Cotinga 43 Short Communications Marcelo O. Barbosa Instituto Natureza do Tocantins (NATURATINS), Diretoria de Biodiversidade e Áreas Protegidas, Quadra 302 Norte, CEP 77.006-336, Palmas, TO, Brasil; e Grupo Assessor do Plano de Ação Nacional para a Conservação do Pato-Mergulhão, ICMBio, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected]. Paulo de Tarso Zuquim Antas Fundação Pró-Natureza de Conservação (FUNATURA), SCLN 107 Bloco B sala 201, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, CEP 70.743-520, Brasil; e Grupo Assessor do Plano de Ação Nacional para a Conservação do Pato-Mergulhão, ICMBio, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected]. Flávio Kulaif Ubaid Universidade Estadual do Maranhão (UEMA), Centro de Estudos Superiores de Caxias, Departamento de Química e Biologia, Laboratório de Ornitologia. Caxias, Maranhão, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected]. Figure 1. Collared Puffbird Bucco capensis captured in a mist-net, Reserva Valtécio Fernandes Carvalho Extrativista do Rio Cajari, Amapá, Brazil, 8 July 2010 (Fabio Schunck) Instituto de Desenvolvimento Rural do Tocantins (RURALTINS), Unidade Local de Execução de Serviços de Porto Alegre do Tocantins, Av. Jânio Quadros, 925, Centro, Palmas, CEP 77.395-000, TO, Brasil. Received 5 May 2020; final revision accepted 21 January 2021; published online 5 July 2021 Predation of geckos by Collared Puffbird Bucco capensis in Brazilian Amazonia Predation of vertebrates by small birds (<100 g) is uncommon but known for many Neotropical species8,10,15. Lizards are a common prey of medium to large-sized birds (e.g., falcons and hawks2,5), but there are fewer reports of such predation by smaller forest birds, including canopy and understorey members of the Dendrocolaptidae, Thamnophilidae, Conopophagidae, Tyrannidae and others6,8,9,13,15. Spotted Gecko Gonatodes Figure 2. Spotted Gecko Gonatodes humeralis collected together with Collared humeralis is a small diurnal Puffbird Bucco capensis, Reserva Extrativista do Rio Cajari, Amapá, Brazil, 8 July forest lizard (42 mm, snout–vent 2010; (a) dorsal and (b) ventral views; note the wounds inflicted by the bird length), common throughout most (Fabio Schunck) 113 Cotinga 43 Short Communications of Amazonia, from mature forests Gonatodes), in Suriname (ML 2. Costa, H. C., Lopes, L. E., to anthropogenic environments 285679901). A second image, Marcal, B. F. & Zorzin, G. such as urban parks, and usually from the state of Roraima, (2014) The reptile hunter’s found low above ground1,14. It has northern Brazil, shows an menu: a review of the prey already been reported as the prey individual holding what appears species of Laughing Falcons, of understorey Dendrocolaptidae6. to be a small fish (WA 866551), Herpetotheres cachinnans Puffbirds (Bucconidae) are but the identification could (Aves: Falconiformes). opportunistic predators that take not be confirmed, and it would North-West. J. Zool. 10: a wide range of animals, from represent an unprecedented 445–453. small insects to small vertebrates group of vertebrates in the diet of 3. Crozariol, M. A. & Gomes, including reptiles3,7,13. Collared Bucconidae. Only four additional F. B. (2010) Insetívoro ou Puffbird Bucco capensis is photos showed food items: three oportunista? A dieta do principally an understorey species orthopterans (ML 226014631, joão-bobo, Nystalus chacuru that occurs throughout much of 315376391; WA 3659190) and one (Galbuliformes: Bucconidae). Amazonia11. It feeds mostly on unidentified invertebrate (perhaps Atualidades Orn. 154: 4–5. arthropods, including beetles, a Lycaenidae larvae; WA 1723273). 4. Hilty, S. L. (2003) Birds of cicadas and true bugs but is also The presence of G. humeralis in Venezuela. London, UK: known to take small frogs, snakes the diet of B. capensis provides a Christopher Helm. and lizards4,11. However, reports novel species record, and further 5. Koski, D. A., Koski, A. P. V. & of vertebrates in the diet are indicates this puffbird’s ability Barreto-Lima, A. F. (2016) scarce. Here, we present a record to capture small understorey Predation of Polychrus of predation on G. humeralis by vertebrates. The very small marmoratus (Squamata: Collared Puffbird. number of predation / feeding Polychrotidae) by Buteo Field observations were made records in a sample of 380 photos albonotatus (Accipitriformes: during an ornithological inventory of B. capensis exemplifies the Accipitridae) in southeastern in the Reserva Extrativista do difficulty in documenting the Brazil. Bol. Mus. Biol. Mello Rio Cajari, near Vila do Marinho foraging behaviour of low-density Leitão 38: 23–30. (00o34’56.6”S 52o16’14.8”W; 140 m and easily overlooked species 6. Kupriyanov, V. M. S., elevation), in southern Amapá such as those in the family Daza, J. D., Bauer, A. M., state, northern Brazil. Field work Bucconidae. It also reinforces the Gaban-Lima, R., Rocha-Brito, was undertaken in an area of value of uniting opportunistic G. R. & Höfling, E. (2012) terra firme Amazon forest with a observations, citizen