Beyond a feeding and thermoregulatory structure: toucan’s bill as a sword and pincerde Guaraldo, André Camargo; Antqueves, Letícia Mara Ceolin; Manica, Lilian Tonelli
2019 Ornithology Research
doi: 10.1007/bf03544462
Toucans (Ramphastidae) have always attracted researcher’s attention for their exuberant bill shape and size, which function has been often related to feeding strategies and thermal regulation. In this study, we discuss the importance and use of the bill by Ramphastidae species in intraspecific disputes. We present novel data and video recordings on agonistic encounters between females of the Spot-billed Toucan Selenidera maculirostris, along with a compilation of data from the Brazilian citizen science platform WikiAves and previous studies on six other Ramphastidae species. Until now, only a couple of species was known for using their bill in fights against conspecifics. Our study highlights the between-species behavioral similarities and the widespread occurrence of such behavior in the family, suggesting that this may be more common than previously thought and proposing hypotheses on the likely roles of such intraspecific contests.
Evidence of breeding activity of subadult Turdus thrushes in ArgentinaBarboza, Exequiel; Capllonch, Patricia; Ortiz, Fernando Diego; Jahn, Alex E.
2019 Ornithology Research
doi: 10.1007/bf03544463
Little is known about the age at which many Neotropical bird species first attempt to breed. We evaluated the breeding condition of 515 adult and subadult males and females among four species of Turdus thrushes (T. nigriceps, T. chiguanco, T. amaurochalinus and T. rufiventris) in Tucumán, Argentina during three breeding seasons (2015 to 2018). We registered a total of 126 individuals with brood patches and cloacal protuberances, which accounted for 24.5% of thrushes in breeding condition that we sampled. Forty thrushes had a brood patch (31.7% of those in breeding condition), of which 11 were subadults (8.7%). Eighty-six thrushes (68.3%) had a swollen cloacal protuberance, 18 of which were subadults (14.3%). Only a few of the subadults in breeding condition built nests, incubated eggs or raised nestlings. Of 130 nests we found, only 3 belonged to a subadult thrush (in all cases, a subadult female with an adult social mate), one of which was successful. Further research on these patterns among various Neotropical bird species could lead to important insights into the life history strategies that characterize different populations, and how these ultimately affect their population dynamics.
Reproductive behavior of White-tailed Kites (Elanus leucurus) in the Pampas of ArgentinaBaladrón, Alejandro V.; Cavalli, Matilde; Pretelli, Matías G.; Bó, María S.
2019 Ornithology Research
doi: 10.1007/bf03544464
The White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) is a raptor that has been less studied in the Neotropics than in the Nearctic region, especially in relation to its reproductive behavior. In this study, we report information about the phenology and activity patterns of this raptor at the Pampas of Argentina. We found that White-tailed Kites have a prolonged breeding season, from October to May. Time-activity budgets of mating pairs indicated a pronounced division of roles in parental care between sexes. Females devoted most of their time to nest construction, incubation and chick care (80% of total time) and males to food provisioning and vigilance (70% of total time). We registered 11 cases of prey transfer from the male to the female. In four cases the transfer occurred in flight and in the remaining seven cases while individuals were perched. Our results agree with general patterns on breeding behavior of White-tailed Kites from North America, suggesting a consistent behavioral pattern throughout the species’ distribution.
Southeastern Brazilian tyrannulets as flower watchersWillis, Edwin O’Neill; Bencke, Glayson Ariel
2019 Ornithology Research
doi: 10.1007/bf03544465
Several species of insect-eating birds occasionally visit flowering trees or shrubs to feed on arthropods at flowers instead of nectar or petals. In southeastern Brazil, the Planalto Tyrannulet Phyllomyias fasciatus (10.3 g) and the Gray-headed Tody-Flycatcher Todirostrum poliocephalum (7 g) often watch flowers to get insects and can visit flowering trees for hours or for several days. We describe the foraging behavior of these two tyrannulets at flowering trees and also report observations on several other species, mostly tyrant-flycatchers and tanagers. As an opportunistic foraging strategy, flower watching can be expected to be more common among small, canopy or edge birds that sally or hover-glean to catch small insects on or near foliage.
