Search

Most bird species will defend a territory during the breeding period to assure the availability of resources for their reproductive success. Migratory birds abdicate their territory ownership during the non-breeding period, posing a challenge for the following breeding season. Here we investigated the territorial behavior of male Lined Seedeaters Sporophila lineola, an intra-tropical migrant, during the breeding season (December–May) 2018/2019 in south-eastern Brazil. The Lined Seedeater is a sexually color-dimorphic species that inhabits open areas and feeds on seeds. We followed 18 color-banded individuals, during the period in which they had an active nest. For each individual, we recorded the locations in which they exhibited any potential territorial behavior, with the aid of a handheld GPS. We then estimated the size and shape of the territories using a Kernel Density Estimator. The breeding territories had on average 0.59 ± 0.24 ha, ranging from 0.21 to 0.91 ha in area. Males exhibited agonistic behavior whenever another male intrudes on their territories, especially if in the vicinity of their nests. Our observations indicate that male Lined Seedeaters defend small territories of exclusive use during the breeding season, but forage over a wider home range shared with other conspecifics. Therefore, Lined Seedeaters and other members of Sporophila seem to exhibit home ranges that are much larger than their breeding territories. Empirical studies are needed to understand the influence of territory size and quality on reproductive fitness.

Reliable identification of cryptic Neotropical capuchino seedeater females remains as a recurrent and non-trivial issue in field ornithology. Even in the hand, capuchino females cannot be accurately diagnosed to the species level based solely on visual plumage examination, which may present a problem for future research on this group. During 10 years of field research on this group, we observed subtle vocal differences. We studied females of two parapatric species that may breed in syntopic upland grassland areas in southern Brazil: Tawny-bellied Seedeater Sporophila hypoxantha and Black-bellied Seedeater Sporophila melanogaster. Our main aim was to measure dissimilarities between inter-specific and intersexual repertory calls. We found unequivocal inter-specific divergences in call type repertoires revealed by cluster analysis, and no intersexual differences in the co-specific repertoire calls. These combined results enhance the understanding about the role of repertoire calls on species-specific recognition and interbreeding isolation processes (assortative mating), and provide a way to overcome the problem of field identification of female capuchinos at the species level.

Isospora sporophilae Carvalho-Filho, Meireles, Ribeiro & Lopes, 2005 was morphologically and molecularly identified from the double-collared seedeater Sporophila frontalis (Verreaux), which is categorised as ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), and from the uniform finch Haplospiza unicolor Cabanis in conserved and anthropomorphic/fragmented areas of Atlantic Forest in the southeastern Brazil. The oocysts recovered from S. frontalis and H. unicolor had small morphological and genotypic differences that were not considered sufficient for the description of new species, but only different genotypes of I. sporophilae related to each host. This coccidian species was originally described from double-collared seedeaters Sporophila caerulescens (Vieillot) in a center screening of wild animals; therefore, this new report emphasises a potential occurrence of anthropomorphic dispersion of coccidia through illegal trade, seizures and reintroductions in the wild.

Subtropical grasslands are highly susceptible to habitat conversion and number among South America’s most threatened ecosystems. The grasslands of northeastern Argentina have been identified as a priority conservation area for threatened capuchino seedeaters because they constitute the main breeding area of these migratory birds. The Iberá Seedeater (Sporophila iberaensis) is a newly described species in the Iberá Wetlands in Argentina whose biology is still poorly understood. The endangered species inhabits grasslands but has only been reported to breed in the Iberá Wetlands ecoregion of northeastern Argentina. To explore the species’ association with grassland vegetation, we studied the breeding biology (clutch size, hatching success, and fledgling production) of the Iberá Seedeater and the main parameters that influence nest survival and nest-site selection. We conducted nest searches and banded adults and nestlings in Iberá National Park during the breeding seasons of 2016–2018. The breeding season of the Iberá Seedeater was highly synchronous and the cumulative probability of nest survival was 0.16. The daily nest survival rate decreased as the breeding season advanced, survival was lower for nests supported by Rhynchospora corymbosa than Paspalum durifolium, the two main nest substrates, and the main causes of nest failure were nest predation and strong winds. Additionally, the population exhibited male-biased site fidelity and a low female return rate. In contrast to other capuchinos, whose breeding biology is associated with upland grasslands, the Iberá Seedeater nested exclusively in flooded lowland grasslands on marsh plants. Thus, effective lowland grassland management is key to maintain the vegetation structure required for reproduction in the Iberá Seedeater.

The small Neotropical finches called capuchinos are outstanding because they have experienced one of the most recent and explosive avian radiations ever documented for birds. Despite very low morphological and niche divergence among species, many of them are reproductively isolated when in sympatry due to strong sexual selection in plumage traits. However, a specific pair of mostly parapatric species, the Pearly-bellied, Sporophila pileata, and the Copper Seedeaters, S. bouvreuil, has confounded taxonomists because individuals with intermediate color patterns can be found. By analyzing diagnostic COI mtDNA sequences and adult male plumage we provide evidence for hybridization. Paternity tests using microsatellites also indicated that representatives with intermediate plumage pattern can be fertile. Our findings are consistent with the classification of S. bouvreuil and S. pileata as distinct taxa, but we demonstrate that the sexual selection mechanisms involved in the isolation of other reproductively sympatric capuchinos are not applicable to this pair of species, likely because of reduced barriers to mate recognition.

Paraguayan records of the recently described Ibera Seedeater Sporophila iberaensis are compiled and reviewed. Observations of birds identifiable to this species in Paraguay date from at least 1998, with the first photographic documentation in December 2004. The species has now been recorded at a minimum of 11 localities in the departments of Cordillera, Itapua, Misiones, San Pedro and Presidente Hayes. The first two records of the species from Brazil (both from Mato Grosso do Sul) are also listed. Most Paraguayan records are of singing males, and breeding has been documented (a pair feeding fledglings) at one locality in Cordillera department, significantly expanding the known breeding range of the species. At least three localities appear to hold small populations (observations of multiple territorial males and/or pairs). In Paraguay, as in Argentina, the species appears to prefer wet tall grasslands bordering wetland areas. Its preference for tall grasslands makes the species particularly susceptible to habitat loss and degradation through overgrazing, frequent burning, and conversion to agriculture. These threats are all present at the principal localities for the species in the country. A reassessment of the species global conservation status taking into consideration the Paraguayan range and population suggests that it may best be treated as “Vulnerable”.

