会飞的照相机——精灵 Phantom 首次试飞天山拍摄兀鹫窝纪实
Our camera can fly to nest of Himalayan Griffon Vulture in Tianshan Mountains, 2014
Drone Monitoring on the Breeding Ecology of Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis in Tianshan Mountains
MA Ming, TING Zhou, XU Guo-Hua , DAO Caiwu-Jiapu, AIZIJIANG Maimaiti-Ming, XING Rui, LUO Biao, WU Dao-Ning
(Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China)
Abstract: Himalayan Griffon or Himalayan Vulture (Gyps himalayensis) is almost endemic to China. It is relatively rare in neighboring nations. It is known to people as a mysterious highland raptor species. Many people found this bird species disgusting because they scavenge on dead bodies, especially when people learn that they were actually feeding on human fresh in the stunning sky-burial ceremony. Other than that, few were known about their living cycle. The Vulture is preference to nest on the cliffs (elevation from 2400 m to 4800 m), it is very dangerous to climb the cliff to observe the reproductive process. From April to September, 2014, we tried to find and monitor the nest with domestic micro air vehicle (MAV or UAV monitoring). We also used the route search method and behavioral scanning method, conducted habitat surveys, nest number statistics, analysis of nest material, egg or young number count, nestling growth and development, reproduction cycles, diet and food analysis. Most of vultures built their nests on the southern slope facing the sun (c. 78.6%). The nest materials were consisted of mainly fine reeds such as Poa spp., Elymus spp., Stipa spp., Agropyron cristatum, Elymus sibiricus and that was rather different from that of other raptors. This demonstrates that Himalayan Vulture have a very delicate heart for their nest and chick. The clutch size is only one (n=21). Breeding cycle included nest building from January to March, egg laying from Jan. to Apr. (different times), egg sitting from Apr. to Jun., and young birds leaving the nests from Jul. to Oct. Chick raising lasted as long as 3-4 months, and the longest being 5 months (hatching in March, leaving nest in August). That was relatively long indeed.
Key words: Himalayan Griffon Vulture; Clutch size; Nest materials; UAV monitoring; Tianshan Mts.
2014年4月30日（星期三）至5月2日，利用五一小长假，我们一行四人驱车1400公里（往返），前往天山后峡、乌鲁木齐河谷、托克逊、马兰（乌什塔拉）、和硕、和静、博湖等地考察高山兀鹫繁殖生态。
第一天，我们在前往乌鲁木齐河上游的后峡途中遇到堵车（车祸），一辆拉矿石的重型大卡车翻入乌鲁木齐河谷，另外一辆车悬挂在峭壁上，救援迟迟未到，堵车达6个多小时。下午我们折返，经过乌拉泊、柴窝堡湖、盐湖、达坂城、小草湖、托克逊、干沟、库米什、榆树沟、乌什塔拉（马兰）、金沙滩、曲惠、塔哈其，到达和硕县，入住龙驹宾馆。
第二天，我们首次成功试用四旋翼或六旋翼遥控飞机（无人机）拍摄高山兀鹫及其窝。清早起来，先是购买食品，之后加满油。直接前往和静县克尔古提乡B-1号巢区，距离和硕县城约46公里，海拔3000米。我们负重徒步4~5公里，携带小型飞机和拍摄装置，沿着崎岖山路，接近巢区。晴天，有2-3级风，沙尘天，气温2-17℃。
For the first time, in the Tianshan Mountains, the "drone" DJI Phantom II (elves) flew to nest, —— a "flying camera" (carry the black dog -- GoPro, Hero III), buzz, buzz, buzz ...... the young is wait-and-see, and not afraid ...... Photo by MaMing.
