Opisthocomus Hoazin

n An aberrant record of Hoatzin Opisthocomus hoazin

istributio (Statius D Muller, 1976) (Aves: Opisthocomidae) in Venezuela raphic

g Galo Buitrón-Jurado

eo Los Altos, Venezuela. Laboratorio [email protected] de Biología de Organismos, Centro de Ecología, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas 1020-A, Apartado 2032, G n o

E-mail: Abstract: I report an aberrant record of Hoatzin Opisthocomus hoazin otes N of O. hoazin in the Andes of Lara, Venezuela. During field work in July 2011 in the Yacambú National Park, in an area of premontane cloud forest, I observed and photographed an individual in El Blanquito reservoir. This is the first record of the species in Lara State, and apparently the highest record of the species in northern South America.

Hoatzin Opisthocomus hoazin is the only member of Opisthocomidae and one the (Statius Muller, 1776) individual was spotted at a distance of 50 m from the shore phylogenetic relationship of the Hoatzin is still disputed, of the reservoir as it remained perched motionless for most peculiar species of bird from South America. The several minutes without making any intent to feed in the nearest vegetation (Figure 2). During all the observation although it has been related to the cuckoos and more time, the bird did not sing nor tried to fly over the water, etrecently al. considered closestet al. to the African touracos or even Fulicaand plumage caribaea looked worn-out, especially tailTachybaptus tips. Other pigeons and doves (Hughes and Baker 1999; Sorenson dominicusspecies present in the reservoir included: Caribbean Coot 2003; Hackett 2008). The Hoatzin is a large Laterallus levraudi Ridway, 1884, Least Grebe bird with an unmistakable appearanceet which al. is similar (Linnaeus, 1766) and four Rusty-flanked rails to a guan due to the long tail, rounded wings and small only heard, besides(Sclater being recorded& Salvin, in1868). other The occasion bird was by head with a prominent crest (Restall 2006). The searched in a second visit in August when a bird was bill is heavy and the face shows a wide naked blue facial Neotropic cormorants Phalacrocorax brasilianus area. Conspicuous marks in the field are the dark brown other observers as well in the same spot, in company of wings with broad whitish tips in the coverts, the narrowet (J.F al.white 2006). streaks Besides on hindits appearance, neck and thethe mantleHoatzin’s and life the history long Gmelin, 1789), although foraging activities were neither tail with a broad buff terminal band (Hilty 2003; Restall observed (G. Rodriguez pers. comm.). Hoatzin has never been recorded in cloud forest is also unusual because of its near-obligate folivore diet; habitats previously and, in fact, they are not easily found Bellobut unlike et al. other1994). birds, the hoatzin uses a microbial foregut far away from slow water courses and marshy habitats in fermentation to convert cellulose to sugars (Domínguez- the lowlands (Hilty 2003; pers. obs.). It was impossible to found mainly across the Amazon Basin. It is generally found determine if the bird was a captive releasing bird, although The Hoatzin is widespread in South America, and it is it is very unlikely given that the species is reported as very difficult to adapt to captivity and to artificial diets in sedentary groups along the border of rivers, oxbow lakes (Thomas 1996). I believe that my record probably involved ofand the slow-run country, streams mainly in in the the lowlands Llanos (Thomas of Apure, 1996). Barinas, In a vagrant, and this record is awkward considering of the Portuguesa,Venezuela it is Guárico, commonly Cojedes found in and the Anzoáteguisouthwestern states, part commonlyweak flight upabilities to 600 of m the in speciesEcuador (Thomas and Colombia 1996; Ridgelyand up and Greenfield 2001). Hoatzins have been recorded aberrantbut also distributional in Amazonas andrecord in of the the northeastern Hoatzin in the in Andes Sucre to 300 m in Venezuela (Ridgely and Greenfield 2001; Hilty and Delta Amacuro states (Hilty 2003). Here I report an 2003). Our record implies an increase in 1100 m of the currently known elevation range of Hoatzin in Venezuela of Lara State, Venezuela. (Hilty 2003), and it is also the westernmost record in During fieldwork between June and July 2011 at the the country separated for at least 46 km in straight line Yacambú National Park, Lara State, I recorded an individual from its known range in the floodplains and llanos near perched in the border of the Blanquito reservoir (09°42′15″ to Acarigua (09°33′25″ N, 69°12′16″ W) in the border of N, 69°34′22″ W) at an elevation of 1448 m (Figure 1).The Portuguesa and Lara States (Figure 1). cloudarea correspond forest. Main to tree the species recreational included area Myrcia of the, Alchornea, park and This record is also the highest record of the species in Cecropiavegetation and surrounding Chamaedorea the reservoir is mostly secondary northern South America. The previous high altitude record Araucaria and Eucalyptus for the species seems to be one register in Nunpatakaime palms mixed with scattered River in southeastern Ecuador at 1050 m (Freile et al., in exotics as . On 2 July 2013, an press). Unusual records of birds have been reported in 153 Buitrón-Jurado | Aberrant record of Opisthocomus hoazin in Venezuela the Andes (Jahn et al. South America in the last years, including marine birds in Additional aberrant records of birds should be expected 2010; Colorado and Ramírez 2005). in Venezuela as more observers report their observations.