The “capuchinos” form a monophyletic group within the Neotropical seedeaters of the genus Sporophila and are typically smaller than the other congeners. Many of the 12 species of this group are endangered, but reproductive information is scarce for most of them. Here we present the descriptions of nests, eggs, nestlings, and nesting habitats for the Pearly-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila pileata). From 2012 to 2017 we found 83 nests constructed in herbaceous plants present in open marshlands, 15–73 cm above water or humid ground. Nests were deep cups built of grass stems, inflorescences, and rootlets, attached with spider web. Nests measured 59.3 ± 4.7 mm outside diameter, 50.7 ± 6.5 mm outside height, 41.6 ± 3.2 mm internal diameter, and 35.7 ± 3.3 mm internal depth. Eggs were oval with white, grayish, or greenish background color with black and brown spots mainly in the obtuse pole. They weighed 1.2 ± 0.1 g and measured 16.3 ± 0.8 per 12.2 ± 0.3 mm. Clutches consisted of 1–3 eggs. Our study sites...

The Lined Seedeater (Sporophila lineola) is a migratory species that inhabits a variety of open habitats in South America. We studied the breeding biology and territorial behaviour of a colour-banded population of the species in the Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Campus Florestal (1–19,8808ºS, –44,4136ºW), during two breeding seasons (2014/2015 and 2015/2016), which spans from December to April. We monitored 74 nests of this species. The nest is a low cup supported between a fork. Nests are mainly built with grass stems and rootlets, with spider-web used to hold the material together and to bind the nest to its supporting plant. Females are solely responsible for nest building and incubation, which is synchronic, and also for feeding nestlings to a large extent. Males are responsible for defending the territory, which corresponds to a small portion of the home range restricted to the nest environs, and also feed the nestlings. Mean clutch size is two eggs (78% of nests monitored), with clutches of three (20.3%) and four (1.7%) eggs also observed. Eggs are whitish, covered with dark brown blotches and spots to a variable extent. Mean incubation period, considered as the period between the onset of incubation and hatching of the first egg, is 11 days. Nestling period, considered as the period between hatching of the first egg and fledging of the last young, is 10 days. During the first breeding season, the simple percentage of successful nests was 34.1%, while the Mayfield success was 29.8%, with slightly higher values observed during the second breeding season, with 39.4% and 35.7%, respectively. We recorded, for the first time, three cases of polygamy in the species. We also recorded breeding site fidelity for the first time in the species, with males returning to the same territory owned in a previous breeding season.

The Sao Tome Grosbeak Neospiza concolor, endemic to the island of Sao Tome (Gulf of Guinea), is one of the least known birds in the world. Formerly considered to be an aberrant weaver (Ploceidae), it is currently placed in a monotypic genus within the true finches (Fringillidae). Phylogenetic inference based on mitochondrial and nuclear sequences confidently identifies N. concolor as an Old World finch (Fringillidae: Carduelinae) within the Crithagra seedeater/canary clade. The Sao Tome Grosbeak is therefore the world's largest canary, 50% heavier than the next largest species, and it co-occurs with a population of its sister species, the Principe Seedeater Crithagra rufobrunnea.

The Buffy-fronted Seedeater, Sporophila frontalis (Verreaux, 1869) (Aves, Thraupidae), is a threatened passerine endemic to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern South America. Habitat loss and illegal capture for the pet trade has reduced the geographical distribution of this species. The Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul represents the southernmost limit of this species' range. There, S. frontalis was last recorded in 1883, and currently this species is thought to be as extirpated in this state. After 133 years, we report photographic and audiotape records of S. frontalis, made in the municipalities of Maquiné and Mampituba, Rio Grande do Sul.

The recently described Tropeiro Seedeater, Sporophila beltoni, is a rare long-distance austral migrant songbird that breeds in upland grasslands of southern Brazil. No aspect of its natural history has been studied previously. We studied the natural history of this seedeater in the grasslands of the Araucarian Plateau from 2007 until 2011, focusing on breeding biology and monitoring 133 nests. The breeding cycle lasts for 3.8 months, and the breeding season is correlated with photoperiod and phenology of the grasses; nesting peaks in November and December; the mean clutch size is 2 eggs (1–3); and only the females brood, for 12 days. The nestling period lasts 10 days, and both parents care for the nestlings, although with different roles. The daily estimated survival rate (DSR) of nests, as modeled by the MARK program, was 0.94 and varied temporally in the breeding season. The estimated reproductive success was 20%. The quadratic model best explained the changes in nest survival, coupled with con...

The Great-billed Seed-finch, Sporophila maximiliani, is a threatened neotropical bird that has declined mainly due to illegal trapping, with very few records in the wild in the last two decades. Despite the existence of a considerable captive population that could be used for reintroductions into the wild, many individuals are known to be hybrids either with other species or subspecies of the genus. Forensic investigations are urgently needed to distinguish between birds born in captivity from those from illegal trade. Microsatellites can be useful tools to assess individual admixture levels and to perform parentage tests that may confirm the origin of animals, but only a few loci are available for this group of birds. Here, we provide a set of 14 microsatellite loci isolated from the S. maximiliani, many of which also amplified and were polymorphic in the Pearly-bellied Seedeater, S. pileata, and in the Copper Seedeater, S. bouvreuil. In ten loci selected for the S. maximiliani, the number of alleles per locus varied from four to nine and observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.13 to 1 and 0.56 to 0.83, respectively. These loci proved to be highly informative for forensic analyses, indicating that they may be useful for conservation management plans in these endangered tropical birds.

The present study aimed to evaluate the breeding biology of Rusty-collared Seedeater (Sporophila collaris) from the grasslands in southern Brazil. Data from 52 nests were collected during the 2015–2016 breeding season. Breeding started in mid-September with a peak in early December and extended to early April, a period of ∼203 d, which is clearly longer than the period recorded for Argentine populations. Only females built the nests, which were open cups. The nests were built in herbaceous and shrubby plants at an average height of 116.3 ± 40.6 cm; 85% were located above the ground and 15% over water. The most common clutch size was 2 eggs (n = 12 nests), followed by 3 eggs (n = 7 nests), with egglaying occurring on consecutive days. Only the female is in charge of incubation, spending an average of 12.8 ± 0.7 d on this activity. The average on-bout was 20.9 ± 15.92 min and the average off-bout was 12.23 ± 8.62 min. The hatching rate was 81% and the fertility rate was 90%. Both parents took care of the nestlings. Visiting frequency to the nest differed between the sexes (female = 5.67 visits/h, n = 170 visits; male = 1.83 visits/h, n = 55 visits; z = 2.80, P = 0.005). The nestlings remained in the nest for an average 11.1 ± 0.78 d. The apparent success was 25% and the nest success estimation varied from 13% (Mayfield method) to 29% (MARK).

