SHORT COMMUNICATIONS ORNITOLOGIA NEOTROPICAL 17: 609–612, 2006 © The Neotropical Ornithological Society NOTES ON BIRDS CONSUMING GUADUA BAMBOO SEEDS Daniel J. Lebbin Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, E148 Corson Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853. E-mail: [email protected] Notas sobre aves comiendo semillas de Guadua bambú. Key words: Aratinga weddellii, Bamboo, Cissopis leveriana, Conothraupis speculigera, Cyanocompsa cyanoides, Guadua, Haplospiza rustica, Molothrus bonariensis, Molothrus oryzivora, Nannopsittaca dachillae, Psophia leucoptera. INTRODUCTION events, occurring locally on 25–30 year time scales (Nelson 1994, Judziewicz et al. 1999). Bamboo provides unique habitats and Therefore, animal consumption of the fleshy resources to wildlife and, in South America, fruits of Guadua bamboos is logistically many species have specialized behavior difficult to study and little-known. This associated with exploiting bamboo. In the paper reports observations of birds consum- Andes, the Maroon-chested Ground-dove ing Guadua bamboo seeds in southeastern (Clavaris mondetoura), Barred Parakeet (Bolbo- Peru. rhynchus lineola), Paramo Seedeater (Catamenia homochroa), and Slaty Finch (Haplospiza rustica) METHODS are known to consume bamboo (Chusquea spp.) seeds, and exhibit semi-nomadic I observed a fruiting bamboo patch at movements in search of seeding bamboo Playa Bonita (11°50’18.9”S, 071°23’06.7”W, patches (Fjeldså & Krabbe 1990, Walker approximately 350 m a.s.l.), ~6 km north of 2002). All Amaurospiza blue-seedeaters are Cocha Cashu Biological Station in Manu associated with bamboo and also appear to National Park, Depto. Madre de Dios, Peru, exhibit nomadic movements (Lentino & between 29 June and 11 July 2004. During Restall 2003). In the Amazonian lowlands, this period, I was present continuously at the the Amazonian Parrotlet (Nannopsittaca Playa Bonita bamboo patch during daylight dachillae) consumes Guadua bamboo seeds hours, slept in a tent within the bamboo patch (O’Neill et al. 1991) and the Gray Seedeater at night, and used the following tools and (Sporophila schistacea) is known to specialize on methods to collect data. I observed birds with consuming Guadua and Chusquea bamboo 10 x 42 binoculars, mist-netted and banded seeds (Neudorf & Blanchfield 1994, Kratter birds (30 June, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 July), and con- 1997). Flowering, seeding, and subsequent ducted a morning census using point counts die-offs in stands of Guadua bamboo are rare and territory mapping (30 June, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 609 LEBBIN July). I also made an additional brief visit to day. Small groups of Giant Cowbirds were Playa Bonita on 14 July 2004. During and seen consuming Guadua bamboo on at least between these activities, birds consuming two occasions (2, 7 July) despite being Guadua bamboo seeds were opportunistically observed perching in or near the bamboo observed and noted. Guadua sarcocarpa purpu- more frequently. On one occasion (7 July), raceae bamboo was both flowering and fruit- two Shiny Cowbirds were seen consuming ing during my visits. It began flowering in Guadua seeds accompanied by Giant Cow- 2003, and was identified by Regina Peon Diaz birds. Observations of other passerines Barriga, based on fruit and flower characters observed feeding on Guadua seeds within the and Londoño & Peterson (1991). Further bamboo occurred less frequently as they were information regarding this bamboo patch is more difficult to detect. Magpie Tanager pairs provided by Silman et al. (2003). were observed consuming Guadua seeds twice I also briefly observed seeding Guadua on 9 July. Black-and-white Tanagers were bamboo of an unidentified species along 16 observed consuming Guadua seeds on three km of roadsides between San José and Abra occasions (single female at 15:36 h on 1 July, Maruncunca, Depto. Puno, Peru (~2200 m male and female pair on 2 July, unbanded a.s.l.), on 28 and 29 December 2004. male and female pair on 7 July). An immature Directions and trails in the vicinity of Abra male Blue-black Grosbeak was observed eat- Maruncunca are described by Valqui (2004). I ing Guadua seeds on 8 July. In addition, I spent about 1 h (14:30–15:20 h) on 28 repeatedly observed a group of Pale-winged December, and 1–2 h (beginning at 09:49) on Trumpeters (Psophia leucoptera) over many days 29 December in an area of Guadua bamboo, 3 foraging on the ground in areas with many km from San José (about 1550 m a.s.l.), where fallen Guadua seeds. I strongly suspected Valqui (2004) recommends searching for that the trumpeters were eating fallen Yungas Tody-Tyrant (Hemitriccus spodiops). Guadua seeds, but this could not be con- Additional seeding Guadua bamboo was firmed. In addition to birds, I also observed observed along the road on 29 December several species of primates repeatedly over for 0.5 h at approximately 1900 m a.s.l., different days foraging in the bamboo patch, but no birds were observed feeding on the including saddleback tamarin (Sanguinus fusci- seeds. collis), night monkey (Aotus sp.), common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus), and