Download ppt - Fruit and nectar feeders Cotingas Cotingas (Passeriformes) are among the most ‘glamorous’ of Neotropical birds Bellbirds, umbrellabirds, cocks-of-the-

Fruit and nectar feedersCotingas

• Cotingas (Passeriformes) are among the most ‘glamorous’ of Neotropical birds

• Bellbirds, umbrellabirds, cocks-of-the-rock, pihas, fruiteaters, fruit-crows, and purpletufts

• All are rainforest birds, some continuing up into the cloud forests and all are ‘extreme’ fruit specialists


• Cotingas have wide, flattened bills, accomdating round fruits

• Poor seed predator=good disperser

• Heavy fruit diet also results in very slow incubation time for young


• Umbrellabirds and cocks-of-the-rock, are large and have ornate plumage on their heads


• Pihas (captain of the forest) and fruiteaters are smaller and drab

• Sexually, range from monogamous (frequently lacking dimorphism) to polygynous, some with large leks


• Voice: bellbirds are known for the loud, bell-like notes, pihas for loud scream

• Plumage: cotingas have shiny metallic plumage and cock-of-the-rock and umbrellabirds for the dramatic head feathers



Fruit and nectar feedersManakins

• 53sp of manakins (Passeriformes) which are small, chunky, frugivores inhabiting lowland forests

• Phylogenetically close to cotingas and tyrant flycathers (several genera may not be true manakins)

• Males very colorful, females usually drab


• Manakins have short tails, rounded wings, and a short but wide bill with a hooked tip

• Pluck fruit on the wing

• Occasionally eat arthropods

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• Famous for the elaborate courtship displays

• Many are ‘arena’ birds and display in large leks, others have cooperative displays

• Females build nests, incubate and feed small clutch (one or two)


• VIDEO

Suboscines

• Of the 3,700+ sp of Neotropical birds, approximately 1,000 are ‘suboscines’

• There are only 50 other suboscines worldwide

• They are part of perching birds (Passeriformes) of which, most are oscines (songbirds: complex musculature of the syrinx)

Suboscines

• There are two major radiations– Tyrant flycatchers, manakins, and

contingas– Woodcreepers, ovenbirds, true antbirds,

ground antbirds, gnateaters, and tapaculos

• Not clear as to why this group is so successful in the Neotropics; may be historical

SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders

• Many groups utilize insects and arthropods as the primary portion of their diet

• They are extremely species-rich– Ovenbirds (218 sp)– Antbirds and Ground Antbirds (250 sp)– Woodcreepers (45 sp)– Tyrant flycathers (393 sp)

• All are Neotropical sp (a few tyrants mig)


• Tyrannids, ovenbirds, and antbirds each represent adaptive radiations, probably assisted by the specialization encouraged by dietary competition

• Insect catching birds are going to develop a particular pattern of feeding and its size, behavior, and bill shape become very refined on a particular size range and type of prey


• When you add the high inter-specific competition in the tropics, the diffuse competition encourages an individual to stay focused on its optimal niche


• Insectivorous diets are frequently categorized by how they forage– Flycatching (tyrants, puffbirds, nunbirds)– Bark probing (woodpeckers &

woodcreepers)– Foliage gleaning (ovenbirds & many

antbirds)– Ant following (some antbirds, other sp)


(flycatching)• Puffbirds and

Nunbirds (Piciformes) consist of 32 endemic Neotropical sp

• Found throughout Amazon basin

• All excavate, many in termite mounds


(flycatching)• Puffbirds look

puffy and most are brown (some black and white)

• Cryptic plumage, stationary feeding and understory location make them rarely seen

SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (bark

feeders)• Woodpeckers (family Picidae,

Piciformes) both drill and probe bark, extracting mostly larvae using their long, extrusible, barbed tongue

• Occur worldwide (not Australia)• Vary in size..ivory-billed (35cm) to

piculets (9cm); Imperial (60cm) of western Mexico probably extinct


feeders)• Climb vertically using adapted tail as

a third prop• Toes zygodactyl to help

grasp


feeders)• Range in color from black and red

crest, to greenish olive, to soft browns and chestnut


feeders)• Others are ‘ladderbacks’ of B&W


feeders)• Woodpeckers are

primary excavators, but are frequently usurped by larger species (e.g. collared aracaris)


feeders)• Woodcreepers look like woodpeckers,

but are unrelated (family Dendrocolaptidae, Passeriformes), most closely related to ovenbirds

• Excellent example of evolutionary convergence

• Feed by probing bark crevices & epiphytes

• May join army ant mixed-species flocks


feeders)• Like furnids,

woodcreepers are soft shades of brown and rufous (with some whitish or yellowish streaking)


feeders)• Its overall size, bill size and shape,

and streaking pattern usually separate one species from another

• Range in size from 15cm to 36cm• Found in wet to dry forests


feeders)• Personal favorite;

scythebills• Feed in bromeliads

and other epiphytes


(foliage gleaners)• Ovenbirds (Furnariidae;

Passeriformes) are ‘LBB’ of the tropicsw

• All are brown, tan, or gray with very little subtle differences occurring


(foliage gleaners)• Name is derived from ‘oven’ like

dome-shaped nests (although not all do this)