Nesting information for Tropeiro Seedeater (Sporophila beltoni), an endemic songbird from southern BrazilRepenning, Márcio; Fontana, Carla Suertegaray
2019 Ornithology Research
doi: 10.1007/bf03544466
We present the first nesting information for the Tropeiro Seedeater (Sporophila beltoni), a newly described and poorly known Neotropical passerine endemic to southern Brazil. We observed a novel male biased behavior for nest site selection in the Tropeiro Seedeater based on seven events of pre-nesting display courtship. We describe the nest, eggs, nestlings, and fledglings based on 133 nests found over four breeding seasons (2007 to 2011). The nest is a cup-shaped structure made with dry grass inflorescences and spider webs. It is placed in low, forked branches of substrate shrubs and contains multiple attachment points. The eggs are typically white with dark spots or stripes, and are pyriform in shape. Average egg dimensions are 18.2 × 13.2 mm. Nestlings fledge after 10 days. We provide the key information for distinguishing the nest, eggs, nestlings and fledglings of S. beltoni from other sympatric Sporophila species.
Nest and nestling description of Automolus rufipileatus from BrazilJunqueira, Tiago Guimarães; Lara, Kelrene Moreira; Pinho, João Batista; Aragona, Mônica; Mathias, Pablo Vinícius Clemente; Mendonça, Claudio Veloso
2019 Ornithology Research
doi: 10.1007/bf03544467
We describe here the first documented nest and nestling of the Chestnut-crowned Foliage-gleaner (Automolus rufipileatus) in Brazil. They were recorded in the municipality of Vitória do Xingu, state of Pará, at Amazonian domains. As other members of the genus Automolus, the nest of A. rufipileatus was in a steep clay bank on the edge of a small stream, comprising an inclined entrance tunnel to access two distinct chambers. The nest can be classified as a cavity with inclined tunnel. When discovered, the nest housed a nestling in advanced stage of development; therefore, it was not possible to describe the eggs, incubation period and nestling’s initial development. We encourage additional studies on Chestnut-crowned Foliage-gleaner reproductive biology.
Bird species that occupy river edge in continuous forest tend to be less sensitive to forest fragmentationLindsey, Barbara Rocha Arakaki; Bochio, Gabriela Menezes; Anjos, Luiz dos
2019 Ornithology Research
doi: 10.1007/bf03544468
Along a distance gradient from a given river, two types of habitat can be recognized: natural river edge and forest interior, each one with its own vegetation characteristics and dynamics. In a continuous area of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, we investigated (1) if bird communities are different between a riverbank of a small stream and an inland forest habitat; (2) if the species of the river edge habitat are the ones that persist in the most in forest fragments after deforestation of a continuous forest; (3) if the river edge habitat species are those that are less sensitive to forest fragmentation. It is expected that there are differences in the bird communities and the occupancy of some species between the two habitats. We allocated 16 sampling points in each of the habitats and sampled the birds by point counts with a short radius of 30 m. Results suggest that there is a significant difference between the composition of the bird communities of the river edge and forest interior habitats, although the species richness is similar. Six species were more likely to occupy the river edge and 14 species had a greater probability of occupancy in the forest interior. Species associated with the river edge habitat (15 species) tend not to be sensitive to forest fragmentation (12 species). In this study, we demonstrated that river-border species of continuous forest areas form a significant part of the bird communities that persist in small forest fragments, with intense edge effect. This shows that not all forest edge species are the result of the colonization from open areas. Congruently, species that occupy the most distant areas from the river vegetation in a continuous forest are those more sensitive to forest fragmentation.
Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) nests in a mosaic of protected areas in Carajás and surrounding areas, state of Pará, Brazilda Silva, Grace Ferreira; Presti, Flávia Torres; Rechetelo, Juliana; Guedes, Neiva Maria Robaldo; Wasko, Adriane Pinto; Donatelli, Reginaldo José
2019 Ornithology Research
doi: 10.1007/bf03544469
Natural history studies can provide information that can be used in species conservation and management. The present study provides information about the nests and nest sites of Hyacinth Macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) in a mosaic of protected areas in Carajás and surrounding areas in the Amazon region of the state of Pará, Brazil. Data were collected during four expeditions conducted in 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2014. A total of 66 tree cavities were monitored, and 28 of these were used by Hyacinth Macaws. In addition, 38 breeding events were recorded (some nests were active in multiple seasons), and 17 eggs and 33 nestlings were observed. Environmental variables for the 24 cavities that were actively used by Hyacinth Macaws were evaluated. Most of the nest cavities were located in Sterculia sp. trees (86.6%) and in open areas (e.g., near pastures). Nesting tree and cavity measurements were variable, but the mean diameter at breast height of the trees containing Hyacinth Macaw nest cavities was larger than that reported from other regions, such as the Pantanal. The present study describes the unique ecology and life history of Hyacinth Macaws in Carajás, for which information is scarce. This information will facilitate the conservation and management of Hyacinth Macaws and can be used locally for environmental education.