The southern capuchino seedeaters constitute a rapid radiation of finch-like birds that inhabit Neotropical grasslands in continental South America. While capuchinos are highly sympatric, the mechanisms allowing them to breed in sympatry, such as patterns of microhabitat use, remain largely unknown. We provide the first nesting account of the Ibera Seedeater (Sporophila iberaensis), a recently discovered capuchino species that breeds exclusively in the Ibera wetlands of northeastern Argentina, and compare its nesting habits to those of other members of the capuchino radiation. From November 2016 to January 2017, we located and monitored 25 Ibera Seedeater nests. The Ibera Seedeater constructs open-cup nests in clumps of grass on the margins of flooded habitat and lays an average of 2 eggs per clutch. Like other capuchino species, females participate in nest construction and incubation, while both sexes provision offspring. Despite similarities in nest architecture, the Ibera Seedeater differs in ...

Oryzoborus angolensis (Lesser Seed-Finch), Oryzoborus crassirostris (Large-billed Seed-Finch), and Sporophila intermedia (Grey Seedeater) are finch species native to the Caribbean island of Trinidad. These species are locally trapped and kept for their song, but with declining native populations, enthusiasts have turned to illegally importing birds from the South American mainland. The smuggling of wild birds from South America poses significant disease risks to the native bird species of Trinidad. Herein we describe the first case of poxviral infection in these illegally imported birds in Trinidad and partial genome sequence of the causative agent. Phylogenetic analysis of the 4b core protein sequence indicated that the avian poxvirus identified was most closely related to a 2012 avian pox sequence from Brazil, with 96.2% and 98.1% identity at the nucleotide and amino acid level.

The Black-and-tawny Seedeater, Sporophila nigrorufa , is an endangered species and one of the rarest seedeaters found in Brazil’s Pantanal and Cerrado. Although its distribution range encompasses Bolivia and Brazil, few sites harbor this species in both countries. In Brazilian territory, this species was recorded at only three sites. Here, we report on two new documented observations from Mato Grosso do Sul State, in the Pantanal and easternmost Brazilian Cerrado.

An analysis of morphology, vocalization, habitat preference, and distribution revealed that the southern yellowbilled population ascribed to the Plumbeous Seedeater (Sporophila plumbea) is actually an undescribed species. Individuals of this new species are distinguishable from other Sporophila, particularly S. plumbea, by a combination of diagnostic characters: (1) the adult male has a robust, bright yellow bill with an arched culmen, distinguishing it from S. plumbea and other gray seedeaters; (2) the adult male is larger and heavier than S. plumbea; (3) the adult plumage of males is bluish gray (not plumbeous gray, as in S. plumbea); (4) vocalizations include song that is structurally similar to that of S. plumbea but with clear (whistled) introductory syllables and unique call notes. The new seedeater is segregated from other gray seedeaters in its breeding habitat and breeding distribution. It is endemic to Brazil, where it breeds in upland shrub-grasslands associated with Araucaria forests...

We present detailed information on the breeding biology of a migratory population of the Tawny-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila hypoxantha), a typical member of the “capuchinos” group. Data were collected for 69 nests from 2007–2010 in areas of hilly dry grasslands in southern Brazil. Breeding begins in early November, a week after the seedeaters arrive, peaks in late November, and lasts until late February, when individuals migrate north. Females build small open-cup nests in small shrubs (mainly Vernonia chamaedrys and Eupatorium polystachyum), 41.9 ± 0.8 cm (range 27–60 cm, n = 38) above the ground. Clutch size is two (91%) or three eggs (n = 43), which measure 16.22 ± 0.51 mm by 11.93 ± 0.28 mm (n = 10), and incubation, which is performed by the female, lasts 12 days. Average nest attentiveness during incubation was 60 ± 5% (n = 5) with 20–31 min on-bouts. Males help feed the nestlings beginning on the fifth day after hatching. Provisioning visits/hr averaged 4.6 ± 0.7 (n = 6) and fema...

Los bambúes leñosos semélparos florecen de manera bastante sincrónica y de modo cronométrico cada muchos años, proveyendo semillas abundantes y nutritivas. Sin embargo, este recurso es efímero, local e impredecible desde la perspectiva de las aves que se alimentan de estas semillas. Las aves que se especializan en semillas de bambú, como Sporophila falcirostris y S. frontalis, rastrean este recurso y son nómades. Registramos a S. falcirostris en 29 localidades y a S. frontalis en 23 localidades en Argentina, Paraguay y sudeste de Brasil. En estas especies, el nomadismo no esta asociado a ningún factor estacional: las aves permanecerán durante todo el año a lo largo de varios años si la provisión de semillas es lo suficientemente constante. Todos los registres de reproducción y la mayoría de las presencias corresponden a momentos de producción masiva de semillas de bambú; los registros de individuos aislados lejos de bambúes deben interpretarse como individuos en búsqueda de parches de bambú. No se conocen poblaciones estables conformadas por individuos residentes en ninguna parte de la distribución geográfica de estas especies. Reportamos por primera vez reproducción invernal en estas especies y demostramos que la disponibilidad de semillas es la principal limitante para su reproducción. En una escala espaciotemporal amplia, los bambúes con semillas grandes (e.g., Guadua spp.) funcionarían como bombas poblacionales fuertes, mientras que los bambúes con semillas pequeñas (e.g., Chusquea spp.) serían estaciones de mantenimiento. Ambas especies se alimentaron mayormente de semillas de bambú, ocasionalmente de flores de bambú y raramente de fuentes alternativas de alimento. Consumieron insectos frecuentemente y formaron parte de bandos mixtos, especialmente durante otoño e invierno. La creación de una red de áreas protegidas es esencial para preservar parches de bambúes floreciendo en diferentes momentos y localidades en cantidades suficientes para garantizar la supervivencia a largo plazo de las poblaciones peculiarmente dinámicas de los semilleritos de bambú. Semelparous woody bamboos flower fairly synchronously and in clocklike fashion after many years, providing abundant and nutritious seeds. However, this resource is ephemeral, localized, and unpredictable from the perspective of birds that feed on those seeds. Birds specializing on bamboo seeds track this food source and are nomadic. We recorded Temminck's Seedeater (Sporophila falcirostris) at 29 localities and the Buffy-fronted Seedeater (S. frontalis) at 23 localities in Argentina, Paraguay, and southeastern Brazil. In these species, nomadism is unassociated with any seasonal factor: birds may persist year round over several consecutive years if the seed supply is constant enough. Most occurrences and all breeding records were related to masting of bamboo; records of isolated birds away from seeding bamboo must represent individuals searching for bamboo patches. We report winter breeding of these species for the first time and demonstrate that the supply of bamboo seeds is the main limitation to their breeding. On a broad spatiotemporal scale, large-seeded bamboos (e.g., Guadua spp.) may function as strong population pumps, small-seeded bamboos (e.g., Chusquea spp.) as maintenance stations. Both species fed mostly on bamboo seeds, occasionally on bamboo flowers, and rarely on alternative food sources. They consumed insects frequently and occurred in mixed-species flocks, especially during autumn and winter. Creation of a network of protected areas is essential to preserve bamboo patches that flower at different times and localities in sufficiently large quantities to guarantee the long-term survival of the peculiarly dynamic populations of bamboo seedeaters. Fil: Areta, Juan Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del Noroeste Argentino; Argentina. Proyecto Selva de Pino Paraná; Argentina Fil: Bodrati, Alejandro. Proyecto Selva de Pino Paraná; Argentina Fil: Thom, Gregory. Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi. Programa de Pós Graduação em Zoologia; Brasil Fil: Eisen Rupp, Adrian. Universidade Regional de Blumenau. Instituto de Pesquisas Ambientais. Laboratório de Ecologia e Ornitologia; Brasil Fil: Velazquez, Myriam. Fundación Moisés Bertoni; Paraguay Fil: Holzmann, Ingrid. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cienti­ficas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Nordeste. Instituto de Biologia Subtropical. Instituto de Biologia Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazu; Argentina Fil: Carrano, Eduardo. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paran. Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação; Brasil Fil: Zimmerman, Carlos E.. Universidade Regional de Blumenau. Instituto de Pesquisas Ambientais. Laboratório de Ecologia e Ornitologia; Brasil