science data, Six species of Amazonian canopy reaching c.40 m and an and stomach content analysis of woodcreepers (Aves: understorey with many herbaceous museum specimens to further our Dendrocolaptidae) preying plants and fallen trunks (see12 for knowledge of the natural history of upon lizards and frogs. J. details). In addition, we searched many species. Nat. Hist. 46: 2985–2997. photos available at Wikiaves (WA; 7. Leite, G. A., Farias, I. P. & https://www.wikiaves.com.br/) and Acknowledgements Peres, C. A. (2016) Parental the Macaulay Library (ML; http:// We are grateful to the community care of Chestnut-capped www.macaulaylibrary.org/) for of the Rio Cajari Extractive Puffbird Bucco macrodactylus additional predation records by Reserve and Reginaldo Gomes for on the middle Juruá River, B. capensis. A total of 379 photos their support during field work; Amazonas, Brazil. Rev. Bras. was checked (203 in WA and 176 the Instituto Chico Mendes de Orn. 24: 80–82. photos in ML), up to 13 April 2021. Conservação da Biodiversidade 8. Lopes, L. E., Fernandes, A. At c.10h30 on 8 July 2010, an – ICMBio for licenses to conduct M. & Marini, M. Â. (2005) adult B. capensis was captured research including the collection Predation on vertebrates by in a mist-net (Fig. 1). On of specimens; Miguel Trefaut neotropical passerine birds. extracting the bird from the net Rodrigues for identifying the Lundiana 6: 57–66. (c.1.5 m above ground), a dead specimen of G. humeralis; and 9. Melo, T. N. & Gama, V. (2016) and partially lacerated male G. Felipe F. Curcio, Pedro Nunes O comportamento de predar humeralis was observed next and Fernando Z. Vaz-de-Mello lagartos de Attila spadiceus to it. The lizard had lesions on for suggesting identification of com notas sobre sua biologia different parts of the body (Fig. other prey items. Two anonymous reprodutiva. Atualidades 2). The B. capensis was collected referees provided many Orn. 192: 20–22. and has been deposited in the suggestions that improved our 10. Poulin, B., Lefebvre, G., ornithological collection of the manuscript. Ibáñez, R., Jaramillo, C., Museu de Zoologia da Universidad Hernández, C. & Stanley, C. de São Paulo (MZUSP 91949). References R. (2001) Avian predation Our review of photos available 1. Avila-Pires, T. C. S. (1995) upon lizards and frogs online located a single record Lizards of Brazilian in a Neotropical forest of B. capensis feeding on small Amazonia (Reptilia: understorey. J. Trop. Ecol. vertebrates: another gecko (cf. Squamata). Zool. Verhand. 17: 21–40. 299: 1–706. 114 Cotinga 43 Short Communications 11. Rasmussen, P. C., Received 23 December 2020; final described in central and eastern Collar, N. & Kirwan, revision accepted 21 April 2021; Argentina, including Buenos Aires, G. M. (2020) Collared published online 5 July 2021 Formosa, Santiago del Estero, Puffbird (Bucco capensis). Entre Ríos, Santa Fe and Córdoba 3–5,7,11,14,16 In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, The most austral record provinces . A., Sargatal, J., Christie, of Swallow-tailed Kite D. A. & de Juana, E. Elanoides forficatus Acknowledgements (eds.) Birds of the world. We appreciate the comments and Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides Ithaca, NY: Cornell Lab suggestions by Pablo Grilli and forficatus is distributed across of Ornithology. https://doi. an anonymous referee on the a variety of habitats from org/10.2173/bow.colpuf1.01 submitted manuscript; also, those the eastern USA to northern (accessed 15 June 2020). by Juan Manuel Grande on an Argentina3,4,10,18. While two 12. Schunck, F., De Luca, earlier version of this note. subspecies are recognised (E. f. A., Piacentini, V. Q., Rego, forficatus and E. f. yetapa) they M. A., Rennó, B. & Corrêa, References are morphologically similar and A. H. (2011) Avifauna of 1. Bodrati, A., Areta, J. I. & lack sexual dimorphism10,13. two localities in the south White, E. (2012) La avifauna E. f. forficatus breeds in the south- of Amapá, Brazil, with de La Posada y Reserva eastern USA and winters in South comments on the distribution Puerto Bemberg, Misiones, America, whereas E. f. yetapa and taxonomy of some Argentina. Nuestras Aves 57: breeds in Central America and species. Rev. Bras. Orn. 19: 63–79. parts of South America, and at 93–107. 2. Dabbene, R. (1920) Miscelánea least its northern populations are 13. Sick, H. (1997) Ornitologia ornitológica. El Hornero 2: apparently migratory9–11. brasileira. Rio de Janeiro: 133–136. We observed and photographed Ed. Nova Fronteira. 3. eBird (2020) eBird: una base a Swallow-tailed Kite being chased 14. Vitt, L. J., Souza, R. A., de datos en línea para la and attacked by a Chimango Sartorius, S. S., Avila-Pires, abundancia y distribución de Caracara Milvago chimango over T. C. S & Espósito, M. C. las aves. Ithaca, NY: Cornell grassland and provincial Route (2000) Comparative ecology Lab of Ornithology. https:// 113 near Pehuen Có town, Buenos of sympatric Gonatodes ebird.org/home (accessed Aires province (38°59’00.4”S (Sauria: Gekkonidae) in the December 2020).