First nesting record of the Bay-Capped Wren-Spinetail Spartonoica maluroides (Aves, Furnariidae) in Brazil, with nest and nestling descriptions and notes on breeding behavior

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The only breeding record of Spartonoica maluroides (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837) for Brazil is based on the observation of a fledgling in southern Rio Grande do Sul in January 1976. On 7 December 2005 we discovered a nest containing three nestlings at the southeastern end of Lagoa Pequena, municipality of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul. The nest was concealed at the base of a cavity in a Spartina densiflora (Poaceae) tussock located at the edge of a saltmarsh. The nest was built of fine pieces of dead Scirpus olneyi (Cyperaceae) and S. densiflora leaves firmly interlaced to the internal leaves of the tussock. Live leaves of S. densiflora lining the cavity comprised a substantial part of the nest's architecture, forming most of its upper lateral walls and roof. The lower section was more elaborate, resembling a deep cup and forming a distinct incubation chamber. Adults reached the nest's interior through an irregular apical opening amidst the leaves. The nest was 244 mm high and 140 mm wide. The incubation chamber had an external diameter of 138.5 mm, an internal diameter of 79.4 mm and was 86 mm deep. It was lined with fine leaves and white plant fibers. Nestlings were five to six days old. A total of 107 neossoptiles restricted to the capital, spinal and alar tracts were recorded in one nestling. The distribution of neossoptiles in the ocular region of S. maluroides forms a distinct pattern which can be typical of Furnariidae and related families. Two adults attended the nest, bringing small insects to the nestlings and removing fecal sacs. We recorded at least 74 visits to the nest during a ca. 6 h period during an afternoon. The average number of visits per hour was 12.8 ± 1.3. An adult bird spent on average 0.7 ± 0.56 minutes inside the nest attending nestlings. The nest remained unattended on average for 3.61 ± 3.13 minutes. The hour of the day had no influence on the amount of time spent by an adult in the nest or away from it. We returned to the area on 15 December 2005 and found the nest abandoned. Observations confirm that S. maluroides is a resident breeder in southern Brazil and that the saltmarshes of the Lagoa do Patos estuary are an important year-round habitat for the species. A nestling and the nest were collected to document the record.KEYWORDS. Natal pterylosis, saltmarsh, conservation, Lagoa dos Patos, Rio Grande do Sul.RESUMO. Primeiro registro de nidificação da boininha Spartonoica maluroides (Aves, Furnariidae) no Brasil, incluindo a descrição do ninho e ninhego e notas sobre o comportamento reprodutivo. O único registro de reprodução de Spartonoica maluroides (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837) no Brasil é baseado na observação de um filhote recém-saído do ninho no sul do Rio Grande do Sul em janeiro de 1976. Em 7 de dezembro de 2005, descobrimos um ninho contendo três filhotes na extremidade sudoeste da Lagoa Pequena, município de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul. O ninho estava oculto na base de uma cavidade dentro de uma touceira de Spartina densiflora (Poaceae) situada na margem de uma ma...

Review of the breeding status of birds in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

“…Andrade, Arroio do Padre (Maurício & Dias, 1998); Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus, NY, Parque Municipal Farroupilha, Pelotas (Maurício & Dias, 1998); Short-tailed Antthrush Chamaeza campanisona, NE/NY, Sapiranga (Franz, 2013); Bay-capped Wrenspinetail Spartonoica maluroides, NY, Lagoa Pequena, Pelotas (Dias et al, 2009); Straight-billed Reedhaunter Limnoctites rectirostris, NE/NY, Bom Jesus and São José dos Ausentes (Fontana et al, 2009;Repenning et al, 2010); Grey-hooded Flycatcher Mionectes rufiventris, NE, Monte Alverne, Santa Cruz do Sul (Bencke, 1995); Brown-breasted Bamboo Tyrant Hemitriccus obsoletus, NE, Monte Alverne, Santa Cruz do Sul (Bencke et al, 2001); Large Elaenia Elaenia spectabilis, NE/NY, Santa Maria (Hoffmann & Krügel, 2007); Sharptailed Grass Tyrant Culicivora caudacuta, NY, Arroio Macena headwaters, Vacaria (Repenning et al, 2010); Black-and-white Monjita Xolmis dominicanus, NE, São Francisco de Paula (Fontana, 1998); Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant Muscipipra vetula, NE, CPCN Pró-Mata, São Francisco de Paula (Fontana et al, 2000); Rustycollared Seedeater Sporophila collaris, NE, Rio Santa Maria floodplain, Dom Pedrito (Bencke et al, 2003); Black-bellied Seedeater Sporophila melanogaster, NE, several localities in northeastern highlands (Rovedder & Fontana, 2012).…”

Parental Care of Nestlings in the Slaty-Backed Nightingale-Thrush (Catharus Fuscater) in Eastern Ecuador

“…Increases in feeding rate over the nestling period are reported in a number of Furnariidae including the Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus; Massoni et al 2012), Thorntailed Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda; Moreno et al 2007), Olivaceous Woodcreeper (Sittasomus griseicapillus; Bodrati et al 2012), and Spotted Barbtail (Premnoplex brunnescens;Port et al 2014). However, in at least some other Neotropical passerines feeding rates do not increase with nestling age, such as in Baycapped Wren-Spinetail (Spartonoica maluroides; Dias et al 2009) and White-throated Woodcreeper (Xiphocolaptes albicollis; Cockle & Bodrati 2013). In a study of the Mountain Wren (Troglodytes solstitialis), also conducted near the Yanayacu Biological Station, the number of provisioning visits also did not change with nestling age (Dyrcz & Greeney 2010) but it is possible that prey size or prey items per delivery increase with nestling growth.…”

Causes and Consequences of Nest Mass and Structure Variation in the Bay-Capped Wren-Spinetail Spartonoica maluroides

“…Wren-spinetail inhabits freshwater and brackish marshes in the Pampas region in north central Argentina, southeastern Brazil, and Uruguay (Ridgely & Tudor 1994). Its nest architecture (open or enclosed) has been under controversy, since it has been considered as open by some authors (Durnford 1878, Hudson 1920, Pereyra 1938; see also Nores & Yzurieta 1980, Vaurie 1980, Narosky et al 1983, de la Peña 1988, Collias 1997 and as enclosed by others (Narosky 1973, Zyskowski & Prum 1999, Dias et al 2009. Llambías et al (2009), suggested that Wren-spinetail builds both types of nests, with some nests having a rudimentary roof and others being open cups with few stems barely covering the top.…”