Additional information on reproductive behavior of the Red-breasted Toucan, Ramphastos dicolorus (Aves: Piciformes: Ramphastidae)

Abstract

Ramphastidae is Family of secondary cavity-nesting birds that is endemic to the Neotropical region. Here we provide a comprehensive literature review of nest measurements, and new information on characteristics of the nest cavity, parental nest attendance, incubation and nestling period of the Red-breasted Toucan, Ramphastos dicolorus. We also add information on the origin of the seeds found inside toucan nests and propose a potential function for them. Eight nests were studied in three cavities during six breeding seasons at Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga, São Paulo, and at a private allotment in Ibiúna, southeastern Brazil. The reproductive activities of the birds were observed from September to February. In one cavity, we found the first record of a Meliponini bee hive (Scaptotrigona bipunctata) co-existing with a toucan nest. At the beginning of the nesting season, the parents regurgitate seeds on the floor of the cavity, covering it with them. This preparation plays a role in nest sanitation, once the seeds act as a substrate for the feces facilitating the process of carrying them off the nest by the female. The incubation and nestling periods lasted 17.2 ± 1.2 and 43 ± 5.4 days, respectively, and both parents shared egg incubation, nestling, brooding and provisioning, but only the female performed nest sanitation. This differs from published observations on other species of the group, suggesting that the participation of each sex in nest attendance may not be the same for all ramphastids. Additionally, our observations suggest that selecting anthropic locations for nesting can negatively influence toucan nest success. Informações adicionais sobre o comportamento reprodutivo do tucano-de-bico-verde,Ramphastos dicolorus (Aves: Piciformes: Ramphastidae) Resumo: Ramphastidae compreende uma Família de aves que nidificam em cavidades, são endêmicas da região Neotropical, mas possuem os aspectos relacionados à sua biologia reprodutiva ainda pouco conhecidos. No presente estudo, nós fornecemos uma revisão detalhada da literatura acerca de medidas de ninhos, características das cavidades, cuidado parental e períodos de incubação e permanência do tucano-de-bico-verde Ramphastos dicolorus. Nós também descrevemos e propomos uma possível função para as sementes encontradas dentro dos ninhos dessa espécie. Foram estudados oito ninhos, em três diferentes cavidades durante seis temporadas reprodutivas no Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga, São Paulo, e em um loteamento particular em Ibiúna, ambos no sudeste do Brasil. As atividades reprodutivas foram observadas de Setembro a Fevereiro. Em uma das cavidades foi registrada a coexistência entre uma colmeia de abelhas Meliponini Scaptotrigona bipunctata e um ninho de tucanos, sendo este o primeiro registro desse tipo de interação para Ramphastidae. No início do período de nidificação os parentais regurgitavam sementes no fundo da cavidade, cobrindo-o, e nossas observações mostram que essa preparação desempenha o papel de facilitar na limpeza do ninho, uma vez que a...

First record of geophagy by a Ramphastidae species (Piciformes)

“…Although never observed for a Ramphastidae species before, the consumption of clay by birds is traditionally associated with frugivorous species (Downs et al 2019) that often eat fruits or seeds rich in secondary compounds and need clay minerals to help in the adsorption of plant toxins (Diamond 1999;Gilardi et al 1999;Symes et al 2006). The Red-breasted Toucan is a typical forest species that has become common around urbanized areas holding remnants of native vegetation with enough resources for feeding and breeding (Fonseca and Antunes 2007;Schunck et al 2016;Perrella and Guida 2019). Thus, toucans are expected to feed on fruits available in urban parks and small forest fragments, including fruits from exotic species (Fonseca and Antunes 2007;Perrella and Guida 2019).…”

“…The Red-breasted Toucan is a typical forest species that has become common around urbanized areas holding remnants of native vegetation with enough resources for feeding and breeding (Fonseca and Antunes 2007;Schunck et al 2016;Perrella and Guida 2019). Thus, toucans are expected to feed on fruits available in urban parks and small forest fragments, including fruits from exotic species (Fonseca and Antunes 2007;Perrella and Guida 2019). Moreover, the day the record occurred comprises the period where few bird-attractive plants are fruiting in Atlantic Forest (Morellato et al 2000), thus toucans could explore more unusual exotic fruits.…”

“…Because records of toucans eating soil seem to be rare, we suppose that it could have consumed some unusual food item difficult to digest. The reproduction of the Red-breasted Toucan ranges from October to February (Jesus et al 2012;Perrella and Guida 2019), and overlaps the breeding period of birds whose nest contents are preyed upon by toucans (Ribeiro-Silva et al 2018). Therefore, the toucan could also be searching on the soil for nutrients lost during reproduction activity, though the availability of bird nests was probably enough for its basic nutrition requirements.…”

“…Here, we provide the first documented record of consumption of soil by a Red-breasted Toucan Ramphastos dicolorus Linnaeus, 1766, an Atlantic Forest endemic bird (Vale et al 2018), found in humid montane and submontane forests, even in second-growth woodlands, from central-south, central-east, and southeast Brazil to northeastern Argentina and eastern Paraguay (Short and Horne 2002). This large toucan, with body mass of 265 to 400 g, is a primarily frugivorous bird, which consumes fruits of a wide range of plants (Galetti et al 2000;Short and Horne 2002;Perrella and Guida 2019) and can also prey on insects, eggs, and nestlings…”