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Reproduction and Nest Success of the Scalloped Antbird, Myrmoderus Ruficauda (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae), in an Atlantic Rainforest of Northeastern Brazil

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Reproduction and Nest Success of the Scalloped Antbird, Myrmoderus Ruficauda (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae), in an Atlantic Rainforest of Northeastern Brazil Reproduction and nest success of the Scalloped Antbird, Myrmoderus ruficauda (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae), in an Atlantic rainforest of northeastern Brazil Anita Studer1,2, Marcelo Cardoso de Sousa1 & Begoña Barcena-Goyena1 Introduction The Scalloped Antbird Myrmoderus ru- ficauda(Wied, 1831) is an uncommon bird endemic to Brazil’s lowland Atlantic rain- forest (0-600 m, Marini et al. 2003) with disjunct populations in Brazil: from Para- íba to Alagoas and others from Bahia to Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo (Ridgely & Tudor 2009). It is considered as an en- dangered species by the IUCN Red List of threatened species (BirdLife Interna- tional 2016) as a consequence of its very small and severely fragmented range and population. It is taxonomically separated into two subspecies, the subspecies M. r. soror (Pinto, 1940), occurring in the eas- tern basin and the nominate subspecies M. Figure 1. Cumulative number of active nests (green) in every month r. ruficauda (Wied, 1831), occurring in the during the study period. In blue, the average precipitation (mm) in the south-eastern basin (Marini et al. 2003, municipality of Quebrangulo. Source: Agência Nacional de Água (2009). Grantsau 2010). Even though it is a rare species, the subspe- Material and methods cies soror appears to occur at higher densities than the nominate Study area subspecies. The study was conducted in Serra das Guaribas (36°25’W, 09°14’S) Myrmoderus ruficauda presents sexual dimorphism with ma- between the borders of Alagoas and Pernambuco states in northeastern les having scalloped underparts, black ear covert patches, rufous Brazil. This mountain range is characterised by having several Atlantic brown plumage and broadly tipped blackish wing coverts (Isler rainforest enclaves, with the most important and best preserved being et al. 2013). The female is similar to the male but with whi- the Pedra Talhada forest. Most of the field work was conducted in this te throat and with a whitish, black scalloped and black spotted area which comprises about 5,000 ha and reaches 883 m above sea breast. It appears to be largely terrestrial and occurs in primary level at its highest point. Most of this forest (4.469 ha) became a Bio- forest or in forests with an advanced state of regeneration, of- logical Reserve in 1989 (Diário Oficial Brasil 1989, Sousaet al. 2015). ten favouring the understorey, tree-fall gaps and forest borders Pedra Talhada is an Atlantic rainforest biome enclave and is considered (Ridgely & Tudor 2009, Silveira 2010, Pereira et al. 2014). It to be submontane and montane semi-evergreen seasonal forest (re- forages on the forest floor and sometimes it jumps up to lower gionally called “brejo de altitude”), far more humid than that of the perches (Isler et al. 2013). Food is obtained from leaf litter or surrounding lowland areas. These favourable climatic conditions are a substrates within 1 m of the ground (Isler et al. 2013). consequence of the Borborema Plateau which sweeps the oceanic win- Reproductive features of the subspecies M. r. soror are poorly ds and captures, by condensation, the humidity of the air that returns in studied, and only three nests have been reported in the Atlan- the form of rainfall. It is believed that due to its particular climate the tic rainforest of Murici (Alagoas) by Buzzetti & Barnett (2003) relatively high altitude forest enclaves of these northeastern regions can in September and October 2002. In this study we present new cope with the dry season (Tscharner et al. 2015). valuable data concerning the reproduction of the subspecies so- The forest grows on a granitic multi-convex relief hill and its ve- ror, including nest characteristics, eggs and nestlings, breeding getation includes rupicolous (rocky) forests, slope forests and plain period and feeding behaviour. With these new findings we aim forests with sempervirent (evergreen) and deciduous trees up to 35 m to contribute to the understanding of the reproduction of this high as well as open vegetation areas such as rocky outcrops, clearin- endemic species and to support its conservation. gs and marshes (Nusbaumer et al. 2015). Atualidades Ornitológicas, 199, setembro e outubro de 2017 - www.ao.com.br 33 Nest search and characterisation Nest searching was carried out in the sou- thern and eastern parts of the forest between 1990 and 2016. The study area is characteri- sed by having steep slopes, swampy edges, forest clearings, forest in process of regenera- tion, and preserved primary forest. Data were collected throughout the year, and nests were located either by active inspection or signalled by conspicuous adult behaviour. When an ac- tive nest was found, the nest was visited every three