We present the first records of the Wing-barred Seedeater (Sporophila americana)in Acre, Brazil. These observations, together with the published records and the specimens housed in museum collections, indicate that S. americana occurs over a considerably larger geographical area than is currently presented in the relevant literature. The occurrence of S. americana in the region of São Paulo de Olivença, in the Brazilian state of Amazonas indicates the potential existence of a sympatric zone with the congener Caqueta Seedeater (Sporophila murallae) in the western Amazonia.

We present the first detailed description of the nest and eggs of the Black-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila melanogaster) based on observation of 64 nests in three areas of grassland in southeastern Santa Catarina and northeastern Rio Grande do Sul states, Brazil. The nests were found from November through March. The nest has the shape of a shallow basket, constructed with portions of dried grasses and strung with spider webs. Half of the nests were constructed in Ludwigia sericea (Onagraceae), and the other half were in 15 other plant species. Of these, the most important were Eupatorium polystachyum (10%) and Achyrocline vauthieriana (6%) (Asteraceae). Only the female constructs the nest. The eggs are ovoid and colored whitish with brownish-purple spots near the wider portion. Clutch size was two eggs, rarely three.

Avian bamboo specialists are an ecologically distinctive group of birds in the Neotropics with some seedeater species having nomadic movements following bamboo (Guadua, Chusquea or Rhipidocladum) mast seeding. We reviewed the range and seasonal distribution of Blackish-blue Seedeaters (Amaurospiza moesta) using published and unpublished records, museum specimens, sound libraries, and intensive field work. We report the first occurrence of Blackish-blue Seedeaters in the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso, a male collected in Fazenda Baía de Pedra, Cáceres (16° 27′ 29″ S, 58° 09′ 59″ W). We also recorded this species in two localities in the Cerrado region (a tropical savannah) of Minas Gerais: the Santo Antonio River, Presidente Olegário (18° 07′ 48″ S, 46° 11′ 57″ W), and the Abaeté River, São Gonçalo do Abaeté (18° 05′ S, 45° 22′ W). These records represent a remarkable range extension, demonstrating this species is distributed across the Cerrado. We found no evidence of regular large scale or local movements of this species, which seems to be resident, at least in Argentina, which had the largest data set.

In some sexually dichromatic passerines, juvenile males retain a plumage similar to that of adult females through their first year or longer (delayed plumage maturation). The Tawny-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila hypoxantha) is a sexually dichromatic species in which, to the human eye, the juveniles look like females. We analyzed the species' stages of plumage maturation by reflectance spectrometry and a visual model of color discrimination on captive individuals of known ages. We found that males retain a plumage different from that of adult males through their first breeding season. By the time males passed the age of 1 year, their color did not differ from that of adult males in any region of the body except the crown. Spectrophotometry also revealed differences between the plumage color of juvenile males and females, and the color-discrimination model implies that the birds should be able to detect these differences. Thus juvenile males of the Tawny-bellied Seedeater acquire adult plumage after their first breeding season but are already dichromatic during the first year. How this pattern of plumage development affects the species' reproductive or other social behavior deserves further study. Fil: Facchinetti, Carolina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Laboratorio de Ecología y Comportamiento Animal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Mahler, Bettina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Laboratorio de Ecología y Comportamiento Animal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Di Giacomo, Alejandro G.. Aves Argentinas / Asociación Ornitológica del Plata; Argentina Fil: Reboreda, Juan Carlos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Laboratorio de Ecología y Comportamiento Animal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Geographically isolated populations diverging in vocalizations and habitat use are prime candidates for diversification along the speciation/differentiation continuum. The Tawny-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila hypoxantha) is relatively widespread, thus potentially variable across its range. We investigated geographic variation in vocalizations, habitat use, and migratory behavior, identifying five regiolects (song variants encompassing extensive subpopulations of a species and all individuals within this large range), which correspond with different patterns of habitat use but arose independently of migratory behavior. Given the low level of genetic divergence in the capuchinos, a subset of the genus Sporophila that includes S. hypoxantha, the phylogenetic potential for learning in the genus, the fast temporal changes evident within regiolects (chronolects), the existence of environmental sound assimilation, and the singing of subsongs by young males, we conclude that geographic variation is due mostly to learning, the genetic makeup of the various populations having little effect. The occurrence of allopatric habitat-related regiolects with little (if any) morphological differentiation, suggests that this constitutes a plausible step toward the evolution of new species in the capuchinos. These results highlight the importance of habitat use and vocalizations in understanding the evolutionary differentiation and diversification of the seedeaters and suggest that their explosive radiation has been strongly influenced by the interplay of habitat choice, migratory behavior, and vocal differentiation. Las poblaciones que se encuentran aisladas y que exhiben variación en sus vocalizaciones y en el uso del hábitat son candidatas a diversificación a lo largo del continuum especiación/diferenciación. Sporophila hypoxantha es una especie con una distribución relativamente amplia, y por eso probablemente exhiba variación geográfica. Investigamos la variación geográfica en sus vocalizaciones, uso de hábitat y comportamiento migratorio. Reconocimos cinco regiolectos (variantes de canto encontradas en subpoblaciones de una especie en una gran extensión y en todos los individuos dentro de este gran rango), que se corresponden con diferentes patrones de uso de hábitat, pero que aparecieron independientemente de la presencia del comportamiento migratorio. Dada la escasa divergencia genética entre los capuchinos, un grupo dentro del género Sporophila que incluye a S. hypoxantha, el potencial filogenético para el aprendizaje en el género, los cambios rápidos dentro de regiolectos (cronolectos), la existencia de asimilación acústica ambiental y la grabación de machos jóvenes con sub-cantos, concluimos que la variación geográfica se debe principalmente al aprendizaje, con poco efecto del trasfondo genético de las diferentes poblaciones. La presencia de regiolectos alopátricos vinculados a hábitats, con poca (o ninguna) diferenciación morfológica, sugiere que esto constituye una etapa hacia la evolución de nuevas especies en los capuchinos. Este trabajo resalta la importancia del uso de hábitat y de las vocalizaciones para entender la diferenciación evolutiva y la diversificación en Sporophila, y sugiere que su radiación explosiva ha sido fuertemente influenciada por la interacción entre los procesos de selección de hábitat, comportamiento migratorio y diferenciación vocal. Fil: Areta, Juan Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción; Argentina; Argentina Fil: Repenning, Márcio. Pontificia Universidade Catolica Do Rio Grande Do Sul; Brasil

