Frugivory by the White-bearded Manakin (Manacus manacus, Pipridae) in restinga forest, an ecosystem associated to the Atlantic forest

Abstract

PIZO, M.A. Frugivory by the White-bearded Manakin (Manacus manacus, Pipridae) in restinga forest, an ecosystem associated to the Atlantic forest. Biota Neotrop. 13(2): http://www.biotaneotropica. org.br/v13n2/en/abstract?short-communication+bn03813022013Abstract: Manakins (Pipridae) are one of the most abundant fruit-eaters and seed dispersers in the understory of neotropical forests. We describe the fruit diet of the White-beaded Manakin (Manacus manacus) based on a two-year study of its foraging behavior on fruiting plants, collecting seeds from feces and regurgitations of trapped individuals, and from lekking males' courts in restinga forests at the southern coast of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Manacus manacus consumed 58 species of fruits from 30 different plant families. Fruits were taken at 3.5 ± 1.9 m height and 1.5 ± 1.6 m below the forest canopy using mainly sally-strike and glean manoeuvres. Most of the fruits were berries ranging from 3.1 to 17 mm in diameter and containing from 1 to 86 seeds. Fruits up to 12 mm in diameter were swallowed whole. Ripe and unripe fruits were equally consumed. Our results corroborate with the great variety of small fruits consumed by manakin species, and indicate that M. manacus is an important seed disperser, potentially contributing to recruitment of plants in restinga. Keywords: dispersion, fruits, animal-plant interaction, seeds. Resumo: Os tangarás (Pipridae) são um dos grupos de aves frugívoras e dispersoras de sementes mais abundantes em estratos baixos das florestas neotropicais. Neste trabalho descrevemos os frutos consumidos pela rendeira (Manacus manacus) amostrados durante dois anos de estudo sobre o comportamento de forrageamento desta espécie em plantas frutíferas, coletando sementes de fezes e regurgitos de indivíduos capturados em rede de neblina e coletando sementes em arenas de machos que fazem lek para atração de fêmeas em áreas de restinga do litoral sul do estado de São Paulo. Manacus manacus consumiu 58 espécies de frutos de 30 famílias de plantas. Os frutos foram retirados a 3.5 ± 1.9 m de altura do solo e 1.5 ± 1.6 m abaixo do dossel florestal usando principalmente as manobras dos tipos sally-strike (retirada de frutos em voos curtos) e glean (retirada de frutos quando pousados em galhos). A maioria dos frutos eram bagas com diâmetros entre 3.1 a 17 mm e 1 a 86 sementes. Frutos com diâmetro até 12 mm foram engolidos inteiros. Frutos maduros e imaturos foram igualmente consumidos. Nossos resultados corroboram com a alta variedade de pequenos frutos consumidos por espécies de tangarás e indicam que M. manacus é um importante dispersor de sementes, sendo potencialmente importante para o recrutamento nas comunidades de plantas na restinga. Palavras-chave: dispersão, frutos, interação animal-planta, sementes. Data collectionTo describe the diet of M. manacus, we conducted direct observations of its foraging behavior on plant species, collected seeds from feces and regurgitations of mist-netted individuals from April 2009 to March 2011, and collect...

Feeding Guilds and Bill Volume of an Assemblage of Birds Present in Four Vegetation Covers of the Terrapreta PNR Guaviare-Colombia

“…We found that the average total length of Manacus manacus was 11.02 cm, while the average volume of its beak was 0.21 cm 3 . These morphometric values strengthen the adaptation of this species for the feeding guild I-Fr (16) , where the marked ratio between the volume index of the mouth cavity and its body allows it to effectively exploit a great variety of fruits present in both preserved primary forests and secondary forests with a diversity of plant species (16,17) . Phaethornis hispidus was the second most abundant species and was found in 11.42% of HDTFF, 8.93% of MCPNS, 8.93% of WP, and a smaller proportion in GRF (6.89%); however, this species is commonly associated with flooded ecosystems typical of the Amazon (varzea forest, floodplain) (18) .…”

“…The most abundant species in this study was Manacus manacus; its distribution in the understory of the HDTFF is evident mainly by its diet, which is based primarily on fruits and insects characteristic of this vegetation layer (16) . We found that the average total length of Manacus manacus was 11.02 cm, while the average volume of its beak was 0.21 cm 3 .…”

Deforestation Simplifies Understory Bird Seed-Dispersal Networks in Human-Modified Landscapes

“…Then, seeds and fruits present in food samples were analyzed in a laboratory through a stereoscopic magnifying glass to identify at the lower taxonomic level, using a seed bank of the Laboratory of Applied Ecology from the Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz. In addition, we used information present in the literature and specific guides for the identification of plants, fruits, and seeds (Cestari and Pizo, 2013…”