Figure 1. Place of record of Hoatzin Opisthocomus hoazin

(green dot) in Lara State, Venezuela. The orange circles represent major cities and red dots are nearest towns to Yacambú area. Dark green area represents the species’ range in Venezuela, according to Birdlife and Nature Serve (2012).

Figure 2. Adult of Hoatzin Opisthocomus hoazin

observed in the border of El Blanquito reservoir in Yacambú National Park, Lara State, Venezuela. (Galo Buitrón-Jurado).

154 Buitrón-Jurado | Aberrant record of Opisthocomus hoazin in Venezuela

Acknowledgments: Birds of Venezuela Helm. 928 pp. I thank Boris Tinoco for useful comments on the Hilty, S. L. 2003. . Second edition. London: Cristopher manuscript; Jesús Tineo and Maira Mendez from the Instituto Nacional the enigmatic Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin de Parques in Lara for providing the installations of the Yacambú National Hughes,mitochondrial J.M. and and A. nuclear Baker.1999. gene sequences. Phylogenetic Molecular relationships Biology and of Park. I also acknowledge Vilisa Morón and Alciro Mendes for assistance Evolution ) resolved using during fieldwork and to Gustavo Rodriguez for sharing his observations. Thanks to the Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC) 16(9): 1300–1307. for logistic and academic support. Research at Yacambú National Park Jahn,Ecuadorian O., P. Cosgrove, highlands. C. Cosgrove, Cotinga T. Mueses and T. Santander. 2010. was authorized by the Ministerio del Poder Popular para el Ambiente de First record of Brown Pelican (PelecanusBirds occidentalis) of Northern from South the Venezuela, permit number Nº I-176. Funding for fieldwork in Venezuela America: An identification guide. 31: 108. was provided by IDEAWILD and the Rufford Small Grants Foundation Restall, R., C. Rodner and M. Lentino. 2006. Literature(Grant No. 9163-1). Cited The London: birds ofChristopher Ecuador Helm & Yale Bird species distribution University Press. 880 pp. maps of the world Ridgely, R. and P. Greenfield. 2001. . Vol. 2. Ithaca: BirdLife International and NatureServe. 2012. Cornell University Press. 768 pp. . Cambridge and Arlington: BirdLife International Sorenson,Molecular M.D., Biology E. Oneal, and J. Evolution García-Moreno and D.P.1498. Mindell. 2003. More and(Pelecanus NatureServe. occidentalis) en el área de la Central Hidroeléctrica Porce taxa, more characters: The Hoatzin problem is still unresolved. J. Colorado,II, Nordeste G. and de Antioquia, J.D. Ramírez. Colombia. 2005. Boletín Registro Sociedad del Pelícano Antioqueña Pardo de del Hoyo, A. Elliot, and D. Christie 20 (ed.). (9): 1484Handbook– of the birds of the Ornitología Thomas,world. B. Vol. T. 1996. 3 Hoatzin Family to OpisthocomidaeAuks. (Hoatzin); pp. 24–32, in:

15(1): 39–42. Opisthocomus : Barcelona: Lynx Editions. Domínguez-Bello,hoazin) on the M.G.,Venezuelan F. Michelangeli, Plains. Auk M. C. Ruiz, A. García and E. Rodríguez. 1994. Ecology of the folivorous Hoatzin ( 111(3): 643–651. Hackett S.J., R.T. Kimball, S. Reddy, R. Bowie, E. Broun, M.J. Broun, J. Chojnowski, W.A. Cox, K. Han, J. Harshman, C.J. Huddleston, B.D. Received: April 2013 Marks, K.J. Miglia, W.S.Science Moore, F.H. Sheldon,1767. D.W. Steadman, C.C. Accepted: December 2013 Witt and T. Yuri. 2008. A phylogenomic study of birds reveals their Published online: February 2014 evolutionary history. 320: 1763– Editorial responsibility: Vítor de Q. Piacentini

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