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Nesting Records of Five Antbird Species from the Colombian Amazon

Nesting Records of Five Antbird Species from the Colombian Amazon

Wilson Bull., 112(3), 2000, pp. 313–317

NESTING RECORDS OF FIVE ANTBIRD SPECIES FROM THE COLOMBIAN AMAZON

CARLOS DANIEL CADENA,1,2,3 GUSTAVO A. LONDON˜ O,1 AND JUAN LUIS PARRA1

ABSTRACT.—Few nests of Amazonian antbirds (Thamnophilidae and ) have been described. Here we present nesting records for five species of antbirds found in Tinigua National Park, . A pouch- shaped pensile nest of the Warbling Antbird ( cantator) in a treefall gap within seasonally flooded forest contained two colored like those found in French Guiana but different from those in Amazonian and . The Black-spotted Bare-eye ( nigromaculata) also nested in seasonally flooded forest; it constructed a cup-shaped nest inside a hollow rotten stump and laid two eggs. Two naked nestlings with bright yellow bills disappeared soon after hatching. Two cup-shaped nests of the Scale-backed Antbird ( poecilinota) were in mature terra firme forest. Both contained two eggs similar in color to those of other subspecies; nestlings were naked and had conspicuous yellow bills. Those found in one nest disappeared 11 days after hatching. A nest of the Amazonian Streaked-Antwren ( multostriata) containing one was in seasonally flooded forest close to the river bank. This egg differed in coloration from others found in Brazil and from those of other members of the M. surinamensis complex, with which it was formerly considered conspecific. A (Chamaeza nobilis) nested in an unlined natural cavity some 3 m above the ground. The nestling closely resembled the adult but was smaller, had yellow bill commissures, and a shorter tail. Received 29 Dec. 1999, accepted 8 May 2000.

Little is known about the nests, eggs, and the Black-spotted Bare-eye (Phlegopsis nigro- young of many of the antbirds (Thamnophil- maculata) and the first nest and young of the idae and Formicariidae) of lowland forests Striated Antthrush (Chamaeza nobilis). east of the Andes. Antbird species-level tax- onomy is presently being reexamined using STUDY AREA new techniques and analyses that include nat- We made observations in a lowland tropical rain for- ural history information such as vocalizations est of northwestern Amazonia between the eastern An- (Isler et al. 1997, 1998, 1999). Data on repro- des and the Sierra de la Macarena, on the eastern bor- ductive biology of these species not only adds der of Tinigua National Park, Depto. del Meta, Colom- useful basic natural history knowledge, but bia. Our study site, the Centro de Investigaciones Eco- lo´gicas Macarena (CIEM), is located on the western could be important in studying systematics, bank of Rio Duda (2Њ 40Ј N, 74Њ 10Ј W, 350–400 m phylogeny, and geographic variation of the elevation) and encompasses a variety of vegetation group (see Zyskowski and Prum 1999). types (Stevenson et al. 1994, 1999). Low lying sea- Here we present nesting records for five sonally flooded forests are characterized by a discon- antbird species that occur in a Colombian low- tinuous dominated by Guarea guidonia, Laetia land rain forest in the upper Amazon basin. corymbulosa, Ficus spp., Inga spp., and Cecropia spp. with a dense primarily of Heliconia spp. We describe the nests and eggs of the geo- Rolling hills dissected by streams support two types of graphically variable Warbling Antbird (Hy- terra firme forests; hill ridges are covered by mature pocnemis cantator) and Scale-backed Antbird forests with a continuous 20–25 m canopy with emer- (Hylophylax poecilinota). We also describe gent to 30 m, while the lower eroded hill slopes, the first nest and egg of the Amazonian small valleys, and gulleys formed by creeks support Streaked-Antwren (Myrmotherula multostria- open degraded forests with numerous vines, lianas, bamboo, and a dense understory. The temperature is ta) found in Colombia, and offer the first com- relatively constant throughout the year (25Њ C), but plete descriptions of nest, eggs, and young of precipitation (2600 mm annual mean) is strongly sea- sonal with a dry season from December through March 1 Depto. de Ciencias Biolo´gicas, Univ. de los Andes, and rainy season the rest of the year. Bogota´, Colombia. The CIEM supports a rich community with 441 2 Corresponding author; E-mail: species reported so far (Cadena et al. 2000). As with [email protected] other Amazonian forest localities, a numerically im- 3 Address after August, 2000: Dept. of Biology, portant element of the study site’s avifauna are the - Univ. of Missouri-St. Louis, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd., . To date, 51 species (47 Thamnophilidae and 4 St. Louis, MO 63121-4499. Formicariidae) have been recorded. 313 314 THE WILSON BULLETIN • Vol. 112, No. 3, September 2000