The capuchinos, a subset of the genus Sporophila, represent a radiation of seedeaters characterized by little genetic differentiation, virtually no change in bill and body shape, marked plumage differences on a common theme, and notable differentiation in vocalizations and habitat use. We describe a distinctive variant that would have been considered a species by the traditional strictly phenotypical criteria for classification of species in the genus. This variant resembles the Tawny-bellied Seedeater (S. hypoxantha) but has a tawny, not gray, nape and back. It is also identical in pattern to the Chestnut Seedeater (S. cinnamomea) but has a tawny rather than chestnut body. We tested four hypotheses to assess the status of the variant: that it represents a new species, a hybrid S. hypoxantha × S. cinnamomea, a color morph of S. cinnamomea, or a color morph of S. hypoxantha. The variant is identical to S. hypoxantha in vocalizations and habitat use, varying geographically in parallel. Both forms breed syntopically, and the tawny variant is recorded only within the range of S. hypoxantha, with many records from areas where S. hypoxantha is the only breeding representative of the ruficollis group. We consider the tawny variant to be a color morph of S. hypoxantha. Two nontrivial evolutionary paths can constitute precursors to speciation in the capuchinos: (1) differentiation in vocalizations and habitat use arises with little plumage change in more or less geographically isolated populations, and (2) differentiation in plumage proceeds without change in vocalizations and habitat use within some populations. Los capuchinos representan un conjunto de especies del genero Sporophila proveniente de una radiación única de pequeños semilleritos-fruteros. Esta radiación ha ocurrido con escasa diferenciación genética, virtualmente sin cambios en las formas del pico y cuerpo, marcadas diferencias en el plumaje sobre una base común y diferencias notables en sus vocalizaciones y uso de hábitat. Describimos una variante distintiva que hubiera sido considerada una especie con base en el criterio tradicional estrictamente fenotípico de asignación de especies en el género. Esta forma es similar a S. hypoxantha, pero con la nuca y la espalda naranjas en vez de gris. También tiene un patrón idéntico a S. cinnamomea, pero con cuerpo naranja en vez de castaño. Pusimos a prueba cuatro hipótesis sistemáticas para evaluar el status de esta variante: que representa una nueva especie, un híbrido S. hypoxantha x S. cinnamomea, un morfo de color de S. cinnamomea o un morfo de color de S. hypoxantha. La nueva variante es idéntica a S. hypoxantha en vocalizaciones y uso de hábitat, mostrando la misma variación geográfica en estas características. Ambas formas crían en sintopía y todos los registros de la nueva variante se presentaron dentro de los límites geográficos de S. hypoxantha, con varios registros en áreas dónde S. hypoxantha es el único representante del grupo ruficollis que cría. Consideramos que la nueva variante es un morfo de color de S. hypoxantha. Dos trayectorias evolutivas no triviales pueden constituir precursores a la especiación en los capuchinos: (1) la diferenciación en vocalizaciones y uso de hábitat aparecen con escaso cambio en el plumaje en poblaciones más o menos aisladas geográficamente y (2) la marcada diferenciación en el plumaje aparece sin cambios en las vocalizaciones y en el uso de hábitat dentro de algunas poblaciones. Fil: Areta, Juan Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción; Argentina; Argentina Fil: Repenning, Márcio. Pontificia Universidade Catolica Do Rio Grande Do Sul; Brasil

The genus Sporophila (Cabanis, 1844) unites about 30 species of small seedeaters that predominantly inhabit open or semi-open areas in the Neotropical region. The taxonomy of this group is based on morphological studies from collected male specimens. The dynamic spatial and temporal variation in the male plumage and lack of knowledge of their vocalizations make it difficult to properly diagnose some species even today, so these two aspects account for the existing taxonomic dilemmas involving Sporophila. During a four-year field study, we investigated the natural history of a breeding population of Sporophila melanogaster (Pelzeln, 1870). This is an endemic species in Brazil, which reproduces in the high-altitude grasslands of the Atlantic Forest biome. We found four male specimens with clearly diagnosable plumage, distinct from the typical form of the species. Here we describe this previously unreported plumage form. Based on the evaluation of habitat use, vocalization, and reproductive behavior, we tested two hypotheses regarding its taxonomic status. We concluded that this is another case of an intra-specific color morph within the seedeaters of the "capuchinos" group. O gênero Sporophila (Cabanis, 1844) reúne cerca de 30 espécies de papa-capins de pequeno porte, que habitam predominantemente áreas abertas ou semi-abertas na região Neotropical. A taxonomia do gênero é baseada em estudos morfológicos de exemplares machos adultos coletados. A variação espaço-temporal dinâmica na coloração da plumagem dos machos e a falta de conhecimento sobre suas vocalizações torna difícil diagnosticar adequadamente algumas espécies, de modo que esses dois aspectos são responsáveis pelos dilemas taxonômicos envolvendo Sporophila. Durante quatro anos estudamos a história natural da população reprodutiva de Sporophila melanogaster (Pelzeln, 1870). Essa é uma espécie endêmica do Brasil, que reproduz em campos de altitude do bioma Mata Atlântica. Ao longo desse estudo foram encontrados quatro exemplares machos com plumagem claramente distinta da forma típica conhecida para a espécie. Aqui nós descrevemos essa nova forma, com base na avaliação do uso do hábitat, vocalização e comportamento reprodutivo, e testamos duas hipóteses em relação a sua situação taxonômica. Concluimos tratar-se de mais um morfo de coloração em Sporophila do grupo dos caboclinhos.

