Ornithology Research

Costa, Lílian Mariana; de Freitas, Guilherme Henrique Silva; da Silva, Pedro Henrique Vieira Braga Pereira; Ribeiro, Leonardo Cotta; de Vasconcelos, Marcelo Ferreira; Rodrigues, Marcos

2019 Ornithology Research

doi: 10.1007/bf03544450

The Cipo Cinclodes Cinclodes espinhacensis is a recently described furnariid endemic to the campos rupestres of Serra do Cipó, southern Espinhaço Range, southeastern Brazil. It is an “Endangered” species and its natural history is poorly known. We studied the Cipo Cinclodes breeding biology at Serra do Breu, where we found six nests on rock outcrops in 2009 and 2012. At least one nest was reused in different years. Breeding season was from September (nest building) to January (dependent juveniles). Nests were shallow cups or beds placed in chambers at the end of earthen and/or rocky tunnels or crevices on rock outcrops. Clutch size was 2–3 eggs. It exhibited biparental care during all nest stages. We demonstrated that the nesting habits of Cipo Cinclodes agree with those reported for other species of the genus, although some details differ from what is known for the closely related species, the Long-tailed Cinclodes Cinclodes pabsti.

Repenning, Márcio; Fontana, Carla Suertegaray

2019 Ornithology Research

doi: 10.1007/bf03544451

Reliable identification of cryptic Neotropical capuchino seedeater females remains as a recurrent and non-trivial issue in field ornithology. Even in the hand, capuchino females cannot be accurately diagnosed to the species level based solely on visual plumage examination, which may present a problem for future research on this group. During 10 years of field research on this group, we observed subtle vocal differences. We studied females of two parapatric species that may breed in syntopic upland grassland areas in southern Brazil: Tawny-bellied Seedeater Sporophila hypoxantha and Black-bellied Seedeater Sporophila melanogaster. Our main aim was to measure dissimilarities between inter-specific and intersexual repertory calls. We found unequivocal inter-specific divergences in call type repertoires revealed by cluster analysis, and no intersexual differences in the co-specific repertoire calls. These combined results enhance the understanding about the role of repertoire calls on species-specific recognition and interbreeding isolation processes (assortative mating), and provide a way to overcome the problem of field identification of female capuchinos at the species level.

Las-Casas, Flor Maria Guedes; da Pereira, Iolanda Maria Silva; dos Santos, Lilia D’ark Nunes; Naka, Luciano Nicolás

2019 Ornithology Research

doi: 10.1007/bf03544452

The Catimbau National Park is a protected area, located within the Caatinga Dry Forest, in the central region of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. This protected area encompasses ~60,000 ha of an exceptional diversity of habitats, resulting in a high avian diversity, including several rare and endemic species. The park is considered an area of high biological importance and of conservation priority. Despite its relevance for conservation, human degradation due to chronic anthropogenic disturbances (hunting, birds trapping, selective logging, and livestock grazing) has modified the park’s natural environments. In 2014, we initiated avian inventories within the park, as part of a long-term ecological research (LTER). Although the avifauna of the park has been described before, our systematic surveys allowed us to have a better understating of the park’s avifauna and resulted in several additions to the species list. Here, we update and reevaluate the park’s avifauna, discuss the presence of resident and migratory species, and include comments on endemic and rare species that occur within the park’s boundaries. We sampled the avifauna through systematic surveys (point counts) and opportunistic observations between 2014 and 2017, including both dry and rainy seasons. We recorded a total of 192 species, including 25 species new to the park’s list. During our point counts, we detected 117 species in the dry season, whereas 34 were recorded exclusively during the rainy season. Nearly 10% of the park’s avifauna (19 species) is represented by migratory species, such as Elaenia chilensis and Turdus amaurochalinus. Catimbau National Park is important for the conservation of the Caatinga avifauna, since it harbors endemic, range-restricted, migratory, and globally threatened species. Therefore, we emphasize that environmental education and ecological restoration projects, allied to enforcing environmental laws are urgent for the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Catimbau National Park.