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 1A). The cavity entrance was partially cov- Hypocnemis cantator flavescens or saturata ered by leaves of an epiphytic aroid. The open (subspecies undetermined).—The Warbling cup nest was constructed of dry bamboo leaves and lined with small plant fibers. The Antbird is common in the thick undergrowth eggs were vinaceous, heavily streaked, and of seasonally flooded forests and less numer- spotted with purple (Fig. 1B); one measured ous in mature terra firme and open degraded 25.4 ϫ 20.6 mm. Because the species is forests at the CIEM. During routine bird cen- monomorphic, we were unable to determine if suses, we discovered an active nest of this both sexes incubated but we observed at least species in seasonally flooded forest on the two individuals near the nest during incuba- eastern bank of Rio Duda on 29 June 1997. tion. One egg hatched on 16 July, the other The pouch-shaped pensile nest was located the next day. The chicks were completely na- beside the trunk of a large recently fallen ked and had yellow bill commissures (Fig. (Burseraceae) that had formed an extensive 1C). After heavy rains during the night of 17 treefall gap in the forest. The nest was sus- July the stump broke apart and the nestlings pended about 1 m above the ground, attached disappeared. Subsequently, we collected the in two points to a forked twig. A Heliconia nest and deposited it in the ornithological col- leaf provided a roof over the nest and shielded lection of the Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, it from view. The nest contained two pinkish Universidad Nacional de Colombia (ICN nest eggs with purple streaks and spots, mostly on collection catalog #140). the large end. The eggs had not hatched by 6 Our observations on the microhabitat nest July when we left the study site. placement, nest architecture, and eggs of the The H. cantator nest was similar in shape Black-spotted Bare-eye are consistent with the and placement to nests reported from other scanty information from other parts of this populations of this species, but there appeared species range. In southeast Peru, C. Munn to be variation in egg color. The eggs we [cited in Hilty and Brown (1986)] found two found are similar to those of H. c. notaea of barely lined nests 0.3 and 0.5 m up in hollow French Guiana (Tostain et al. 1992), but differ tops of tree stumps. from those of H. c. cantator in Manaus, Brazil Hylophylax poecilinota duidae or lepidono- (white with brown spots, Oniki and Willis ta (subspecies undetermined).—The Scale- 1982) and of H. c. collinsi from the Rio Tam- backed Antbird is found regularly in mature bopata, Peru (white with brownish red specks terra firme forests, rarely in open degraded and streaks, P. Marra, pers. comm.). forests, and is absent from seasonally flooded of H. cantator also vary among populations, forests at the CIEM. In recent years we found and species limits within Hypocnemis are be- two nests of this species, both in mature terra ing reconsidered (M. and P. Isler, pers. firme forest. The first, found on 3 August comm.). Further analyses using vocalizations, 1996, was cup-shaped and located among the morphology, distribution, or molecular anal- bases of the leaves of a live understory palm yses may help to determine whether egg color about 50 cm above the ground. It contained variation is simply polymorphic variation or two pinkish white eggs with purple streaks the result of some deeper evolutionary history. and spots more concentrated on the large end. Phlegopsis nigromaculata.—The Black- We observed both male and female incubat- spotted Bare-eye, a ‘‘professional’’ ant-fol- ing. The eggs had hatched by 5 August. The lower (Willis 1979), is a common attendant of nestlings were completely naked and had yel- ant swarms in open degraded and seasonally low bills. We made no further observations on flooded forests at the CIEM, but is apparently this nest. absent from mature terra firme forests. On 30 We located a second nest on 20 April 1999 June 1999 we observed two individuals car- and observed it until 5 May. It was incon- rying nest material in seasonally flooded for- spicuously placed inside a 8.2 ϫ 5.3 ϫ 11.5 est and by 5 July the nest had been completed cm deep natural cavity in a live tree 22 cm and contained two eggs. The nest was placed above the ground (Fig. 1D). The cavity was inside a 10 cm deep hollow rotten stump next wider inside than at the entrance and deeper to a small stream, 1 m above the ground (Fig. than the base of the nest, but was full of de- Cadena et al. • AMAZONIAN ANTBIRD NESTING RECORDS 315