SummaryPopulations of grassland birds are declining in Brazil due to profound alterations to grassland habitats. In this paper, we present recent records and range extensions for 12 threatened or little known Brazilian grassland species: Ocellated Crake Micropygia schomburgkii, Sickle-winged Nightjar Eleothreptus anomalus, Campo Miner Geositta poeciloptera, Rufous-sided Pygmy-tyrant Euscarthmus rufomarginatus, Sharp-tailed Grass-tyrant Culicivora caudacuta, Cock-tailed Tyrant Alectrurus tricolor, Cinereous Warbling-finch Poospiza cinerea, Black-masked Finch Coryphaspiza melanotis, Tawny-bellied Seedeater Sporophila hypoxantha, Marsh Seedeater S. palustris, Chestnut Seedeater S. cinnamomea and Black-bellied Seedeater S. melanogaster. We also comment on the biogeography and conservation of these species.

Entre R?os Seedeaters (Sporophila zelichi), also called Zelich's Seedeaters, White-collared Seedeaters, and Narosky's Seedeaters, are one of the rarest birds in the Neotropics. However, doubts have been raised about the validity of this species. Therefore, I evaluated the systematic status of Entre R?os Seedeaters based on analysis of previously unpublished vocal and habitat data. I tested four hypotheses regarding the systematic status of S. zelichi: Good Species Hypothesis (valid species), Hybridization Hypothesis (hybrid S. palustris x S. cinnamomea), Color Morph Hypothesis I (morph of 5. cinnamomea), and Color Morph Hypothesis II (morph of S. palustris). The songs and preferred habitat of 5. zelichi are indistinguishable from those of Marsh Seedeaters {S. palustris), and the songs of both forms have exhibited similar changes from the early 1990s to 2003-2007. In contrast, the songs and preferred habitat of Chestnut Seedeaters {S. cinnamomea) differ from those of S. zelichi. Therefore, the Good Species Hypothesis is rejected by vocalization and habitat data, the Hybrid Hypothesis is undermined by the absence of shared vocal characters and limited habitat overlap of the proposed parental forms S. cinnamomealS. palustris, and Color Morph Hypothesis I is rejected by both song and habitat data. However, Color Morph Hypothesis II is supported by both song and habitat data. Thus, I propose that S. zelichi be considered a color morph of S. palustris. SINOPSIS. El Capuchino Collar Blanco {Sporophila zelichi): una especie que nunca fue El Capuchino de Collar Blanco (S. zelichi) es una de las aves m?s raras del Neotr?pico. Su validez como especie se ha puesto en duda repetidas veces. Por esto, evalu? el status de S. zelichi bas?ndome en el an?lisis de datos de vocalizaciones y habitat previamente no publicados. Pongo a prueba expl?citamente cuatro hip?tesis sobre el estatus sistem?tico de S. zelichi: hip?tesis de especie buena (especie v?lida), hip?tesis de hibridaci?n (h?brido S. palustris x S. cinnamomea), morfo de color I (morfo de S. cinnamomea) y morfo de color II (S. palustris). El Capuchino de Collar Blanco es indistinguible del Capuchino Pecho Blanco (S. palustris) tanto en voces como en habitat preferido, y las vocalizaciones de ambos cambiaron en t?ndem entre principios de los 1990's y 2003-2007. El Capuchino Casta?o (S. cinnamomea) difiere marcadamende de S. zelichi en vocalizaciones y habitat preferido. Por lo tanto, la hip?tesis de especie buena es refutada por los datos de vocalizaciones y habitat, la hip?tesis de hibridaci?n no es apoyada por la falta de caracteres vocales compartidos y la escasa superposici?n de habitat entre sus supuestas formas parentales S. cinnamomealS. palustris, la hip?tesis de morfo de color I es refutada por los datos de vocalizaciones y habitat. Sin embargo, la hip?tesis de morfo de color II es fuertemente corroborada por los datos de vocalizaciones y habitat. Propongo tratar a S. zelichi como morfo de color de S. palustris.

SUMMARY From Ethiopia, a new species of streaked seedeater (Serin), the Ankober Serin Serinus ankoberensis. is described. It is closely related to S. menachensis of the Arabian peninsula, and like it, is a highland species living at around 3030 m along the top of the steep escarpment of the central highland massif. It is a terrestrial species. A nest found in March contained three white eggs in a vertical hole in an overhanging bank.

