The Breeding of Some S.W. Ecuadorian Birds

Marchant, S.

doi:10.1111/j.1474-919x.1960.tb07134.x

Cited by 53 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…Strong nesting seasonality correlated with the rainy season has been documented for S. albescens in other parts of its range (Venezuela: Cruz & Andrews 1989, Argentina: Mezquida 2001. Not surprisingly, breeding in our area also agrees with a variety of other cerrado species for which data are available (Alves & Cavalcanti 1990, Marini & Durães 2001, Lopes & Marini 2005, Medeiros & Marini 2007, França & Marini 2009, Santos & Marini 2010, Duca & Marini 2011 and follows the general pattern of most neotropical species studied in habitats with strong seasonal shifts in rainfall (Marchant 1960, Ramo & Busto 1984, Cruz & Andrews 1989, Mezquida 2001, 2002.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 61%

Reproductive biology of Synallaxis albescens (Aves: Furnariidae) in the cerrado of central Brazil

et al. 2012

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Understanding the causes and consequences of variation in reproductive strategies is a central theme in studies of avian life history evolution. This study describes the reproductive biology of Synallaxis albescens (Furnariidae) in the cerrado biome of central Brazil. We monitored 35 nests during the 2003 to 2011 breeding seasons, visiting them every 2-4 days. Synallaxis albescens breeds from mid-September to mid-January, builds a retort-shaped nest, and generally lays three immaculate white eggs. Eggs weighed 1.75 g and measured 19.7 by 14.4 mm. Most nests studied were in open cerrado or shrub grassland at an average height above the ground of 0.3 m, with a preference for Davilla elliptica (Dilleniaceae) shrubs as a nesting substrate. Incubation period averaged 18.1 days, while the nestling period averaged 13.6 days. Of 16 closely monitored nests, four were successful (25%), 11 were depredated (69%), and one was abandoned. Predation was similar during incubation (45%) and nestling (55%) phases. In general, the breeding biology of S. albescens was similar to that described previously for this species and for related Furnariidae.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 61%

Reproductive biology of Synallaxis albescens (Aves: Furnariidae) in the cerrado of central Brazil

et al. 2012

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“…Studies have suggested that Amazonian wet forest birds do not have strong nesting seasonality (Stouffer, Johnson, & Bierregaard, 2013). In contrast, other studies have suggested that dry forest birds' phenology is linked to precipitation, with a greater nesting activity during the rainy season (Marchant, 1960). A comparison of nest diversity among forest types while controlling for the length of the nesting season would provide higher resolution on how bird communities are influenced by precipitation seasonality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

The biotic interactions hypothesis partially explains bird species turnover along a lowland Neotropical precipitation gradient

Gómez

Ponciano

Londoño

et al. 2019

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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Aim:We evaluated the influence of climate on the structure of bird communities along precipitation gradients. We hypothesize that mechanisms responsible for community turnover along precipitation gradients are similar to mechanisms operating along temperature and latitudinal gradients. We tested the hypothesis that environmental conditions affect community composition in dry forests, whereas biotic interactions affect community composition in wet forests.Location: Low-elevation forests along a precipitation gradient in Colombia where precipitation ranges from 700-4,000 mm annually but elevation and temperature remain constant. Time period: Present day.Major taxa studied: Neotropical forest birds. Methods:We sampled at 291 points in nine study areas (localities) across the c. 3,000-mm precipitation range. In each locality, we obtained climatic characteristics and phylogenetic, morphological and physiological proxy data to test predictions about the evolutionary relationships and distribution of traits.Results: Bird communities changed abruptly along the precipitation gradient and differed between dry and wet forests. Analyses of phylogenetic relationships, trait space, and observations at nests suggested that environmental filtering is more important in dry than in wet forests, especially for breeding. In contrast, we found little evidence that competition was more important in wet than in dry forests. Nest predation or competition for nest space, however, may be more critical in wetter forests. Conclusions:The two distinct bird communities we documented suggest that lowland precipitation gradients, across which temperature is constant, can be as important as temperature gradients in generating high beta diversity. We conclude that breeding in bird communities might be crucial for determining community assembly along environmental gradients. Given that recent population declines in tropical birds have been attributed to changes in precipitation, by understanding the mechanisms underlying community assembly along precipitation gradients our study may improve

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“…However, conclusive patterns concerning nest predation rates for tropical birds remain elusive. Some studies suggest very high predation for tropical birds (Mason 1985, Kulesza 1990, Roper 1992), whereas others indicate rates comparable to those of northern temperate species (Marchant 1960, Oniki 1979).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest-site selection by Blue-black Grassquits in a Neotropical savanna: do choices influence nest success?

Aguilar¹,

Dias²,

Oliveira³

et al. 2008

J Field Ornithology

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Nest-site choice affects individual fitness and possibly reflects natural selection of the capacity of individuals to select appropriate microhabitat features. From 2003 to 2005, we examined nest-site characteristics and nesting success of Blue-black Grassquits (Volatinia jacarina) in central Brazil. We compared the characteristics of nest sites and nonused sites, as well as the characteristics of successful and unsuccessful nests. Grassquit nest sites were structurally more complex than nonused sites. Shrub height and the interaction between vegetation height and percentage of ground coverage were the most important predictors of nest placement. Grassquits used only four (20%) of the 20 grass species in the study area, with Paspalum pectinatum used less than expected based on availability and Melinis minutiflora more than expected. The only variable that differed between unsuccessful and successful nests was the distance to nearest conspecific nest; the latter were about twice as far from neighboring nests as unsuccessful nests. The evaluation of microhabitat candidate models indicated that the daily survival probability of nests varied chiefly as a function of the interaction between their external height and inner depth. Greater survival occurred when the external height was minimized in combination with augmentation of internal depth of the nest cup. The link between nest success and the inverse association of external height and internal depth suggests that minimizing the visual cues of nest presence while maintaining a viable incubation chamber can positively affect nest success. Thus, we suggest that nest concealment is the most critical attribute associated with nest site choice for Blue-black Grassquits in the study area. Vegetation cover above the nest seems to be particularly important, perhaps as a strategy to deter visually oriented aerial predators.

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The Breeding of Some S.W. Ecuadorian Birds

Cited by 53 publications

References 82 publications

Reproductive biology of Synallaxis albescens (Aves: Furnariidae) in the cerrado of central Brazil

Reproductive biology of Synallaxis albescens (Aves: Furnariidae) in the cerrado of central Brazil

The biotic interactions hypothesis partially explains bird species turnover along a lowland Neotropical precipitation gradient

Nest-site selection by Blue-black Grassquits in a Neotropical savanna: do choices influence nest success?

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