brown RESULTS capuchin (Cebus apella). I suspected that these primates were consuming Guadua seeds in At Playa Bonita, I observed Dusky-headed addition to insects encountered along the Parakeet (Aratinga weddellii) flocks, Amazonian way; however, this could not be confirmed as Parrotlet flocks, Magpie Tanager (Cissopis the primates stopped foraging and moved leveriana) pairs, Black-and-white Tanager away when they saw me (whereas the birds (Conothraupis speculigera) individuals and pairs, usually continued foraging). I tasted several Blue-black Grosbeak (Cyanocompsa cyanoides) seeds and found the white endosperm quite individuals, and mixed flocks of Giant palatable. (Molothrus oryzivora) and Shiny (Molothrus At San Jose and Abra Maruncunca, I bonariensis) cowbirds eating Guadua seeds. The observed several small flocks of Slaty Finches flocks of parakeets and parrotlets were seen in stands of both Chusquea and a group of at consuming bamboo in the open and fre- least two males in seeding Guadua bamboo on quently, often multiple times throughout a 29 December. 610 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS DISCUSSION National Park, to Fulbright for research sup- port, to Nadia Castro for assistance in the I confirmed that seven bird species ate field, to John Fitzpatrick, Andrew Farnsworth Guadua bamboo seeds at Playa Bonita during and Diane Neudorf for useful comments on my observation period. Of these, the Amazo- this manuscript, and to Viviana Ruiz-Gutier- nian Parrotlet is previously known to con- rez for help translating Spanish. sume Guadua seeds (O’Neill et al. 1991) and Cecropia catkins elsewhere (pers. observ.). REFERENCES From June to November, the Black-and-white Tanager leaves its breeding grounds in the Feldså, J., & N. Krabbe. 1990. Birds of the high western Andean slope and dry inter-Andean Andes. Zoological Museum, University Copen- valleys of northern Peru and southern Ecua- hagen & Apollo Books, Svenborg, Denmark. dor (Ridgely & Greenfield 2001, Witt 2005), Isler, M. L., & P. R. Isler. 1999. The tanagers: Natu- and moves into lowland Amazonia where the ral history, distribution, and identification. species exhibits nomadic behavior in search Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, of sporadic or seasonal resources (O’Neill DC. Judziewicz, E. J., L. G. Clark., X. Londoño, & M. J. 1966, Stotz 1990, Isler & Isler 1999, Witt Stern. 1999. American bamboos. Smithsonian 2005). These are likely the first observations Institution Press, Washington, D.C. of this species in bamboo or consuming bam- Kratter, A. W. 1997. Bamboo specialization by boo seeds in lowland Amazonia, and it would Amazonian birds. Biotropica. 29: 100–110. be interesting to learn the extent of their utili- Lentino, M., & R. Restall. 2003. A new species of zation of seeding bamboo patches. The Amaurospiza blue seedeater from Venezuela. remaining bird species seen consuming Auk 120: 600–606. Guadua seeds have more general diets and Londoño, X., & P. M. Peterson. 1991. Guadua sarco- were likely exploiting bamboo in a more carpa (Poaceae, Bambuseae), a new species of opportunistic fashion. Amazonian bamboo with fleshy fruits. Syst. I observed Slaty Finches in Guadua bam- Bot. 16: 630–638. Nelson, B. W. 1994. Natural forest disturbance and boo stands and believe this species likely uti- change in the Brazilian Amazon. Remote Sens. lizes Guadua bamboo in addition to Chusquea Rev. 10: 105–125. bamboo, where Guadua reaches high eleva- Neudorf, D. L., & P. J. Blanchfield. 1994. The Slate- tions within this bird’s elevation range (1200– colored Seedeater (Sporophila schistacea): A bam- 3300 m, Fjeldså & Krabbe 1990). Consump- boo specialist? Ornitol. Neotrop. 5: 129 –132. tion of Guadua bamboo seeds by birds is O’Neill, J. P. 1966. Notes on the distribution of understudied and I predict more bird species Conothraupis speculigera (Gould). Condor 68: will be discovered eating Guadua bamboo 598–600. seeds, especially in the Andes where few O’Neill, J. P., Munn, C. A., & I. Franke-J. 1991. observations exist and several nomadic spe- Nannopsittaca dachillae, a new species of parrotlet cies are known to seek out seeding Chusquea from eastern Peru. Auk. 108: 225–229. Ridgely, R. S., & P. J. Greenfield. 2001. The birds of bamboo patches. Ecuador: status, distribution, and taxonomy. Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, New York. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Silman, M. R., E. J. Ancaya, & J. Brinson. 2003. Los bosques de bambú en la Amazonía occidental. I am grateful to El Instituto Nacional de Pp. 63–74 in Leite Pitman, R., N. Pitman, & P. Recursos Naturales (INRENA) for permis- Álvarez (eds.). Alto Purús: Biodiversidad, con- sion to conduct research within Manu servación y manejo. Center for Tropical Con- 611 LEBBIN servation, Lima, Peru. Peru. Stotz, D. F. 1990. Corrections and additions to the Witt, C. C. 2005. Syntopic breeding suggests mim- Brazilian avifauna. Condor 92: 1078–1079. icry of the Black-and-white Seedeater (Sporo- Valqui, T. 2004. Where to watch birds in Peru. phila luctuosa) by the Black-and-white Tanager Grafica Ñañez S.A., Lima, Peru.