Ornitología Neotropical (E-Journal)
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FEEDING HABITS OF THE STYGIAN OWL (ASIO STYGIUS) AND THE SHORT-EARED OWL (A. FLAMMEUS) IN THE SOUTHWEST OF BOGOTÁ SAVANNA, CUNDINAMARCA, COLOMBIA
Get PDFThis study quantitively compares the diets of the Stygian Owl (Asio stygius) and the Short-eared Owl (A. flammeus) in the south-west of the Bogotá Savanna, Colombia. We identified 130 prey items from 111 A. stygius pellets and 579 prey items from 149 A. flammeus pellets. In terms of the numbers of preys, the diet of A. stygius consisted of the following: 88.1% birds, mainly pigeons, rails and cuckoos; and a smaller proportion of beetles (11.4%). In the diet of A. flammeus, insects were the most frequent prey item (59.8%), followed by rodents (39.8%), and birds (0.5%). In terms of biomass contribution, the main preys in the diet of A. stygius were Eared Doves (Zenaida auriculata) (54%) and Purple Gallinules (Porphyrio martinica) (19.3%), while the diet of A. flammeus consisted mainly of House Mice (Mus musculus) (65.2%). Diet diversity varied between the owl species: A. flammeus was more selective in its hunting habits, while A. stygius was more of an opportunistic predator. It is important to quantify the ecosystem services these owls provide not only by controlling M. musculus, Z. auriculata, and Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) populations, which can affect human well-being and threatened species populations, but also through secondary seed dispersion and birdwatching opportunities
A RARE MUTUAL COURTSHIP DISPLAY IN A SOUTH AMERICAN PASSERIFORMES: BLUE-BILLED BLACK-TYRANT (KNIPOLEGUS CYANIROSTRIS) (TYRANNIDAE: FLUVICOLINAE)
Get PDFTerritorial displays are a common behavior in Knipolegus, but are only performed by males, while a mutual displays are unknown in this genus. In October 2012, in high-altitude grassland (Campos de Altitude), Espírito Santo state, south-east Brazil, a pair of Blue-billed Black Tyrant Knipolegus cyanirostris was filmed making very curious and subtle movements. Both individuals were silent, and perched facing each other 0.59–0.75 m apart, with the male slightly lower, at an angle of c. 21°–23° below the female. The male moved its head downwards, moving its bill in a pendulum-like, downward motion, then reassumed its upright stance, while the female, with its head slightly bent down, moved its bill in the same way as the male, before also reassuming her original stance. These movements were very fast and almost impossible to see with the human eye. This mutual display suggests that courtship behavior in Knipolegus may be much more complex than is currently believe
SYSTEMATIC PLACEMENT OF THE BEE HUMMINGBIRD (MELLISUGA HELENAE) (AVES: TROCHILIDAE) AND POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES FOR NOMENCLATURE OF THE MELLISUGINAE
Get PDFThe Near Threatened Cuban endemic, Bee Hummingbird Mellisuga helenae, is iconic for its tiny size—the male is the smallest bird in the world. In this study, one mitochondrial gene (ND2) and introns of two nuclear genes (encoding adenylate kinase and beta-fibrinogen), were sequenced and aligned to homologous sequences from other hummingbird species. With high statistical support, both Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses resolved Bee Hummingbird as sister to Bahama and Inagua Hummingbirds Calliphlox (or Nesophlox) evelynae and lyrura, rather than the congeneric Vervain Hummingbird Mellisuga minima. This finding highlights the need for nomenclatural rearrangement of several hummingbird species in line with the results of recent molecular phylogenies
FIRST REPORT OF A MAGELLANIC HORNED OWL (BUBO MAGELLANICUS) NESTING IN A BUILDING BALCONY
Get PDFThe ability of a species to successfully adapt to urban areas is controlled by certain ecological limiting factors. Many owl species have a negative response to urbanization, while there are others that seem to tolerate, or even thrive, in urban environments. Here, we re- port a nest of the Magellanic Horned Owl (Bubo magellanicus) in a building balcony in a suburban area in the commune of Lo Barnechea, Santiago, Chile. The nest was found in the first week of August 2018, at first bearing a single egg. After 92 days of monitoring, two nestlings successfully abandoned the nest. The use of human-made structures by the Magellanic Horned Owl had not been previously recorded; con- sequently, this record evidences new nesting opportunities for this owl in urban areas, revealing a change in its reproductive behavior
WHITE-NECKED HAWK (AMADONASTUR LACERNULATUS) FEEDING ON AMPHISBAENIDAE
Get PDFThe White-necked Hawk (Amadonastur lacernulatus) is an Atlantic Forest endemic bird of prey with a poorly known diet. Here, we describe three different predatory interactions between White-necked Hawks and worm lizards (Amphisbaenidae) from Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. During these events, hawks were recorded grasping, killing and consuming amphisbaenids. Due to their fossorial life, worm lizards are uncommon prey items for most birds of prey and such predator-prey interaction can be related to flooded amphisbaenians galleries after heavy rain episodes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of White-necked Hawks preying on amphisbaenids
GPS TRACKING OF THE FORAGING MOVEMENTS OF OILBIRDS (STEATORNIS CARIPENSIS) FROM THE DUNSTON CAVE AT ASA WRIGHT NATURE CENTRE, TRINIDAD
