Cotinga 38 41 Short Communications
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Cotinga 38 Short Communications First nest description for a clutch of eggs from Venezuela. taxa ramonianus and caligatus Amazonian Trogon Trogon Hellebrekers11 gave mean and treated as species, separate from 4,16 ramonianus, from eastern extreme measurements of 17 violaceus . T. violaceus (sensu Ecuador, and a review of white eggs collected by the lato) comprises three species: Penard brothers in Surinam. Gartered Trogon T. caligatus, breeding data for Green- 10 backed Trogon T. viridis Haverschmidt stated that nests Guianan Trogon T. violaceus and Overall, the reproductive biology are placed in arboreal termitaria, Amazonian Trogon T. ramonianus, of Neotropical trogons is poorly apparently based on four nests, the latter from Amazonian studied3 and recent taxonomic and described white eggs. He Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia revisions5 have significantly also provided fresh egg mass and Brazil (south of the Amazon), and extreme measurements, but extending into southern Venezuela redefined species limits within the 17,21 genus, which is now considered to did not mention sample sizes in the upper Orinoco basin . comprise 14 species17. In general, for either. Nests on Trinidad The breeding biology of T. trogons are all cavity nesters, so are reported to be 3–7 m above ramonianus is unknown. Most ground, in both tree cavities and in previously published nesting data far as is known in holes excavated 7 7 by the birds themselves, in a termitaria . ffrench also provided ascribed to T. violaceus, including mean measurements of four some of the numerous works variety of substrates including 2 22,23 ‘whitish’ eggs. Cisneros-Heredia of Skutch refer to Gartered rotting tree trunks and nests of 6,19 social insects3,15. Here we provide described a termitarium nest from Trogon . Only a few nesting novel information on the nesting north-east Ecuador as being 40 m data published for T. violaceus above ground. pertain to T. violaceus sensu biology of two species, based on 1,20,25 observations in eastern Ecuador. To the above, we add another stricto . We found a nest of T. termitarium nest of T. viridis in r. ramonianus with two slightly Green-backed Trogon the environs of Kurintza, near developed eggs at Shiripuno Trogon viridis the Lliquino River, prov. Pastaza Research Center, prov. Pastaza Formerly known as White-tailed (01°28.9’S 77°32.9’W; 440 m). (01°06’S 76°43’W; 220 m) on 2 Trogon3, with two subspecies: T. On 9 October 2013 the nest January 2011. The nest was 3.5 v. viridis and T. v. chionurus, contained one unhatched egg and m above ground, excavated in an both of which were treated as one nestling, which had almost active termitarium affixed on one species by Ridgely & Greenfield18, certainly hatched within the past side to a vertical tree trunk. The a split since widely accepted12,18. 24 hours as it still weighed less downward-facing entrance was Nomenclatural confusion was than the unhatched egg. The roughly circular and 10.5 cm in generated by these two species, egg was subelliptical and glossy diameter. We could not determine both being treated as Trogon white, but fairly heavily stained the dimensions of the internal strigilatus3,4. Because the with brown (apparently from its nesting chamber, but it opened literature is somewhat convoluted, surroundings). It measured 31.2 up after only 5–6 cm of excavated we review published nesting × 24.8 mm and weighed 9.5 g, tunnel and had only a slight, 1,7,11,13,14 accounts of T. viridis, based on similar to previous records . unlined concavity that held the currently accepted distributions The nestling was pink-skinned and eggs. Both eggs were subelliptical and species limits. lacked natal down, as described and glossy white, but heavily 9 Goeldi8 found an active nest of for Masked Trogon T. personatus . stained with brown spotting T. viridis 5 m above ground in a It weighed 7.5 g and its tarsus presumably from