FIG 1. Antbird nests, eggs, and young found at the Centro de Investigaciones Ecolo´gicas Macarena (all photographs by Gustavo A. London˜o). (A) Nest of the Black-spotted Bare-eye (Phlegopsis nigromaculata). (B) Eggs of the Black-spotted Bare-eye. (C) Black-spotted Bare-eye hatchlings. (D) Cavity containing a nest of the Scale-backed Antbird (Hylophylax poecilinota). (E) Eggs of the Scale-backed Antbird. (F) Scale-backed Antbird hatchlings. (G) Ten day old Scale-backed Antbird nestlings. (H) Nest of the Amazonian Streaked-Antwren (Myrmotherula multostriata). Photos are not to scale so size comparisons should not be made; see text for measurements. Color photographs in jpg format are available from the authors upon request via e-mail. composing leaves. The entrance was partially skin was grayish above and reddish below; the covered by ferns and other understory plants. bill and soft palate were yellow. Three days The 11.5 ϫ 9.5 cm open cup-shaped nest was after hatching, feather sheaths appeared on the made of dry fibers and pieces of dry palm wings and by days four and five on the head leaves. It contained two pinkish eggs heavily and back. By the tenth day, the chicks had streaked and spotted with purple (Fig. 1E) that their eyes completely open and were covered measured 19.1 ϫ 15.2 mm and 19.0 ϫ 14.7 by gray down with two buffy wing bars (Fig. mm. On the morning of 24 April, we found 1G). The nestlings were observed on the early two hatchlings in the nest (Fig. 1F). The morning of 5 May but by midday they were hatchlings’ eyes were closed and their naked no longer in the nest. We could not determine 316 THE WILSON BULLETIN • Vol. 112, No. 3, September 2000 if they fledged or if they were taken by a pred- and spots, Pinto 1953), but differs in colora- ator. Both male and female incubated the eggs tion from other eggs from that same locality and fed the chicks, but only the male was ob- (white with black spots, Snethlage 1935). It is served brooding them. We collected the nest also different from the eggs of the Pacific Ant- after it was abandoned and deposited it in the (M. pacifica, formerly considered con- ICN ornithological collection (catalog #139). specific with M. multostriata), which are gray- Nests have been reported from Para´, Brazil ish white heavily speckled, mottled, and for H. p. vidua (Snethlage 1935, Pinto 1953) washed with shades of cinnamon-brown, with and French Guiana for H. p. poecilinota (Tos- a heavier wreath around the large end in Pan- tain et al. 1992). Plumages of H. poecilinota, ama (Stone 1918) or white with a faint tint of especially those of the female, vary substan- buff, spotted heavily on the larger end with tially among populations (Hellmayr 1929) yet dark brown in Antioquia, Colombia (Wetmore the nests and eggs of the northwestern Ama- 1972). zonian form (H. p. duidae or H. p. lepidonota) Chamaeza nobilis.—The Striated Antthrush appear to be similar to those from other pop- is rare at the CIEM, having been recorded ulations. only a few times during several years of field Myrmotherula multostriata.