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Description of the Nest, Eggs and Nestling Period of the Chestnut

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Cotinga 25 Crowes 22/2/06 1:44 pm Page 47 Argentina Cotinga 25 ía para la Description of the nest, eggs and nestling period of the gentina y Aires: Ed. Chestnut-crowned Antpitta Grallaria ruficapilla from the eastern Ecuadorian Andes : Fauna de na 43 (3). Paul R. Martin and Harold F. Greeney . Received 15 February 2005; final revision accepted 10 May 2005 troducidas Cotinga 25 (2006): 47–49 Mus. Arg. ribución al Describimos un nido, los huevos y el ciclo de los pichones de Grallaria ruficapilla ruficapilla hallado Hornero11: a unos 2.250 m en la ladera este de los Andes en la provincia de Napo, Ecuador. El nido estaba mayormente construido con palitos y ramas, con hojas de bambú, algo de musgo, pecíolos de hojas ductivos de y hojas de dicotiledóneas, recubierto levemente de raicillas oscuras. Se encontraba a 197 cm de Centro de altura, en una mata de ramas vivas del bambú Chusquea. La postura consistía de dos huevos turquesa uniformes, o azul verdoso claros, sin marcas o manchas. Los huevos eclosionaron el 29 de clopedia of septiembre de 2004, y ambos pichones abandonaron el nido 18 días después. Dos adultos (presum- ns. iblemente ambos miembros de una pareja) acercaban material al nido durante la incubación, m, P. A. D. acomodaban el revestimiento del nido con sus picos, incubaban y atendían a los pichones en el ritain and mismo. e birds of University Chestnut-crowned Antpitta Grallaria ruficapilla occurs in Andean forests of Venezuela, Colombia, of Central Ecuador and northern Peru, at 1,200–3,600 m14. In ifauna 31. the eastern Ecuadorian Andes G. ruficapilla is one of the most numerous species by voice, yet little is nitológicas. known of its breeding biology. Here we present a description of the nest, nest location, eggs and G. J. (1994) nestling period of G. r. ruficapilla from 2,250 m ern South elevation in the eastern Ecuadorian Andes. Nest description y Museo On 20 September 2004, we located a nest of G. ruficapilla in montane Andean forest at SierrAzul 122 y 60, o o a. E-mail: Research Station (00 40’S 77 55’W), part of the Andean Biodiversity Research Center west of Figure 1. Adult Chestnut-crowned Antpitta Grallaria ruficapilla Cosanga, Napo province, Ecuador. Habitat around on its nest, SierrAzul Research Station, Napo province, the nest consisted of a canopy composed almost Ecuador, 2,250 m elevation (Harold F. Greeney) entirely of Alnus acuminata (Betulaceae), c.20 m in height, with a variable understorey of occasionally dense Chusquea bamboo (Poaceae) interspersed with herbaceous Solanaceae, Urticaceae and Piperaceae. The nest site was on the edge of a patch of Chusquea and surrounded by more open herbaceous understorey. The nest was located 197 cm above ground on a mat of 8–10 supporting Chusquea branches that ran horizontally beneath the nest (Fig. 1). Other detritus (fallen and decomposing leaves) was between the Chusquea branches and the nest, and may have been an old Grallaria nest itself. Immediately above the nest (c.10 cm) was a sparse overhang of live Chusquea leaves, providing cover for the nest. Figure 2. Nest cup of Chestnut-crowned Antpitta Grallaria The nest was composed primarily of sticks and ruficapilla containing two eggs, SierrAzul Research Station, twigs, with additional bamboo leaves, sparse moss, Napo Province, Ecuador, 20 September 2004 (Harold F. leaf petioles and some dicot leaves, and a sparse Greeney) lining of dark rootlets. The outer diameter was 27.0 x 27.0 cm (measured at perpendicular angles). The 47 Cotinga 25 Crowes 22/2/06 1:44 pm Page 48 Cotinga 25 Description of the nest, eggs and nestling period of Chestnut-crowned Antpitta Cotinga 2 inner diameter (i.e. the egg cup) measured 11.5 x Despite the collection of several clutches of G. Antp 11.5 cm. The cup depth was 7 cm and the external ruficapilla14, we are aware of only one previous 65–7 nest height (i.e. bottom of the nest proper to the rim description of the nest. T. K. Salmon described the 2. Dobbs, of the cup) was 18.5 cm, with no hanging nest nest from Antioquia, Colombia as ‘... a mass of On th material below the nest. roots, dead leaves, and moss, lined with roots and the S fibers ... placed at some height from the ground’20. Orn. 3. Érard, The nest in eastern Ecuador differs somewhat from Egg description vocife When located, the nest contained two eggs warm to Salmon’s observations in that it was composed Form the touch. Video and field observations from 20 primarily of sticks and twigs. Otherwise the nest 4. Fjeldså September 2004 showed G. ruficapilla incubating composition is qualitatively similar, with moss and Ande the two eggs. Eggs were uniform turquoise or pale dead leaves in the bulk of the cup, and rootlets Cope greenish-blue, with no flecking or spotting (Fig. 2). lining the nest. The structure and composition of 5. Freile, Both eggs had a short subelliptical shape, with one the Ecuadorian nest is most similar to a nest recor egg notably stubbier than the other. The first egg described for the closely related G. watkinsi15 (see allen measured 28.5 x 24.3 mm and weighed 8.765 g. The also G. hypoleuca17). Both the Ecuadorian G. 6. Greene second egg measured 29.9 x 24.2 mm and weighed ruficapilla and G. watkinsi have nests composed Bicol 9.095 g. Both eggs were checked six days later and primarily of sticks and twigs, forming a messy Orn. weighed 8.442 g and 8.700 g, respectively. This broad cup. Most other Grallaria build bulky cups of 7. Greene Halu represents a water loss rate for the first egg of decaying leaves, moss and other herbaceous forag 0.053 g/day and 0.065 g/day for the second. Using material with few sticks2,3,5,8,9,13,14,21,22. tyran an estimated incubation period of 19 days1,3 we Nest placement amidst dense branches has 2,16 Ecua calculate an 11% and 13% loss of mass for each egg, been observed for some G. guatimalensis nests , 8. Greene 15 9 respectively. This is somewhat less than that G. watkinsi and G. quitensis . Most other Rufou reported for G. guatimalensis1. Grallaria have been reported to nest against a Tur upright or fallen trunks or in the main forks of 110– Other observations trees3,5,8,9,13,14,17–19,21,22. 9. Greene The eggs hatched on 29 September and both young September breeding for G. ruficapilla coincides Ecua left the nest on 17 October, i.e. an incubation period with the early dry season (September–December) Tawn of at least nine days and a nestling period of 18 in the Napo region of the eastern Andes. Other Neotr days. We observed two adults (presumably both records of breeding, breeding-condition adults and 10. Greene members of a pair) incubating and subsequently fledglings are available from virtually all eggs 4,12,14 nana attending nestlings. Both adults also engaged in months . We require more data to know whether G. ruficapilla breeds seasonally as do some other in sou nest maintenance by occasionally bringing single 11. Haftor rootlets when arriving to incubate, and adding Chusquea specialists in our study area (e.g. 7 tit n them to the lining of the cup. Both adults were Poecilotriccus ruficeps ). Faun observed to rapidly thrust their bill in and out of 12. Hilty, the nest lining as described for other Acknowledgements birds Formicariidae1,8,10, presumably as a method of We thank Bill Phillips for generously permitting Univ parasite removal1,6,11. Details of incubation access to his private reserve, and Carmen 13. Kofoed behaviour and nestling care will be presented Bustamante and Mitch Lysinger for logistical help. descr elsewhere. The study was funded in part by donations from beha John V. & the late Ruth Ann Moore through the excels Discussion Population Biology Foundation, and by a Rufford 14. Krabbe Form Previous descriptions of the eggs of G. ruficapilla Award through the Whitley Lang Foundation. HFG are consistent with the observations presented here thanks the Hertzberg Family Foundation for their (summarised in Krabbe & Schulenberg14), with the support of his research. PRM thanks Gail Adams, exception of a clutch of three eggs collected by S. B. M. Vargas and C. del Agua, and acknowledges an Gabaldon (American Museum of Natural History, Ed N. Harrison Memorial Scholarship through the New York, 13865), which was described as ‘buffy Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology. The eggs with rufous blotches’22. Clutch size, colour and PBNHS aided our studies with logistical support markings of Gabaldon’s eggs are inconsistent with and companionship. This is publication no. 60 of G. ruficapilla and the genus Grallaria in general, the Yanayacu Natural History Research Group. and the identity of these eggs is suspect14. All other described clutches of G. ruficapilla were of subellip- References tical, bluish-turquoise eggs without markings14,20. 1. Dobbs, R. C., Martin, P. R., Batista, C., Montag, H. Clutch size of described nests has been invariably & Greeney, H. F. (2003) Notes on egg-laying, two eggs14,20. incubation and nestling care in the Scaled 48 Cotinga 25 Crowes 22/2/06 1:44 pm Page 49 d Antpitta Cotinga 25 Description of the nest, eggs and nestling period of Chestnut-crowned Antpitta ches of G. Antpitta (Grallaria guatimalensis). Cotinga 19: J., Elliott, A. & Christie, D. A. (eds.) Handbook of e previous 65–70. the birds of the world, 8. Barcelona: Lynx cribed the 2. Dobbs, R. C., Martin, P.
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  • Trinidad & Tobago