四旋翼接近高山兀鹫巢（马鸣摄）中午11：30，到达塔赫哈提沟（松树沟），崖壁朝阳，对面是雪岭云杉林，林海雪原，松涛怒吼。
这次使用飞机为超小型航模玩具飞机，一种可遥控的六旋翼或四旋翼飞机——无人机（见照片）。型号：Phantom（精灵、幽灵），厂家：大疆公司（dJi），价格：2500-9500元。我们是第一次使用这种“会飞的照相机”（携带黑狗——GoPro, Hero III），可持续飞行7-10分钟（电池是关键），快速上升50-100米，接近鹫窝10-20米。这次我们携带了四套电池、两台微型录像机（黑狗 GoPro，Hero III），可以飞行至少四次（40-60分钟）。
下午，经过调试，我们操作成功飞行4次，拍摄到20分钟高清录像。因为海拔3000米高原气压太低（和静克尔古提B-1区），电池膨胀、发热，当日有阵风3-4级，出现漂移、失控、触崖等情况。
其中，有一次超低空飞行，飞机的一只螺旋桨碰掉了，固定螺丝帽飞出，更换后继续飞行。最后一次试飞，大风将飞机吹向崖壁，碰壁三四次，黑狗脱离机身。飞机很结实、皮实，安全返回，完好无损。
窝中的高山兀鹫非常好奇，一直在探头观望（见照片），其中一只成鸟飞近直升机，盘旋、环绕、接近，并不害怕这个超小型嗡嗡作响的玩具航模飞机。经过三个多小时试飞，拍摄到20多分钟高清晰录像，圆满完成野外观测工作。
我们在周围还见着旱獭、草兔、长尾黄鼠、胡兀鹫、金雕、红嘴山鸦、黑耳鸢、红隼、石鸡、野鸽、斑鸠、家燕、红嘴山鸦、小嘴乌鸦、白鹡鸰、褐岩鹨、穗即、白顶即、金额丝雀、戈氏岩鹀等。
傍晚下山，队伍返回和硕县，之后到库尔勒，入住豪华的巴音郭楞宾馆。
之前我们的考察（2月9-12日，4月21-24日），与山加甫、艾孜江、张新民等在和静及和硕巴克兴沟寻找幼鸟失败，攀岩也失败了。我们怀疑去年和硕县有人偷盗兀鹫幼鸟（2013年8-9月），造成弃巢。此事件还在调查之中。
第三天，我们环绕博斯腾湖观察春季鸟类迁徙，遇见大批水禽，如凤头、鸬鹚、大白鹭、苍鹭、灰雁、赤嘴潜鸭、白眼潜鸭、白翅浮鸥、燕鸥、红嘴鸥、黄脚银鸥、骨顶鸡、黑水鸡等，还有黑顶黄头鹡鸰、楼燕、大杜鹃、戴胜、乌鸫、家燕、棕尾伯劳、紫翅椋鸟、树麻雀、大苇莺等。中午在焉耆县城吃烤包子，然后返回乌鲁木齐。
For the first time, in the Tianshan Mountains, the "drone" DJI Phantom (elves) flew to nest, —— a "flying camera" (carry the black dog -- GoPro, Hero III), Photo by MaMing.
首次在天山深处试飞“无人机”大疆 Phantom（精灵、幽灵），“会飞的照相机”（携带黑狗——GoPro, Hero III），马鸣摄
We are in control of the UAV aircraft in Tianshan Mts. China.
首次试飞无人机成功，马鸣教授操控小飞机拍摄高山兀鹫的繁殖情况
We are in control of the UAV aircraft in Tianshan Mts., Xinjiang, the west of China (Photo by MaMing)
小飞机升空了，比翼双飞（马鸣摄）For the first time, in the Tianshan Mountains, the "drone" DJI Phantom (elves) is in sky, a "flying camera" (carry the black dog -- GoPro, Hero III), Photo by MaMing.
For the first time, in the Tianshan Mountains, the "drone" DJI Phantom (elves) flew to nest, a "flying camera" (carry the black dog -- GoPro, Hero III), Photo by Maming.
首次在天山深处试飞“无人机”——六旋翼直升机（马鸣摄）Drone monitoring on the breeding ecology of Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis in Tianshan Mountains, the west of China. (photo by MaMing and Tingzhou)
利用无人机首次航拍高山兀鹫巢及幼鸟（马鸣、庭州拍摄）
The controller and monitor (video) (photo by MaMing)
Specimens and trade, about 30% chicks is stolen by the local people (photo by MaMing)
Specimens and trade, more than 30% chicks is stolen by the local people (Photos by MaMing and Zhou).
Oh, that's a shame, that local people steal chicks. It happens here too, mainly robbing eggs.
武装到牙齿——利用八旋翼无人机航拍高山兀鹫巢及产卵过程（马鸣 拍摄）
Drone monitoring on the breeding ecology of Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis in Tianshan Mountains, the west of China. (photo by MaMing)
首次试飞直升机（马鸣摄）
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