yatağan females were the lightest within these groups (ANOVA F = 20.343, df = 5, P<0.001). Our results supported previous studies that the body mass of the females in the polluted area is lighter than the other non polluted areas. As a conclusion, the reason for the small size of female house sparrrow near YTTP may be the pollution
associated with this power plant.

Aim: To emphasise wolf-wild boar relationships as an ecosystem service Methods: We used contempo... more Aim: To emphasise wolf-wild boar relationships as an ecosystem service
Methods: We used contemporary literature such as scientific papers, field and interview reports and our previous field observations in Antalya, Beydagları (Termessos National Park and Çığlıkara National Protected Area)
Results: In our previous studies, wild Boar density of Termessos NP was found higher than Çığlıkara NPA wild Boar density in Çığlıkara NPA was found to be 115 adults and 115 piglets per 100 km2, a higher density was found in Çığlıkara NPA. Termessos NP (213 adults and 101 piglets per 100 km2). Wolf did not detect in Çığlıkara NPA. Furthermore more wild boar damage in the agricultural areas were reported in Termssos NP and its surroundings by villagers.
Conclusion: Ecosystem services can be defined as the conditions and processes through which ecosystems, and the biodiversity that makes them up, sustain and fulfill human life. High density of wild boar in Termessos NP and its surroundings seems to be associated with the wolf absence. Villagers mention that they suffer from the high density of the Wild Boar population which destroyed their agriculture lands due to absence of wolf population. The top predator, the wolf, can keep the balance of Wild Boar populations like Çığlıkara NPA. This can be considered as an ecosystem service.
Key words: Ecosystem services, predator-prey relationship, wolf-wild boar relationship, Beydagları, Antalya

Aim: In this study we intended to examine effects and impacts of wind farms on birds. Methods: W... more Aim: In this study we intended to examine effects and impacts of wind farms on birds.
Methods: We have evaluated contemporary literature and professional monitoring reports and compared with our field studies. Since we tried to reveal the general concept of windfarm-aviants interaction, this study was handled through a theoretical approach. Our preliminary results of 4 years field studies were also compared with the findings of other researchers.
Results: Through extensive research, we have classified such impacts on birds under four phenomena as “Loss of Habitat”, “Collision”, “Disturbance” and “Barrier Effect”. These four phenomena roughly cover almost all the ways how wind farms effected birds. We also have clues of possible barrier effects and disturbance according to our preliminary results from our 4 years of field studies.
Conclusion: These four phenomena roughly cover almost all the ways how wind farms effected birds. Although these phenomena are indeed related to wind farms, not all can be seen at the same time at the same place. All these effetcs depend on species niche, flight strategies and topography of the site. However the results may seem grim, there are effective ways to for prevention and mitigation.
Key words: Wind farms, birds, collision, renewable energy, barrier effect, mitigation

Aim: We tried to find out breeding biology and behavioral strategies of the YellowventedBulbul, P... more Aim: We tried to find out breeding biology and behavioral strategies of the YellowventedBulbul, Pycnonotus xanthopygos, both in the field and in captivity
Methods: Campus of Akdeniz University and its vicinity were selected to field study.During the field study, possible territorial areas of the species were checked daily to
find nests and to observe behavioral activities at the beginning of March to end ofAugust in 2013. Each nest was observed every second days to get breeding data.
Adults were captured by using mist nests and ringed to individual identification. Ringed individuals were measured to classify individual quality. At the end of breeding season
of the species, we captured individuals from Çakırlar, 20 km far from Antalya, districtand put them to aviaries to study behavior of the species in captivity .
Results: Territorial and nesting tree features of the species were determined. It was found out that pairing was formed at the beginning of the breeding season and both
male and female were selected territory and females decided to nesting tree. Male and female were built nest together and they were showed parental care till fledglings can survive alone at the territory. A total of 35 nests were found at the campus during first breeding season. Of the 35 nests; 16 were abandoned and 6 were failed. The breeding
success of the species by clutch size was 3 ± 0.2 (2-4), hatching was % 96.6 ± 3.3 and fledgling was % 90,6 ± 2.1 (n:11). Captured individuals are adjusted to the aviaries and
are ready to behavioral experiments. .
Conclusion: Although P. xanthopygos is considered as an adapted species to the urban ecosystems, result of the first breeding season showed that 45 % of the nests were
abandoned by human activities. This indicate that P. xanthopygos is very sensitive to human activities. The question is that how P. xanthopygos cope with human activities and expand its distribution zone. We will conduct behavioral experiments in field and captivity to understand this phenomenon.