    Trinidad & Tobago

    Victor Emanuel Nature Tours TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 24 February – 4 March, 2007 Caribbean Martin Progne dominicensis Leader: David Ascanio Compiled by: David Ascanio Victor Emanuel Nature Tours, inc. 2525 Wallington Drive, Suite 1003 Austin, TX 78746 www.ventbird.com Victor Emanuel Nature Tours Trinidad & Tobago February 23 – March 4, 2007 Leader: David Ascanio In January 22nd I was leading a VENT Cruise in the Peruvian Amazon, when I received a radio message from Lima. Bob Sudstron, my VENT colleague could not lead the Trinidad and Tobago tour next February, and they needed to know if I could take over his position. As I was hearing the message, a memory came about my last time in Tobago. I believe it may have been more that ten years ago, I thought, when I accompanied Richard ffrench, the author of the Trinidad and Tobago bird book into this fascinating country. Trinidad and Tobago comprises two islands. Tobago, with a population of about fifty thousand people, and the much larger Trinidad, with over a million inhabitants. Being small, this country represents indeed one of the best introductions to bird South America with many neotropical families represented but not an overwhelming number of species. We met at Piarco airport in Port of Spain to catch our flight to Tobago. After a drive to Cuffie river nature retreat we started birding with scope views of White- tailed Nightjar while a Common Potto called some distance away. In the following day we explored what is claimed to be the first protected forest in the western hemisphere (1765) in the Gilpin Trace.