—The Amazo- work. On 20 June 1997 we captured an adult nian Streaked-Antwren was formerly consid- Striated Antthrush in a mist net in mature terra ered a subspecies of M. surinamensis, but re- firme forest. While taking the bird out of the cent analyses of vocal characters, morpholo- net, another individual called constantly from gy, and distribution indicate that species status inside a natural cavity in a tree next to the is merited (Isler et al. 1999). The English mist net. The following day, we inspected the names proposed by Isler and coworkers cavity but the calling bird, a juvenile Striated (1999) were inadvertently reversed and M. Antthrush, was outside on the ground and multostriata should be the Amazonian continued to vocalize persistently. It resem- Streaked-Antwren whereas M. surinamensis bled the adult but had yellow bill commissures should be the Guianan Streaked-Antwren (M. and the rectrices were not yet fully grown. and P. Isler, pers. comm.). At the CIEM M. When we approached the bird, which was no- multostriata is common in seasonally flooded ticeably stressed by our presence, it did not forest, especially in the dense vegetation close attempt to fly but walked away, indicating that to the bank of Rio Duda. On 4 July 1999 a perhaps its wings were not yet suited for sus- male Amazonian Streaked-Antwren flushed tained flight. The nest cavity was 30 cm deep by a Black Curassow (Crax alector) revealed the location of a nest about 40 m from the and located in a live tree approximately 3 m river bank. After being flushed, the bird sang above the ground. Inside we found some its characteristic loudsong, confirming our ini- feathers but no egg shells, plant fibers, leaves, tial species identification. The pouch-shaped or any other sign of a nest. pensile nest was firmly attached to two Relatively little is known about the nesting branches of a 40 cm tall seedling (Fig. 1H). of species in the Chamaeza. As with Measurements of the nest were: external di- the Striated Antthrush, the Rufous-tailed mensions 80 ϫ 65 mm, internal dimensions Antthrush (C. ruficauda; K. Zyskowski, pers. 52.5 ϫ 38.6 mm, outside height 150 mm, comm.) and Short-tailed Antthrush (C. cam- depth 70 mm. The nest was composed of dry panisona; Bertoni 1901, Canevari et al. 1991) leaves (mostly Heliconia spp.), mosses, and nest in natural tree cavities close to the thin plant fibers and contained one white egg ground. However, these species build a nest, spotted and streaked with purple. Five days typically a loose platform of dry leaves and later, the egg was gone, probably taken by a fungal rhizomorphs. predator. We deposited the nest in the ICN Based on our observations and those of oth- ornithological collection (catalog #138). er researchers, geographic variation appears to Egg coloration in M. multostriata appears be widespread in antbird egg coloration. It is to be variable. The egg we found at the CIEM important for studies of and natural is similar to eggs of this species found in Para´, history that researchers determine the extent Brazil (white with brownish purple sprinkles of this variation (see Sheldon and Winkler Cadena et al. • AMAZONIAN ANTBIRD NESTING RECORDS 317