Lemus, Katia; Villaseñor-Gómez, José Fernando; Pineda-Huerta, Francisco Roberto; Salgado-Ortiz, Javier

2019 Ornithology Research

doi: 10.1007/bf03544453

Birds contribute to the stability of ecosystems and represent a tool used to evaluate a variety of anthropogenic impacts. The area known as El Oro-Tlalpujahua Mining District in central Mexico was subjected to significant environmental impacts as a result of ore extraction, including profound habitat transformations, landscape changes, and the accumulation of potentially toxic elements in their tailings (favoring its bioavailability and dispersion). After more than 60 years without extractive activities, there is no knowledge on extant remaining impacts on biological communities. Assuming the presence of negative impacts on birds, we compared the composition and abundance of bird communities in two locations, representing a site without exposure to tailings (S1) and another one with tailings deposition (S2). From June 2014 to June 2015, we recorded 2828 individuals of 108 avian species in 369 point counts (S1 = 91, S2 = 95). The Chao1 indicator suggested we recorded 96% of the species present. We found a high similarity in the general composition and abundance of bird species between communities (> 85%). However, there were significant differences in the abundances of 18 species (9 of them higher in the control site); these differences might result from differential effects of potentially toxic elements on functional groups (such as feeding guilds), resource availability, as well as other factors not accounted for. Historically, mining activities in the area generated significant changes in the structure and composition of the forest, and disrupted ecological processes. Despite the fact that current conditions appear favorable to the relative stability of the bird community, specific physiological effects on some species of birds sixty years after the cessation of mineral extraction could occur. Further studies on physiological performance and the effects of potentially toxic elements on local birds could unveil unknown effects at the individual level.

Boechat, Rafael Ferreira; da Silva, Bianca Ferreira; Nunes-Freitas, André Felippe

2019 Ornithology Research

doi: 10.1007/bf03544454

Epiphytes reach up to 67% of the total plant species richness in some tropical areas and act as diverse food resources that can be crucial in times of food scarcity. The avifauna assists in their reproduction, either through pollination or seed dispersal, thus creating a vast interaction spectrum between both communities within a continuous ecological process. Few scientific studies concerning avian and epiphytic community interactions are available and not much is known on their specific relationships. However, their absence can change existing ecological processes in habitats. With this in mind, a study undertaken at the Reserva Ecológica do Guapiaçu, Cachoeiras de Macacu, RJ analyzed bird and epiphytic interactions in three different environments: forest, fragmented forest and pastureland. The aim was to study how these interactions can vary according to their degree of conservation and successional stage. Three observation points were marked in a forest, nine points in forest fragments and ten observation points in the pastureland, thus providing a total of 1056 observation hours. As a result, 643 avian and epiphytic interactions were registered. We tested differences in the number of interactions between the areas. The initial hypothesis was that the largest number of registered interactions would occur in the preserved forest given its preserved state and existing biodiversity; however, the pasture area presented the highest number and variety of interactions. Most of the birds observed in the different habitats presented a high interaction in pasture areas where resource availability is reduced, making epiphytes an important food supply. Epiphytes permit a valuable network of interactions by attracting a high diversity of birds, especially those that disperse fruit or pollinate flowers, illustrating their importance within a degraded environment.

Vitório, Juliana Gomes; de Frenedozo, Rita Cássia; de Barbosa, Karlla Vanessa Camargo

2019 Ornithology Research

doi: 10.1007/bf03544455

Detailed studies on the home range size and habitat use of a species are important for the understanding of population dynamics and density. The Southern Streaked Flycatcher (Myiodynastes maculatus solitarius) is a common, widely distributed austral migrant in Brazil that inhabits open areas, forest edges and urban parks. Surprisingly, very little information exists on even basic aspects of its natural history, and details about its habitat use and home range are essentially unknown. We estimated home range size and habitat selection by M. m. solitarius during the 2017–2018 breeding season at Parque Ecológico do Tietê, an urban park in São Paulo, Brazil. We mist-netted and banded three adult individuals, which were followed for a total of 91 h and 50 min to assess their habitat use and home range. Home range size was 5.40 ± 2.45 ha (95% kernel density) and 2.46 ± 1.70 ha (50% kernel density). We obtained 428 sight records of the three individuals, and the strata most frequently used were the canopy and mid-story, in some places with a relatively high percentage of tree cover. These individuals had a clear preference for forested areas (n = 408), as compared to isolated trees in open areas (n = 20). This study contributes to enhance our knowledge of the natural history of the species and offers important new data on various aspects related to the use of space. These results also suggest that urban green areas promote the occurrence of this species in cities, using urban parks to breed and as stopover sites during migration.

