Search

Ovenbirds represent a clade of exclusively Neotropical birds that are exceptionally diverse, despite their rather dull, melanin-based plumage. In general, sexes are considered monomorphic in size and colour, but several authors have reported females of some species within this family as being slightly paler than their conspecific counterparts. Our aim was to assess levels of sexual dichromatism in a set of ovenbird species representing a diversity of genera and plumage patterns; Furnarius rufus, Phleocryptes melanops, Synallaxis spixi and Schoeniophylax phryganophilus. For each species, we quantified sexual differences in brightness and colouration among 8–10 different plumage regions through modelling avian perceptual colour-space distances. To best inform our visual modelling parameters, we successfully sequenced the SWS1 gene fragment (associated with short-wavelength, including ultraviolet, visual sensitivity in birds) for one species, P. melanops, and found it possessed an amino acid sequence consistent with the VS-type SWS1 visual system. This provides further evidence supporting the presence of VS-sensitive opsin in ovenbirds. Among all four species, females were consistently brighter than males in at least one plumage patch, but chromatic colour differences between sexes were significant only for the throat patches of Schoeniophylax phryganophilus. Overall, we interpret ovenbirds to exhibit very low levels of sexual dichromatism, manifest mainly by achromatic colour differences.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-26T16:48:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2016-01-01 General Biology Department of the Russian Academy of Science Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) German Academic Exchange Service - DAAD Two new quill mite species collected from passerine birds in Brazil are described: Torotrogla synallaxis sp. nov. from Synallaxis spixi Sclater (Funariidae) and Syringophilopsis bonariensis sp. nov. from Molothrus bonariensis (Gmelin) (Icteridae). Additionally, three syringophilid species were recorded from new host species captured in Minas Gerais, Brazil: Syringophilopsis tyranni Bochkov and Galloway, 2004 from Satrapa icterophrys (Vieillot) (Tyrannidae); Syringophiloidus stawarczyki Skoracki, 2004 from Dacnis cayana (Linnaeus) (Thraupidae) and Syringophiloidus parapresentalis Skoracki, 2011 from Turdus rufiventris Vieillot (Turdidae). The syringophilid fauna presently recorded from Brazil is summarized. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:XXXX Adam Mickiewicz Univ, Dept Anim Morphol, Fac Biol, Poznan, Poland Russian Acad Sci, Zool Inst, St Petersburg, Russia Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Zool, Rio Claro, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Museu Zool, Ipiranga, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Zool, Rio Claro, Brazil General Biology Department of the Russian Academy of Science: 01201351187 FAPESP: 2011/50145-0 FAPESP: 2011/11420-5 FAPESP: 2012/06951-4 German Academic Exchange Service - DAAD: A/12/05065