days. Under adequate conditions, a leaf- -camouflaged blind was installed 10 m away from the nest, providing a good sight of the nest and its surroundings. Observations were made with binoculars, and images were recor- ded with video cameras. We recorded several nest characteristics Figure 2. Left: Nest cup of M. ruficauda. Right: Crown of leafs such as clutch size, nest and egg dimensions, surrounding the nest cup. Photo credit: Anita Studer. breeding time and reproductive success. Nests were weighed and ting cycle (S, equation 1) by means of the daily exposure days factor their composition described. Egg shape description was determined (j) and the survival estimate (p, equation 2). The exposure days factor as suggested by Baicich & Harrison (1997), and nest characterization corresponds to the days the nest was exposed during the study period according to Simon & Pacheco (2005). The incubation period was (Mayfield 1975): calculated from egg-laying of the complete clutch to hatching and the failed nests nestling period ranged from hatching to flight. 1) S = p j 2) p = 1 – exposure days Nest success Results Nest success was calculated using the Mayfield (1975) method. Between 1990 and 2016 we found a total of 41 nests of M. rufi- This method calculates the daily survival rate during the whole nes- cauda of which 27 failed, 7 succeeded and 7 had an unknown fate Figures 3-6. 3) Oval shaped eggs of M. ruficauda. 4) Young of M. ruficauda three days after hatching in a nest placed among the plant stems of Parodiolyra micrantha. 5) Chicks of eight days of age. 6) Chicks of 10 days of age, two days before leaving the nest. Photo credit: Anita Studer. 34 Atualidades Ornitológicas, 199, setembro e outubro de 2017 - www.ao.com.br Figures 7-8. 7) Male individual of M. ruficauda camouflaged among the leaf litter. 8) Male of M. ruficauda in its natural habitat. Photo credit: Anita Studer. (Appendix I). We found nests in every month of the year, with higher Parents foraged on the floor among ground leaves (Figure 8). numbers in March/April and September/October, matching respecti- Food consisted mainly of whole arthropods like spiders, centipedes, vely the beginning and the end of the rainy season (Figure 1). cockroaches, locusts and others; as well as small frogs. Most of the The nest belonged to the high cup/base nest category according time, males and females arrived together in silence and approached to Simon & Pacheco (2005), meaning that the external height of the the nest hopping on the floor or from near branches. The process of nest exceeded its width. In some cases, the external height of the nest feeding the young in the nest was fast, and the faecal sac was either was smaller than its width and therefore nests belonged to the low swallowed or carried away by the adults. Adults left the nest quietly cup/base nest category. Detailed information on nest dimensions can in the same way as they arrived. On several occasions when foraging, be seen in Table 1. The nest cup was built with leaves, meticulous- adults formed intraspecific flocks. Interspecific flocks withPyriglena ly compacted together to form a smooth compartment. The content leuconota (Spix, 1824) were rarely observed. of nests consisted of dry leaves, leaf petioles, fragments of leaves, threads and rootlets (Table 2). Adjacent to the nest, parents built a Discussion surrounding crown of dry leaves that were not attached to the nest M. ruficauda has been described as a species typical of lowland cup (Figure 2). Atlantic forests (Marini et al. 2003). On the contrary, in Pedra Talha- Nests were placed directly on the forest floor in the most conserved da it has been mainly spotted in the upland forest, being found even areas of the upland forests. However, in 2014-2016 we also found its at the highest altitudes of the forest (883 m). nest in the lowland forests and in secondary forest with an advanced Even though M. ruficaudabreeds throughout the year it appears to state of regeneration. On one occasion, we observed a nest situated in have a preference for the months before and after the core of the rainy a slope and a platform of a natural accumulation of dry leaves served season. The northeastern region is considered a semi-arid ecosystem, as support. On two occasions, nests were also found between plant where relations between bird reproduction and rainfall seasonality are stems of Parodiolyra micrantha (Figure 5) and in these cases the sur- strongly correlated (Scheuerlein & Gwinner 2002, Cavalcanti et al. rounding crown of dry leaves was not present. 2016). This is particularly true in birds, since the availability of high- Eggs were oval shaped, and we found clutch sizes of two eggs/ -quality food is strongly dependent on rainfall (Mezquida & Marone nestlings in every nest. Eggs were white with a pinkish hue and with 2003). Hence, M. ruficauda may find higher densities of food during brown-pinkish pigments (Figure 3). Thirty eggs were measured and these two periods and may carry out several breeding attempts during weighed on average 3.3g and had a mean size of 22.96 x 16.31 mm the same season, as Buzzetti & Barnett’s (2003) previously sugges- (Table 1).
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