Zima, Paulo Victor Queijo; Perrella, Daniel Fernandes; Francisco, Mercival Roberto

2019 Ornithology Research

doi: 10.1007/bf03544456

The genus Thraupis represents the typical tanagers, and despite the commonness of some species their reproductive aspects are poorly documented. Here we provide the first description of nests and nestlings of the Azure-shouldered Tanager, Thraupis cyanoptera, and we provide additional information on eggs. We found three active nests at Carlos Botelho State Park, southeastern Brazil, in September and October 2014, and in November 2016. The nests were built within large tangles of bromeliads, 4.1–5.2 m above ground. They were shallow bottom-supported cups, composed mainly of elongated stripes of dry bromeliad leaves. Eggs were subeliptical, with white background color and small brown spots and blotches evenly distributed throughout the surface. Nestlings had pink skin and gray down, with ocher bill and white swollen flanges. Although more forest-dwelling than other congeners, the Azure-shouldered Tanager seems to tolerate some habitat disturbance, as nests were observed in clearings.

Sazima, Ivan

2019 Ornithology Research

doi: 10.1007/bf03544457

Several waterbird species prey on fishes, and usually use only one sensory mode to detect this prey: herons hunt visually guided, whereas ibises mostly search tactilely guided. I report herein events in which a heron and an ibis caught and released a poisonous fish at a mudflat in southeastern Australia. A Great Egret (Ardea alba) that targeted small gerreid fishes caught and immediately released the very toxic pufferfish Tetractenos hamiltoni, with bill washing and discomfort movements afterwards. Two Australian White Ibises (Threskiornis molucca) that probed for bottom-dwelling fishes and crabs caught and handled these pufferfishes for about 60 s, before releasing them. Next, the birds dipped the bill in the water and resumed hunting. Pufferfishes are rarely preyed on by birds, but an Australian bird that feeds on this fish type is the Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae), which eats the pufferfish Torquigener pleurogramma when it is nontoxic or less harmful.

Segura, Luciano N.; De Maio, Federico A.; Failla, Mauricio

2019 Ornithology Research

doi: 10.1007/bf03544458

The genus Paroaria is a group of conspicuous songbirds widely distributed in South America that has been studied recently to delimit its species and establish their phylogenetic relationships. Although hybridization has been reported between the most phylogenetically related species of the genus, we here present a case of hybridization between the Yellow-billed Cardinal (P. capitata) and Red-crested Cardinal (P. coronata) for the first time, two phylogenetically unrelated members of the group. This data contributes to the knowledge of this avian group whose systematics is still under debate.

de Farias, Fernando Bittencourt; Dalpaz, Larissa

2019 Ornithology Research

doi: 10.1007/bf03544459

Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea; Parulidae) is a “Vulnerable” species which breeds in North America and migrates to winter in South America. Here we present the first documented record of the species in Brazil. One male was photographed foraging in the canopy of secondary forest on Santa Catarina island, south Brazil, on 07 April 2018. At the time of the record the species was expected to be on migration north to North America. Since the individual was heading south it is assumed that it was lost. This record can then be potentially explained by the vagrancy theory of reverse migrants.

Hernandez, Maximiliano Manuel; Copello, Sofía; Borowicz, Alexander; Seco-Pon, Juan Pablo

2019 Ornithology Research

doi: 10.1007/bf03544460

The Spectacled Petrel Procellaria conspicillata is endemic of the Tristan da Cunha Archipelago, in the South Atlantic Ocean. However, it is scarcely detected in waters off Argentina beyond its traditional distribution along the southwest Atlantic during the breeding season. This study compiles distributional records of Spectacled Petrel for the target area (chiefly between 38°S to 46°S and 23°W to 57°W) obtained in situ, from non-systematic observations at sea, between 2015 and 2018 (totaling 4 trips); and by literature review. Nineteen new sightings of the species are presented. In 46 sightings a total of 65 individuals were recorded chiefly within waters of the Argentine continental shelf (< 200 m) (46%) and oceanic adjacent waters (54%). The bulk of the sightings (95%) were obtained during the species breeding season. In addition, we report the southernmost record of the species in oceanic waters for the southwest Atlantic (46°10′S; 57°06′W).

Chupil, Henrique; Marques, Veronica; Nagaoka, Shany; Murro, Rafael Sardinha

2019 Ornithology Research

doi: 10.1007/bf03544461

We report the first record of Grey Gull (Leucophaeus modestus) in Brazil. On 21 April 2019 at 08:31 h, the secondcycle bird was photographed walking near a small stream that flows into the sea on Ilha Comprida, state of São Paulo, southeastern coast of Brazil. The occurrence of a single individual on the Atlantic coast of the South American continent lead us to propose that the species is a vagrant in Brazil.