1999) and continue to publish their observa- ISLER, M. L., P. R. ISLER, AND B. M. WHITNEY. 1999. tions and collect reference material. Species limits in antbirds (Passeriformes: Tham- nophilidae): the Myrmotherula surinamensis com- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS plex. Auk 116:83–96. ONIKI,Y.AND E. O. WILLIS. 1982. Breeding records of We thank M. L. and P. R. Isler who supported us in birds from Manaus, Brazil: Formicariidae to Pi- many ways and kindly reviewed the manuscript. F. G. pridae. Rev. Brasil Biol. 42:563–569. Stiles, N. H. Rice, K. J. Zimmer, K. Zyskowski, and PINTO, O. 1953. Sobre a coleca˜o Carlos Esteva˜ode an anonymous reviewer made valuable suggestions peles, ninhos e ovos das aves de Bele´m (Para´). and corrections. We are grateful to P. Marra and K. Pap. Avulsos Depto. Zool. (Sa˜o Paulo) 11:111– Zyskowski for providing useful unpublished data. The 222. Japan-Colombia agreement through C. A. Mej´ıa al- SHELDON,F.H.AND D. W. WINKLER. 1999. Nest ar- lowed us to work at the CIEM. chitecture and avian systematics. Auk 116:875– 877. LITERATURE CITED SNETHLAGE, E. 1935. Beitra¨ge zur Fortpflanzungsbiol- ogie brasilianischer Vo¨gel. J. Ornithol. 83:532– BERTONI,A.DE W. 1901. Aves nuevas del Paraguay. 562. Anal. Cient. Parag. 1:1–216. STEVENSON, P. R., M. C. CASTELLANOS, AND A. P. ME- ´ CADENA, C. D., M. ALVAREZ,J.L.PARRA,I.JIMENEZ, DINA. 1999. Elementos arbo´reos de los bosques de C. A. MEJ´ıA,M.SANTAMAR´ıA,A.M.FRANCO,C. un plano inundable en el Parque Nacional Natural A. BOTERO,G.D.MEJ´ıA,A.M.UMAN˜ A,A.CA- Tinigua, Colombia. Caldasia 21:38–49. ˜ LIXTO,J.ALDANA, AND G. A. LONDONO. 2000. The STEVENSON, P. R., M. J. QUIN˜ ONES, AND J. AHUMADA. birds of CIEM, Tinigua National Park, Colombia: 1994. Ecological strategies of woolly monkeys an overview of thirteen years of ornithological re- (Lagothrix lagotricha) at Tinigua National Park, search. Cotinga 13:46–54. Colombia. Am. J. Primatol. 32:123–140. CANEVARI, M., P. CANEVARI,G.R.CARRIZO,G.HARRIS, STONE, W. 1918. Birds of the Canal Zone, with J. R. MATA, AND R. J. STRANECK. 1991. Nueva special reference to a collection made by Mr. gu´ıa de las aves Argentinas. Fundacio´n Acindar, Lindsey L. Jewel. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadel- Buenos Aires, Argentina. phia 70:239–280. HELLMAYR, C. E. 1929. On heterogynism in Formicar- TOSTAIN, O., J.-L. DUJARDIN,C.E´ RARD, AND J.-M. ian birds. J. Ornithol. 1929:41–70. THIOLLAY. 1992. Oiseaux de Guyane. Societe´ HILTY,S.L.AND W. L. BROWN. 1986. A guide to the dЈEtudes Ornithologiques, Brunoy, France. birds of Colombia. Princeton Univ. Press, Prince- WETMORE, A. 1972. The birds of the Republic of Pan- ton, New Jersey. ama´. Part 3. Smithsonian Institution Press, Wash- ISLER, M. L., P. R. ISLER, AND B. M. WHITNEY. 1997. ington, D.C. Biogeography and systematics of the Thamnophi- WILLIS, E. O. 1979. Comportamento e ecologia da ma˜e- lus punctatus (Thamnophilidae) complex. Orni- de-taoca, Phlegopsis nigromaculata (d’Orbigny & thol. Monogr. 48:355–381. Lafresnaye) (Aves, Formicariidae). Rev. Brasil ISLER, M. L., P. R. ISLER, AND B. M. WHITNEY. 1998. Biol. 39:117–159. Use of vocalizations to establish species limits in ZYSKOWSKI,K.AND R. O. PRUM. 1999. Phylogenetic antbirds (Passeriformes:Thamnophilidae). Auk analysis of the nest architecture of Neotropical ov- 115:577–590. enbirds (Furnariidae). Auk 116:891–911.

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