• Occur in lowland forest, cloud forest, dry forests, as well as the pampas, puna and paramo

SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (ant

followers)• Antbirds (Formicariidae;

Passeriformes) include antbirds, antshrikes, antwrens, antvireos, antthrushes, & antpittas

• They follow…ants• The degree to which they follow varies

from never to ‘professionally’• Antbirds are more colorful than the

ovenbirds with many having sexually dimorphic species


followers)• Males are frequently

boldly barred BW• Many have chestnut

or brown as well• Many have blue or

red skin around eye, some have a red eye


followers)• Most antbirds are foliage gleaners,

picking and snatching insects from the foliage, with some catching on the wing

• They typically form mixed species flocks with other birds and divide the area vertically amongst themselves

• Certain species tend to dominate the central positions


followers)• How would you describe the

relationship amongst the members of these flocks?

• There are 28 sp of ‘professional’ ant-following birds

• In addition, there are many species which opportunistically join flocks as they pass through their territories

• Some butterflies join the flock. Why?


followers)• In central America, the spotted

antbird, bicolored antbird and black-faced antthrush are dominant players


followers)• Some of the part-timers following ant

swarms are woodcreepers, ovenbirds, motmots, some tanagers, and a surprising number of migrants

• Only when breeding to they cease to follow ants (although they quickly follow any ants that come through their territory)


followers)• Antbirds mate for life

and both sexes help building and raising young

• At least one species, ocellated antbird, forms clans with subsequent male generations returning and defending territory

Birds of Prey

• Not surprisingly, birds of prey are also very abundant in the tropics

• Many species occupy open areas as they are easy to soar and search

• However, plenty of species still utilize the resources of the forests (e.g. forest falcons)

Birds of PreyKites

• 11 sp of kites live in the Neotropics eating small animals such as mice, birds, lizards and arthropods

• Generally have sharp, hooked bills

• Often in savannas

Birds of PreyKites

• Notable species include the snail kite, swallow-tailed kite, pearl kite (at 9” one of the smallest)

Birds of PreyHawks, Falcons, & Caracaras

• 40 sp of hawks are found in the Neotropics

• Crane Hawk is found in wet savannas to mangroves and probes epiphytes and branches for amphibians and reptiles


• Savanna Hawk which is often seen walking

• In contrast, the white hawk often is seen soaring over forests

• Other soarers include the black hawk and great black hawk


• Black-collared hawk feeds on fish, found near marshes

• Distinctive shape (wide wings, short tail)


• Roadside hawk is among the most commonly seen BoP in the tropics as it frequently is perched along roads

• Highly variable plumage (13 races)


• Falcons are small, speedy BoP that rely on aerial agility

• Typified by long tail and sharp wings

• Feed on birds, small mammals, insects and even bats


• The laughing falcon is found along forest edges

• Loud call• Eats snakes (and

others)


• Forest falcons are grayish falcons that lurk in the forests, often sitting motionless


• Yellow-headed Caracara is extremely common and can be seen in flocks

• Why flock?– Carrion feeders…

what is the limitation?


• The largest Neotropical bird of prey are eagles and hawk-eagles (3sp)– Ornate hawk-eagle– Black hawk-eagle– B&W hawk-eagle


• Harpy eagle is a huge predator (>1m) with very thick legs

• Territories frequently exceed 100km2

• Strictly a forest dweller

• Eats monkeys and sloths

Birds of PreyOwls

• Owls (Strigiformes) has two groups, the barn owls (Tytonidae) and typical owls (Strigidae)

• 24 neotropical birds

Birds of PreyOwls

• Spectacled owl is the largest Neotropical owl (19”)

Birds of PreyOwls

• B&W owl

Mottled owl

Birds of PreyOwls

• It is not uncommon to see pygmy owls (6”) during the day

the Southern Invasion

• During the autumn, approximately >50% of birds breeding in North America head south

• The majority pull up in C Am, but many continue to S Am while still others winter in the West Indies


• The abundance of migrants is high, but central America is 1/8th the size

• Consider dry forests of western Mex– Summer 2 birds/ha– Winter 64 birds/ha


• Many of the species are not migrating away from the harsh winter of the temperate zone but rather returning home to the tropics from ‘seasonal bounty’ of the temperate zone

• E.g. tyrannid flycatchers, hummingbirds, tanagers, orioles and wood warblers


http://www.critterzone.com/


• Many species come down and take advantage of brushy habitat

• E.g. GRCA, NOYE, YBCH• Others take advantage of the forest• E.g. WOTH, OVEN, AMRE, other

warblers• Still others occupy successional

habitat


• Other species have relatively large dietary shifts in the tropics and some become frugivores

• E.g. NOOR, OROR, SCTA, SUTA


• The degree to which migrants interact with local species probably varies across space and time and will be dependent upon local resources and the abundance of competitors

• E.g. on BCI, several migrants actively prevented from joining in mixed-antbird flocks

• In Amazon, many migrants join


• At least some species move in and become part of the larger avian community

• Several species, WOTH, OVEN, GRCA (and other species as well) all occupy the same locations from one year to the next

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