Get PDFThe ranging behaviors of the Oilbird (Steatornis caripensis) in Trinidad are not well defined and are required to better outline fu- ture conservation management parameters for this species. Due to the nocturnal foraging behaviors of the Oilbird, past observations were restricted to colony site observations, video recordings, and limited electronic tracking over short periods. Utilizing newly developed small- scale Global Positioning System (GPS) data loggers, we were able to determine the flight and foraging behaviors of two oilbirds that roost at the Asa Wright Nature Centre for up to 270 days. The use of backpack style GPS tracking devices provided high site resolution and accuracy of the movements and a better understanding of the annual foraging behaviors of the oilbirds in the Asa Wright Nature Centre colony. The oilbirds’ home range was determined to be 3,564.6 km2, with an average trip distance from Dunston Cave of 7.33 km, excluding an interme- diary migration point in Venezuela. 48.5% of the foraging area consisted of locations within the Northern Range, while 27.7% of these trips remained within the Arima Valley, which is only partially protected from quarrying activities. This data document the previously unknown patterns of habitat use of the Oilbird and serves as a pilot study to determine the conservation importance of those habitats for the develop- ment of long-term conservation action plans for these iconic birds
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE AND MICROHABITAT OF FOUR SYMPATRIC ANTPITTAS IN AN INTERANDEAN VALLEY OF SOUTHERN ECUADOR
Get PDFExploring mechanisms that determine species coexistence is a key step to understand community organization and patterns of distribution of biodiversity. Anpittas, genus Grallaria, offer a great opportunity to measure coexistence mechanisms among closely related species. Antpittas are terrestrial insectivores with a specialized foraging technique and limited dispersal abilities; these factors could produce high levels of niche overlap and consequently reduce the chances of stable coexistence. We explored niche partitioning in space among four antpitta species (Rufous Antpitta, Chesnut-crowned Antpitta, Undulated Antpitta, Tawny Antpitta) which coexist in a tropical Andean valley located in southern Ecuador. We determined the abundance of each antpitta species in mature native forest, shrub, pasture, and páramo habitats, and gathered data about the microhabitat of each species. Abundance was determined using point counts, territories were located by triangulating on individual calls, and microhabitat characteristics were measured within each territory. We found no differences in the abundance or probability of occurrence of species among habitats for Rufous Antpitta, Chesnut-crowned Antpitta, and Undulated Anpitta, but Tawny Antpitta was restricted to páramo. At the microhabitat level, Rufous and Chesnut-crowned Antpittas shared similar vegetation characteristics, with the important presence of shrubs. Undulated Antpitta occurred in a microhabitat characterized by the presence of trees and a ground cover of mosses, while Tawny Antpitta occupied microhabitats with an open vegetation. In general our results suggest that closely related birds could partition their niche at different spatial scales, which could promote the coexistence of species in the tropical Andes
FIRST DESCRIPTION OF THE NEST AND EGGS OF THE PERUVIAN PIPIT (ANTHUS PERUVIANUS, AVES: MOTACILLIDAE)
Get PDFWe described the nest of the recently recognized Peruvian Pipit (Anthus peruvianus) in Islay Province, department of Arequipa, southern Peru, and compared it to the known nests of other Neotropical pipits. We found the nest, which was concealed below dense salt grass (Distichilis spicata), on 20 May 2017 in an estuarine grassland adjacent to the Tambo river, approximately 200 m from the Pacific coast. The nest consisted of a shallow, loosely domed cup of dried salt grass stems, and contained three greenish-white eggs with rusty brown and bluish-gray speckles, with a denser speckling on the larger side of the egg. Nests of sister species of the Peruvian Pipit are generally cup- shaped and similar in size, and the clutch size of the Peruvian Pipit’s nest falls within the range found in other Neotropical pipits
NESTING INFORMATION FOR THE BROWN-WINGED SCHIFFORNIS (SCHIFFORNIS TURDINA)
Get PDFWe present a description of the nest, eggs and limited incubation behavior for the Brown-winged Schiffornis (Schiffornis turdina), a member of the taxonomically challenging Schiffornis taxon, currently included in the family Tityridae. The nest was an open cup, located in a natural crevice between tree roots, and made up largely of dead leaves and dark rootlets. The nest contained two pale cream-colored eggs with black and dark purple blotches. An adult spent 66.45% of the daytime incubating the eggs. The incubation was interrupted by the preda- tion of the incubating adult by a mouse opossum (Marmosa sp.). Overall, the nest and egg characteristics, clutch size and incubation patterns resembled the available nesting information for other Schiffornis species. However, more detailed information about the natural history is needed to understand the nesting biology for the genus Schiffornis and therein lies the importance of long-term studies
EFECTO DE LA COBERTURA VEGETAL SOBRE LA ORIENTACIÓN DE LOS NIDOS DE COTORRA (MYIOPSITTA MONACHUS, PSITTACIDAE) EN EL CENTRO DE ARGENTINA
Get PDFLa cobertura vegetal sobre los nidos de las aves puede proporcionar protección ante diferentes factores climáticos, como los vien- tos y la radiación solar recibida. En este estudio, se examinó si la cobertura vegetal influye en la orientación de la boca de entrada de los nidos de cotorra (Myiopsitta monachus, Psittacidae) en un sitio rural del centro de Argentina. Se compararon nidos con distintos tipos de cobertura vegetal: nidos con buena cobertura (protegidos) y nidos con escasa o nula cobertura (desprotegidos). Se encontraron diferencias en la orientación media de las bocas de entrada entre los distintos tipos de cobertura vegetal; por un lado, los nidos protegidos mostraron una orientación de la boca de entrada al azar, sugiriendo que la vegetación puede proporcionar protección adicional y generar así patrones de orientación aleatorios. Por otro lado, los nidos desprotegidos mostraron una orientación de entrada no aleatoria, hacia el oeste, evitando así los vientos predominantes en la región. Este estudio muestra la importancia de considerar la cobertura vegetal en los análisis de orienta- ción de los nidos