Abstract: Breeding is an important component of bird life history and fitness. Nest predation is one of the important factors affecting bird life history. Therefore, accurate estimation of reproductive success rate and revealing nest predation and its influencing factors are important for understanding population dynamics of birds. In this study, the breeding ecology and nest predation of Oriental magpie-robin (Copsychus saularis) in artificial nest boxes were investigated in Haikou, Hainan Province, China in 2021 and 2022. The results showed that: (1) The earliest and latest egg-laying dates were March 19 and July 4, respectively. Mean clutch size was 4.47±0.57 (n=57), and the mean incubation period was 13.30±1.47 d (n=33). Mean egg weight was 2.28±0.65 g (n=25). Mean long diameter and short diameter of eggs were 22.21±0.84 mm and 16.38±0.37 mm (n=25), respectively. The daily incubation rate was 70.85%±5.92% (n=40). There was no significant difference in incubation time among different periods (F=0.479, df=5, P=0.820). (2) The mean brooding period was 13.32±1.18 d (n=37). There were significant differences in the number of feeding times of parent birds in different time periods (F=19.832, df=14, P<0.05). The number of feeding times between 05:00-06:00 (P=0.023) and 18:00-19:00 (P=0.043) were significantly lower than those in other periods. (3) We found a 69.49% reproductive success, 73.36% hatching rate, 73.16% fledging rate, and a fecundity rate of 2.36 per female. (4) We recorded a nest predation rate of 18.64%, with the main nest predators being Swinho’s striped squirrel (Tamiops swinhoei), Tanezumi rat (Rattus tanezumi), and ants (Formicidae spp.). In addition, we recorded incidences of non-parental male infanticides in the Oriental magpie-robin. Our results laid a foundation for further research on sexual selection of Oriental magpie-robin.

Key words: Oriental magpie-robin (Copsychus saularis), artificial nest box, infrared camera technology, breeding ecology, nest predation