Known with certainty solely from a unique male specimen collected in central Brazil in the first quarter of the 19th century, the Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) Hooded Seedeater Sporophila melanops has been one of the great enigmas of Neotropical ornithology, arguably the only one of a host of long-lost species from Brazil to remain obstinately undiscovered. We reanalysed the morphology of the type specimen, as well as a female specimen postulated to represent the same taxon, and sequenced mitochondrial DNA (COI and Cyt-b) from both individuals. Furthermore, we visited the type locality, at the border between Goiás and Mato Grosso, and its environs on multiple occasions at different seasons, searching for birds with similar morphology to the type, without success. Novel genetic and morphological evidence clearly demonstrates that the type of S. melanops is not closely related to Yellow-bellied Seedeater S. nigricollis, as has been frequently postulated in the literature, but is in fact a representative of one of the so-called capuchinos, a clade of attractively plumaged seedeaters that breed mostly in the Southern Cone of South America. Our morphological analysis indicates that S. melanops has a hitherto unreported dark-coffee throat and that it is probably a Dark-throated Seedeater S. ruficollis collected within its wintering range, acquiring breeding plumage and showing melanism on the cap feathers. Alternatively, it may be a melanistic-capped individual of a local population of seedeaters known to breed in the Esteros del Iberá, Corrientes, Argentina, to which the name S. ruficollis might be applicable, whilst the name S. plumbeiceps might be available for what is currently known as S. ruficollis. A hybrid origin for S. melanops cannot be ruled out from the available data, but seems unlikely. The purported female specimen of S. melanops pertains either to S. nigricollis or to Double-collared Seedeater S. caerulescens based on genetic and morphological data, and thus cannot be a female of S. melanops. We conclude that Sporophila melanops is not typical of any natural population of seedeaters, appears to have been collected far from its breeding grounds while overwintering in central Brazil, and should not be afforded any conservation status. Fil: Areta, Juan Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; Argentina Fil: Piacentini, Vítor de Q. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil Fil: Haring, Elisabeth. Universidad de Viena; Austria Fil: Gamauf, Anita. Universidad de Viena; Austria Fil: Silveira, Luís Fábio. Universidad de Viena; Austria Fil: Machado, Erika. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil Fil: Kirwan, Guy M.. The Field Museum; Estados Unidos

Human alterations of the habitat may interfere with the natural processes that determine spatial patterns of species abundance. We examine the geographical position hypothesis and the agricultural transformation hypothesis to explain spatial patterns in the abundance of seedeater species (Sporophila spp.) in the southern Neotropics. The geographical position hypothesis predicts decreasing abundance with increasing distance from the center to the edge of a species' geographical range, and the agricultural transformation hypothesis predicts changing abundance as a response of variations in agricultural intensity. Bird abundance and the proportion of agricultural land were estimated for 16 transects covering 500 km along a gradient of both increasing agricultural intensity and increasing distance from the center of the species' geographical ranges. We found no evidence of distance effects on seedeater abundance. Responses to agricultural intensity varied among species. Neither the geographical position nor the agricultural transformation seemed to explain the pattern of abundance of Double-collared seedeaters (S. caerulescens). Agricultural intensity accounted for 63% and 99% of the spatial variation in the abundance of Dark-throated (S. ruficollis) and Tawny-bellied (S. hypoxantha) seedeaters, supporting the agricultural transformation hypothesis. The Dark-throated seedeater seem to be more tolerant to agricultural transformation than the Tawny-bellied seedeater, as they were not recorded in areas with more than 60% and 20% of agricultural lands, respectively. Our results indicate that the Dark-throated seedeater and the Tawny-bellied seedeater will most likely face (or may be already facing) a reduction in the southern part of their geographical range due to habitat loss to agriculture.

The Double-collared Seedeater (Sporophila caerulescens) is the most common seedeater in southern South America. Because information on its breeding biology is mostly limited to descriptions of nests and eggs, I studied the reproductive biology of the Double-collared Seedeater in southeastern Brazil. I found 41 active nests during seven breeding seasons (1997–2003). Nesting occurred from December to May. All nests found during incubation contained two eggs, eggs were laid on consecutive days, and incubation started the morning the female laid the last egg. Incubation and nestling periods were 12 and 12–15 days, respectively. Only females incubated the eggs. Mean time spent incubating/hr was 52.3 min, and incubation recesses averaged 6.6 min. Nestlings were fed 7.6 times/hr, and although both males and females fed the young, the participation of females was significantly greater than that of males. Predation was the major cause of nest failure. Daily survival rates during the incubation (0.990) and...

We report the first records of the White-naped Seedeater Dolospingus fringilloides for Guyana, provide new information on its natural history and plumage sequences, and clarify its systematic relationships based on DNA sequence data. Dolospingus is a rare and patchily distributed endemic of white-sand scrub of the Guianan shield region. Phylogenetic analyses of a broad sampling of emberizine cytochrome b sequences identified a ‘seed finch’ clade consisting of the genera Sporophila , Oryzoborus and Dolospingus with 100% bootstrap support. More intensive maximum-likelihood (ML) and Bayesian analyses conducted with a reduced data set indicated strong support for the same ‘seed finch’ clade, but could not distinguish the three genera. In the optimal ML trees, Dolospingus and Oryzoborus were nested within Sporophila , and the two Oryzoborus sequences did not cluster together. However, resolution within the seed-finch clade was weak, so the possibility that all three genera are monophyletic cannot be excluded on the basis of the available molecular data. Thus, whether to group these genera on the basis of genetic similarity or retain them on the basis of diagnostic bill and skull differences will remain a matter of preference until a more fully resolved phylogeny of the seed-finch clade is achieved.

I describe nests and eggs of the White-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila leucoptera) in Brazil. Nests (n = 5) were cup-shaped and built of thin grass roots and spider web silk with thin walls allowing eggs and young to be seen through them. Nests were in trees (2.5–4.5 m above ground) and close to water. Eggs (n = 3) were white with black and brown spots concentrated at the large end and measured 19.2 × 13.0 (1.7 g), 18.7 × 13.3 (1.8 g), and 18.8 × 13.9 mm (1.8 g). Both parents fed nestlings, but only females incubated. The White-bellied Seedeater is not presently endangered, but many local populations have been extirpated because of intense commercial trapping and habitat loss. Additional knowledge on the ecology and breeding biology of seedeaters is urgently needed for development of effective conservation plans.