First observations of the diet of the Pearl Kite (Gampsonyx swainsonii magnus) in southwestern EcuadorOrihuela-Torres, Adrian; Brito, Jorge; Pérez-García, Juan Manuel
2019 Ornithology Research
doi: 10.1007/bf03544470
We describe the diet of Pearl Kite (Gampsonyx swainsonii magnus) by pellet analysis collected in an active nest in southwest Ecuador in May 2018. Reptiles were the most consumed taxonomic group both in frequency of occurrence (FO = 46.4%) and in biomass (B = 59.8%), followed by birds (FO = 33.9% and B = 38.3%) and insects (FO = 19.6% and B = 1.8%). Our results showed Pearl Kite as a generalist raptor but with a higher consumption of reptiles, which is according with previous studies in other areas where other subspecies inhabit, despite this subspecies showed a higher consumption of birds. Despite the low sample size, this study is interesting as it is the first one on the diet of the Pearl Kite for Ecuador and also for this subspecies. Basic studies on the trophic ecology of Neotropical raptors such as this are needed. For this reason we encourage further studies to fill existing gaps in knowledge and improve effective long-term conservation strategies.
A comparison of bird communities in natural and revegetated grasslands in south BrazilBecker, Rafael Gustavo; Paise, Gabriela; Pizo, Marco Aurélio
2019 Ornithology Research
doi: 10.1007/bf03544471
Natural grasslands are declining due to loss, fragmentation and degradation, resulting in the decline of grassland-associated bird species. The Pampas Biome in south Brazil is not exception to this worldwide trend, facing the expansion of croplands and afforestation with exotic tree plantations for cellulose production. To cope with the continuous degradation and loss of grasslands, restoration is an important conservation strategy, but basic information regarding the response of the fauna to restoration practices in southeastern South America grasslands is lacking. Here we compared the structure of bird communities in natural grasslands and revegetated grasslands after mining by planting native and exotic grasses. We sampled birds using 5-min point counts with unlimited radius in three replicates of each habitat (natural and revegetated grasslands; average size 22.2 ± 2.3 ha). We also compared the vegetation density between the two habitat types. The structure of bird communities at natural and revegetated grasslands differed, with natural grasslands presenting higher species richness (42 vs. 35 species) and abundance (1459 vs. 839 records) than revegetated areas, and also a distinct species composition. Ten of the 11 grassland species that were associated to one of the two habitat types occurred more frequently in natural grasslands, which had higher vegetation density than revegetated areas. Even a decade after the beginning of the restoration process, revegetated areas did not resemble natural grasslands in bird species richness, abundance, and composition. These results differed from another study conducted in the Brazilian Pampas in which native plant species were used to actively restore a grassland. Therefore, until we have additional studies addressing the use of exotic grasses for the recovery of bird communities in South America grasslands, we encourage greater representation of native plant species in restoration projects.
A case of beak deformity in the Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis and a review on beak deformities in wild birds in BrazilPurificação, Keila Nunes
2019 Ornithology Research
doi: 10.1007/bf03544473
Beak deformities in wild birds are rarely reported. Here, I described a case of beak deformity in Shiny Cowbird, Molothrus bonariensis, and also provide a review on beak deformities recorded in wild birds in Brazil. In October 2016, I observed a M. bonariensis with a grossly elongated maxilla in the east region of the Mato Grosso state, Brazil. The literature review revealed 60 records of beak deformities in the Brazilian avifauna. The most common types of deformity were crossed maxillae or mandibles (38%), probable accidental injuries (27%), and elongations (15%). Deformities were reported in 35 bird species of 22 families. The most affected species was Ramphastos toco with 21 records. The number of published reports from Brazil was low overall, and are not related as an epizootic episode recorded in some bird communities.