the termite nest of ‘white-ants’, presumably measured 11.2 mm. nest. They measured 33.2 × 24.7 termites. Ihering13 described The termitarium was c.30–40 mm and 33.0 × 24.4 mm, mass the eggs as white and provided cm in diameter and attached 10.7 g and 10.6 g, respectively. measurements for eggs in the to a living Miconia napoana Irrespective of taxonomy, the Nehrkorn collection and another (Melastomataceae) tree at 3 m distinctness of ramonianus egg collected in Iguape, São Paulo, above ground. The nest entrance (including T. r. crissalis) has Brazil. Ihering14 subsequently was c.8 cm in diameter. Inner never been questioned, and our described a termitarium nest height of the nest cavity was c.21 description is a valuable addition with a clutch of three white eggs cm. As far as we could ascertain, to knowledge of Neotropical trogon spotted yellow, and provided the termitarium was not inhabited nesting biology. approximate measurements. by termites. The floor of the nest Snethlage24 reported a termitarium chamber was littered with seeds of Acknowledgements For help in the field, HFG thanks nest slightly more than 2 m unknown species of Myristicaceae Inka Harms and Julia Barth, up, and white eggs. Belcher & trees. and HC thanks Nicolás Tinoco, Smooker1 described a clutch of David Velalcázar, Jorge Brito and two eggs in Trinidad ‘laid on loose Amazonian Trogon Alvaro Pérez. John V. & the late fibre in a hole in a dead palm’, Trogon ramonianus Ruth Ann Moore, as well as Matt and gave measurements for four The taxonomic history of T. Kaplan have generously supported greenish-white eggs. In addition, ramonianus is controversial 12,17 HFG via grants to the Population they provided measurements for and still debated , with the 41 Cotinga 38 Short Communications Biology Foundation. Field work critical remarks on the 18. Ridgely, R. S. & Greenfield, by HFG was further supported Cracidae of lower Amazonia. P. J. (2001) The birds of in part by a Pamela & Alexander Ibis 8: 472–500. Ecuador. Ithaca, NY: Cornell F. Skutch Award, the Maryland 9. Greeney, H. F., Sheldon, University Press. Ornithological Society and Field K. S. & Simbaña, J. 19. Robinson, W. D. & Robinson, Guides Inc. We are particularly (2008) Observations on T. R. (2001) Observations grateful for the ongoing support of the hatchlings, eggs and on predation events at bird the PBNHS, Tim Metz, Jay Peltz incubation of the Masked nests in central Panama. J. and the Humboldt Crew. HC was Trogon Trogon personatus in Field Orn. 72: 43–48. funded by eni e&p Division and eastern Ecuador. Cotinga 29: 20. Schönwetter, M. (1967) Agip Oil Ecuador, and his field 82–84. Handbuch der Oölogie. work was conducted with the 10. Haverschmidt, F. (1968) Birds Berlin: Akademie-Verlag. participation of Fauna & Flora of Surinam. Edinburgh & 21. Schulenberg, T. S. (ed.) International. London: Oliver & Boyd. (2015) Neotropical Birds 11. Hellebrekers, W. P. J. (1942) Online. Ithaca, NY: Cornell References Revision of the Penard Lab of Ornithology. http:// 1. Belcher, C. & Smooker, G. D. oölogical collection from neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/ (1936) Birds of the colony of Surinam. Zool. Meded. 24: portal/species/overview?p_p_ Trinidad and Tobago. Part 240–275. spp=59636 (accessed 20 IV. Ibis 13: 792–813. 12. del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., March 2015) 2. Cisneros-Heredia, D. F. (2006) Sargatal, J., Christie, D. A. 22. Skutch, A. F. (1942) Life Notes on breeding, behaviour & de Juana, E. 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D., Jaramillo, Universidad Católica del Ecuador, 48–51. A., Nores, M., Pacheco, J. Av. 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, 7. ffrench, R. (1991) A guide to F., Robbins, M. B., Stiles, F. Quito, Ecuador. E-mail: fercho_ the birds of Trinidad and G., Stotz, D. F. & Zimmer, [email protected]. Tobago. Second edn. Ithaca, K. J. (2015) A classification NY: Cornell University of the bird species of South Received 30 March 2015, final Press.