Key words: Yellow-vented bulbul, Pycnonotus xanthopygos, behaviour of birds,ethology, parental care, ornament

The offspring sex ratios and breeding success in a population of the Great Tit, Parus major, in A... more The offspring sex ratios and breeding success in a population of the Great Tit, Parus major, in Antalya, southern Turkey, were determined. Feathers were collected from nestlings, unhatched eggs and dead nestlings, and the sex was identified through CHD genes by amplifying P8 and P2 primers. The primary sex ratio (at conception) was 54% male and 46% female, the secondary sex ratio (at hatchling) was 52% male and 48% female, and the tertiary sex ratio (at fledging) was 53% male and 47% female. The predominance of males was statistically not significant (p>0.05) in all three phases. Hatchling success was found to be 87.3% in males and 100% in females; fledging success 96.1% in males and 91.6% in females, and general breeding success 85% in males and 93% in females. The mean number of fledglings per pair was significantly higher in first broods (p<0.05). Approximately the same number of males and females (0.53/0.47) fledged, thus resulting in a balanced sex ratio that may imply stable population structures.

Gereçler ve Yöntemler: Bu bağlamda, ilgili literatür taranmıştır. Bununla birlikte, çeşitli sebeplerle arazi çalışmalarımız edindiğimiz tecrübeler metne aktarılmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Rüzgar enerjisi, İnsan doğa çatışması, İzleme, Çarpışma, Bariyer etkisi

Aim: We tried to find out breeding biology and behavioral strategies of the YellowventedBulbul, P... more Aim: We tried to find out breeding biology and behavioral strategies of the YellowventedBulbul, Pycnonotus xanthopygos, both in the field and in captivity
Methods: Campus of Akdeniz University and its vicinity were selected to field study.During the field study, possible territorial areas of the species were checked daily to
find nests and to observe behavioral activities at the beginning of March to end ofAugust in 2013. Each nest was observed every second days to get breeding data.
Adults were captured by using mist nests and ringed to individual identification. Ringed individuals were measured to classify individual quality. At the end of breeding season
of the species, we captured individuals from Çakırlar, 20 km far from Antalya, districtand put them to aviaries to study behavior of the species in captivity .
Results: Territorial and nesting tree features of the species were determined. It was found out that pairing was formed at the beginning of the breeding season and both
male and female were selected territory and females decided to nesting tree. Male and female were built nest together and they were showed parental care till fledglings can survive alone at the territory. A total of 35 nests were found at the campus during first breeding season. Of the 35 nests; 16 were abandoned and 6 were failed. The breeding
success of the species by clutch size was 3 ± 0.2 (2-4), hatching was % 96.6 ± 3.3 and fledgling was % 90,6 ± 2.1 (n:11). Captured individuals are adjusted to the aviaries and
are ready to behavioral experiments. .
Conclusion: Although P. xanthopygos is considered as an adapted species to the urban ecosystems, result of the first breeding season showed that 45 % of the nests were
abandoned by human activities. This indicate that P. xanthopygos is very sensitive to human activities. The question is that how P. xanthopygos cope with human activities and expand its distribution zone. We will conduct behavioral experiments in field and captivity to understand this phenomenon.

Key words: Yellow-vented bulbul, Pycnonotus xanthopygos, behaviour of birds,ethology, parental care, ornament