Body mass and geographical range are two main drivers of diet in animals, yet how these factors influence diet in the morphologically and ecologically diverse avian group of Psittaciformes is little known. We reviewed current knowledge of the diet of Neotropical parrots and assessed the relation between diet (breadth and composition), phylogeny, body mass and geographical range. Diet has been documented for 98 of 165 species, but information is available only for 34 of 59 threatened species, and countries with high species diversity (> 20 species) had few studies (one to seven). Neotropical parrot species consumed 1293 plant species of 125 families. When assessing the relative frequency of different food items in the diet (seed, fruits, flowers, leaves, nectar, bark and stems), we found that parrots mostly exploited seeds (41.9%) and fruits (38.3%) of native species. Diet overlap was very low among genera (0.006-0.321). At the species level, geographical range and body size explained the variation in diet composition. In particular, small parrots of restricted distribution had a distinct diet composition relative to either large or widely distributed species. Although body size and geographical range showed phylogenetic inertia, diet was independent of phylogenetic history. Our review not only reveals ecological factors explaining diet in a generalist group but also exposes information gaps across the Neotropical region.
En este trabajo se describen los cambios en la abundancia del Loro Hablador (Amazona aestiva) a lo largo de un ciclo anual y se reporta y describe el primer nido documentado de la especie en una zona de Selva Pedemontana en la provincia de Jujuy, Argentina. Se observó una mayor abundancia durante la estación seca, que coincide con la maduración de los cultivos de citrus y de los frutos de cebil colorado (Anadenanthera colubrina). La disminución de la abundancia durante la estación húmeda podría explicarse por los desplazamientos que la especie realiza hacia el Chaco para reproducirse. Sin embargo, el hallazgo del nido indica que algunos individuos permanecen en la Selva Pedemontana durante la estación reproductiva.
Wetlands currently have high rates of degradation, with more than 70% lost globally. In the central Monte Desert, Argentina, they are a scarce and limited resource for the biodiversity which depends on them. Waterbirds have been used as biological indicators of wetlands because they respond to fluctuations in food resources and to environmental changes in the short term. Here we analyse the seasonal variations in the structure of the waterbird assemblage from a relict wetland in this region. We carried out censuses of waterbirds in a 6-year period (between 2009 and 2019) during the southern summer and winter. We recorded 1875 individuals of 33 species of waterbirds during the summer and 677 individuals of 29 species during the winter. The grouping patterns of the waterbird assemblages differed between seasons (R = 0.35; p < 0.01). Taxonomic diversity profiles showed greater diversity for all indexes (qD) during the summer. The guild of invertivorous and omnivorous waders had a greater abundance of individuals during the summer (p < 0.05) and, together with the surface-feeding herbivores, contributed to the 87% of the dissimilarity of the assemblages between seasons. Phoenicopterus chilensis was the only species registered as threatened with national and international extinction. Relict wetlands, such as Laguna del Viborón, still have attributes of community diversity and represent the last refuges for waterbirds of the central Monte Desert. The information gathered in this study will contribute to the guidelines for integrated management plans and monitoring programmes for the conservation of the wetland and its biodiversity.
El género Fulica consta de 11 especies a nivel mundial, de las cuales seis habitan Argentina. El presente trabajo trata sobre la biología reproductiva de cuatro especies de Fulica residentes en un humedal de altura, en la provincia de Tucumán. El Embalse La Angostura se encuentra en el departamento de Tafí del Valle, Tucumán; a unos 2000 m snm y cuenta con un espejo de agua de 12 Km. Allí es común observar una gran diversidad de aves acuáticas, entre ellas, a F. armillata, F. leucoptera, F. rufifrons y F. ardesiaca las cuales son el objeto de este estudio. Entré agosto de 2004 a diciembre de 2005 se realizaron monitoreos en los sitios de nidificación. Allí se tomaron datos tales como: las medidas de los nidos y el tipo de material empleado en su construidos; el número, el tamaño y patrón de coloración de los huevos de cada nidada; la presencia de pichones, juveniles o inmaduros; y un banco de imágenes para una mejor descripción de las diferentes etapas de la biología reproductiva. Entre los resultados obtenidos más relevantes están: el uso de plásticos en la nidificación (primer registro en Argentina), que las nidadas fueron menores a lo documentado en otros estudios y el posible parasitismo de cría intraespecífico de Fulica ardesiaca en nidos de Coscoroba coscoroba. Para poder corroborar dichos resultados sería importante realizar estudios más profundos de manera sistemática y a más largo plazo.
Although there are studies on certain aspects of the feeding ecology of several species of Neotropical parrots, there is scarce ecological information about Pyrrhura molinae – a Psittacidae species which is widely distributed in South America and abundant in the Yungas of Argentina. For two years (May 2014 to June 2016), the composition and seasonal variation in the Green-cheeked Parakeet diet in the Yungas Piedmont forest in Jujuy, Argentina were examined. Furthermore, fruiting phenology transects were established to evaluate food resource availability and the patterns of food resource used by the Green-cheeked Parakeet. In 214 food plant trees, it was found that flower and dry fruit availability was highest in the dry season, and fleshy fruit production peaked in the wet season, but these phenology patterns for aged plant species suggest that there were no significant differences in food availability. The consumption of 18 plant species was recorded, being Celtis iguanaea (30.73%) and Trema micrantha (22.01%) the most consumed species. In terms of food items, fruits were the most consumed items, followed by seeds and flowers and, to a lesser extent, nectar and leaves. Levins’ niche breadth showed varying levels of diet specialisation amongst seasons, which was narrower (B = 0.28) in the wet season, indicating specialisation in diet during this season. There was a medium overlap in parakeet diet between seasons (Morisita Index = 0.59). We did not find a statistically significant relationship between resource availability and food use, but expansion and contraction in Levins Index and variation in food items consumed throughout the year and season demonstrate high flexibility in the diet. Like other congeners, the Green-cheeked Parakeet has a flexible diet that could be adjusted to the seasonal availability of food resources. These data may contribute to the design of conservation plans for the species and its habitat.
En este trabajo damos a conocer la avifauna de los Bañados de Añatuya, Santiago del Estero. Se realizaron tres campañas de tres días cada una, en octubre de 2012, marzo de 2013 y junio de 2014. Se identificaron 56 especies, 20 migratorias (15 regionales y cinco neárticas-neotropicales) y el resto residentes. Determinamos cinco ensambles tróficos de acuerdo a sus estrategias de búsqueda de alimento: I- nada en superficie, II- bucea o zambullida, III- caminata en playas o aguas someras, IV- desde perchas o en vuelo, V- desplazamiento entre la vegetación. Debido a que las aves son un grupo indicador, y los Bañados de Añatuya un Área Importante para la Conservación de las Aves (AICA), es importante se continúen los estudios para plantear pautas de manejo y conservación en la región.
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