Nutrients Drive Termite Nest Geophagy in Yellow-chevroned Parakeets (<i>Brotogeris chiriri</i>)

Costa‐Pereira, Raul; Severo-Neto, Francisco; Inforzato, Igor; Laps, Rudi Ricardo; Pizo, Marco Aurélio

doi:10.1676/14-142.1

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…) and the theory is commonly invoked in scientific and popular discussions of geophagy for a broad array of taxa from across the globe (Severo‐Neto , Costa‐Pereira et al . , Angier , Bradbury & Balsby ).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Despite its elegance and broad appeal, recent studies have found little support for the toxin-protection theory (Lee et al 2009). However, the studies undertaken to date have not been able definitively to rule out toxin protection as a possible explanation for geophagy (Brightsmith et al 2008) and the theory is commonly invoked in scientific and popular discussions of geophagy for a broad array of taxa from across the globe (Severo-Neto 2012, Costa-Pereira et al 2015, Angier 2016, Bradbury & Balsby 2016.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Food availability and breeding season as predictors of geophagy in Amazonian parrots

Brightsmith

Hobson

Martínez

2017

Ibis

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Geophagy, the consumption of soil, is common in many species, but the drivers of geophagy are not well understood. The best-studied example of avian geophagy is the parrots of the western Amazon Basin, but even here, there is debate over what drives the behaviour. There are two possible explanations: (1) extra nutritional demands of reproduction drive an increase in geophagy, which would predict that geophagy should be highest during the breeding season, and (2) consumption of naturally toxic plant foods increases the need for the toxin protection effects of soil, which would predict that geophagy should be highest when food availability is low and animals are forced to consume more toxic foods. We used long-term data from lowland Amazonia to compare seasonal fluctuations in rainfall, food availability, parrot breeding and parrot geophagy, and conducted novel tests of these hypotheses. Our analyses of annual patterns suggested that seasonal changes in rainfall drive plant fruiting, the resulting food availability patterns drive the timing of parrot breeding, and breeding drives seasonal patterns of geophagy. Surprisingly, chicks of the largest psittacine species fledged as food supplies approach their annual lows, suggesting that future climatic changes that alter peaks in food availability could have unexpected impacts on the reproduction of large psittacines in this system. Our tests found no evidence to support the toxin-protection hypothesis. Instead, we found that the peak of geophagy occurred during species' breeding seasons, which strongly supports the supplemental nutrients hypothesis. Our findings join a growing body of biochemical, physiological, behavioural, ecological and biogeographical evidence suggesting that a need for sodium is driving soil consumption in this classic model system of avian geophagy.

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confidence: 99%

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Food availability and breeding season as predictors of geophagy in Amazonian parrots

Brightsmith

Hobson

Martínez

2017

Ibis

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“…Other parrots have been noted feeding on larvae and adult termites by scraping termitaria or capturing flying termites (Sazima 1989, Sick 1997, Faria 2007. They also consume the material of arboreal termitaria as nutrient supplement (Costa-Pereira et al 2015). Hyacinth Macaws nest trees are always large and often old (Johnson et al 1997), thus increasing the chance of nesting on termite-infested trees, like the pacara earpod tree at our study site.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Hyacinth Macaws (Anodorhynchus Hyacinthinus, Psittacidae) Feeding on Termites

2017

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∙ Hyacinth Macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) feed largely on palm seeds and fruits. Here, we report a pair of Hyacinth Macaws feeding on termites. We visited the nesting tree of a pair of Hyacinth Macaws at the southern border of the Brazilian Pantanal on a monthly basis during one year. Macaws were present during four of these visits, and we recorded them foraging on arboreal termites in their nesting tree during one of the visits. Using their beaks, both macaw individuals repeatedly broke away bark pieces from decaying branches, and handled them with beak and feet to ingest termites found on the inner side of the bark. Nesting in decaying trees likely increases opportunities for Hyacinth Macaws to find termites, and the feeding behavior of these macaws indicates that they are familiar with and able to consume termites. This is the first report of termite consumption by this species.Resumo ∙ Arara‐azul‐grande (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, Psittacidae) comendo cupins Indivíduos de Arara‐azul‐grande (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) consomem principalmente sementes de palmeiras e frutos. Reportamos aqui um casal de Araras‐azuis‐grandes consumindo cupins. Visitamos uma árvore de nidificação na borda sul do Pantanal brasileiro mensalmente durante um ano. As araras estavam presentes em quatro visitas, e registramos consumo de cupins presentes na árvore de nidificação em uma visita. As araras repetidamente retiravam com o bico pedaços de casca de ramos podres, e manuseavam os pedaços com o bico e os pés para ingerir cupins presentes na parte interna da casca. Nidificar em árvores senescentes provavelmente aumenta a oportunidade dessas araras encontrarem cupins, e o comportamento alimentar delas indica familiaridade e habilidade em consumilos. Esse é o primeiro registro de consumo de cupins por esta espécie.

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“…Sazima (2008) suggested that ingestion of soil from this source could be related to neutralization of toxic food compounds and also mineral supplementation. A recent study (Costa-Pereira et al 2015) reporting the consumption of soil from termite nests by Yellow-chevroned Parakeets (Brotogeris chiriri), also found that soil of termite nests had higher concentrations of macronutrients (e.g. Ca; Mg; K) than ground soil.…”

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confidence: 93%

“…In birds, geophagy has been widely reported in families such as Psittacidae (Diamond et al 1999, Brigthsmith & Muñoz-Najar 2004, Severo-Neto 2012, Costa-Pereira et al 2015, Dornas et al 2016 and Columbidae (Brigthsmith & Muñoz-Najar 2004, Symes et al 2005, Downs 2006), but not as much for other families, such as Cracidae (Brigthsmith & Muñoz-Najar 2004), Corvidae (Diamond et al 1999) and others (see also Gionfriddo & Best 1999). For the family Corvidae (Aves: Passeriformes), which includes 130 species distributed worldwide (dos Anjos & Bonan 2019), records of soil ingestion are particularly scarce and scattered in the literature.…”

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confidence: 99%

A REVIEW OF CASES OF GEOPHAGY IN CORVIDS (AVES: CORVIDAE) AND A NEW REPORT OF GEOPHAGY IN AZURE JAY (Cyanocorax caeruleus)

Willrich

2020

Oecol. Ast.

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Geophagy is the intentional ingestion of soil or sediments by different animal species. In birds this behaviour has been widely reported in Psittacidae and Columbidae, but less so for other families, such as Corvidae. The goal of the present study was to review cases of soil ingestion by corvids and also report a new observation of geophagy in Azure Jay (Cyanocorax caeruleus). Geophagy was mentioned only for 11 of the 130 species of the familiy Corvidae, and there is a particular scarcity of reports for Neotropical species. On 26 August 2018 an adult individual of Azure Jay was observed removing and ingesting pieces of dry clay from a nest of Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus). Hypotheses about this behaviour include mineral supplementation and grinding of food.

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Nutrients Drive Termite Nest Geophagy in Yellow-chevroned Parakeets (Brotogeris chiriri)

Cited by 9 publications

References 24 publications

Food availability and breeding season as predictors of geophagy in Amazonian parrots

Food availability and breeding season as predictors of geophagy in Amazonian parrots

Hyacinth Macaws (Anodorhynchus Hyacinthinus, Psittacidae) Feeding on Termites

A REVIEW OF CASES OF GEOPHAGY IN CORVIDS (AVES: CORVIDAE) AND A NEW REPORT OF GEOPHAGY IN AZURE JAY (Cyanocorax caeruleus)

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