Birds of the open, humid lowland tropics encounter challenging thermal con- ditions-high temperatures, high humidity, and intense solar radiation. I examined how one such species, the Variable Seedeater (Sporophila aurita, Emberizidae), responds to tempera- ture by measuring its body temperature (Tb), metabolic heat production (Hm calculated from oxygen consumption), and evaporative heat loss (HIf calculated from evaporative water loss) at stable air temperatures (Ta) between 14 and 460C. I also measured basal metabolic rate (BMR) and Tb of the Variable Seedeater's diminutive (7.5 g) congener, the Ruddy-breasted Seedeater (S. minuta). All measurements utilized fasted, active-phase birds that were resting in the dark. BMR was lower than expected allometrically in both species, averaging 76% of predicted (or 0.718 kJ/h) in the 9.8-g Variable Seedeater (n = 11) and 67% of predicted (or 0.525 kJ/h) in the Ruddy-breasted Seedeater (n = 3). The Variable Seedeater's thermoneutral zone (TNZ) was relatively high (28.9 to 39.2'C). Below the TNZ, Hm was linearly related to Ta as follows: Hm (kJ/h) = 2.22 - 0.052 Ta. Thermal conductance, as indicated by the slope of this relation, was 12% lower than predicted allometrically. Data for 14 tropical bird species show BMR and thermal conductance to be linked; species with relatively high thermal con- ductance have a high BMR and vice versa. Evaporative cooling is relatively ineffective in the humid tropics, and compared with most birds Variable Seedeaters have a blunted evapo- rative response to heat. They dissipate evaporatively a maximum of 127% of their metabolic heat production at high Ta, even when measured in air only half as humid as that of their native habitat. Consequently, Variable Seedeaters employ hyperthermia (elevated Tb ) to cope with heat. They are more tolerant of hyperthermia than most bird species and survive Tbs that are among the highest recorded for birds (46.8 to 47.0?C). Tolerance of hyperthermia is advantageous because it allows Variable Seedeaters to maintain an unusually large Tb-T, gradient in hot environments (0.8 to 1.4'C at Ta = 43?C), and thereby to dissipate heat pas- sively. Variable Seedeaters are able to circumvent partially the well-known temperature de- pendency of chemical reactions (i.e. the Arrhenius-van't Hoff effect). This enables them to become progressively hyperthermic at Tas above 35'C with relatively little increase in met- abolic heat production, their Hm increasing at only 52% of the allometrically predicted rate above the TNZ. Variable Seedeaters possess several traits that enhance their tolerance of high Ta, yet because of their small size and limited thermal inertia their principal response to heat stress in the field is to avoid it behaviorally rather than to overcome it physiologically.

The winter distribution of neotropical seedeaters (Sporophila spp.) known as capuchinos is poorly known. There are difficulties to understanding their migration patterns: fieldwork is lacking in their wintering areas, their ‘eclipse’ plumages often make it difficult to identify species, different species share habitats during winter, and there is little or no genetic differentiation of several forms. Vocalizations display a geographic signature (i.e., diagnostic acoustic features that are found in a limited area during the breeding period) and can be useful as indicators of a specific geographic origin of a wintering bird. I present data that: (1) demonstrates that non-breeding male Dark-throated Seedeater (S. ruficollis), Rufous-rumped Seedeater (S. hypochroma), and Tawny-bellied Seedeater (S. hypoxantha) in wintering areas can be assigned to a particular distant breeding population based on vocalizations; (2) evaluate the potential contribution of vocal variation in other capuchinos to understand their migratory movements; and (3) use vocalizations to unravel migration patterns of capuchinos. Non-breeding males of S. ruficollis from the Entre Rios regiolect were recorded in Cerrado habitat close to Vila Bela da Santı´ssima Trindade, Brazil and in the Beni savannas close to Trinidad, Bolivia, S. hypochroma from the Corrientes regiolect was recorded close to Vila Bela da Santı´ssima Trindade, and S. hypoxantha from the Entre Rı´os regiolect was recorded close to Trinidad. Linking breeding and non-breeding areas through song-types is important to understand the evolutionary ecology and to promote conservation of these tiny long-distance flyers. Fil: Areta, Juan Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción; Argentina

Made available in DSpace on 2013-08-12T18:21:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-07-01 Made available in DSpace on 2013-09-30T19:16:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-07-01 Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-20T15:32:03Z No. of bitstreams: 0 Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-20T15:32:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-07-01 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) O pixoxó Sporophila frontalis (Verreaux, 1869) é freqüentemente encontrado forrageando em sementes durante eventos de frutificação em massa de bambus na floresta Atlântica. No presente estudo, nós analisamos a atividade de predação de S. frontalis em sementes de Merostachys neesii Rupr. durante um evento de frutificação em uma reserva da floresta Atlântica no sudeste do Brasil. Nós conduzimos pontos de contagem em locais com M. neesii e em locais sem bambus ao longo de trilhas para determinar a presença de S. frontalis em touceiras de M. neesii. Adicionalmente, observações focais e coletores de sementes foram utilizados em touceiras de M. neesii para verificar o impacto de predação em sementes realizado pelo pássaro. Sporophila frontalis esteve presente em 6 de 18 pontos de contagem com touceiras de M. neesii. Esta espécie se comportou territorialmente em touceiras de bambu e apresentou uma taxa de predação média de 1.10 sementes/minuto. Os coletores de sementes possuíram até 80% das sementes predadas. Provavelmente, a enorme quantidade de sementes disponíveis durante eventos de frutificação em massa de bambus contribuem para a manutenção de populações vagantes de S. frontalis na floresta Atlântica. Por outro lado, a predação de sementes por S. frontalis pode reduzir a germinação reprodutiva e a propagação de bambus, cujo crescimento interfere negativamente no estabelecimento de outras espécies de plantas arbóreas. The Buffy-fronted Seedeater Sporophila frontalis (Verreaux, 1869) is frequently found foraging on seeds during ephemeral masting events of bamboos in the Atlantic forest. In the present study, we analyzed the predation activity of S. frontalis on seeds of Merostachys neesii Rupr. during a masting event in an Atlantic forest reserve on southeastern Brazil. We conducted point counts in spots with M. neesii and in spots without bamboos along trails to determine the presence of S. frontalis on M. neesii clumps. Additionally, focal observations on bamboo clumps and seed traps were used to verify the predatory impact of S. frontalis on M. neesii seeds. S. frontalis was present in 6 out 18 point counts in M. neesii clumps. The seedeater behaved territorially in bamboo clumps and presented a mean predation rate of 1.10 bamboo seeds/minute. Seed traps had up to 80% of the seeds predated. The large amount of seeds available during bamboo masting events probably contributes to the maintenance of wandering populations of S. frontalis in the Atlantic forest. on the other hand, the predation of seeds by S. frontalis may reduce the reproductive germination and the propagation of the bamboos whose growth may in turn negatively affect the establishment of other forest species. Univ Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho UN, Dept Zool, Programa Posgrad Zool, BR-13506900 São Paulo, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho UN, Programa Posgrad Biol Vegetal, BR-13506900 São Paulo, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho UN, Dept Zool, Programa Posgrad Zool, BR-13506900 São Paulo, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho UN, Programa Posgrad Biol Vegetal, BR-13506900 São Paulo, Brazil

In wild and domestic birds, cryptosporidiosis is often associated with infections by Cryptosporidium galli, Cryptosporidium baileyi and Cryptosporidium meleagridis. In addition to these species, a number of avian Cryptosporidium species yet to be fully characterized are commonly found among exotic and wild avian isolates. The present study aimed to detect and identify samples of Cryptosporidium spp. from free-living wild birds, in order to contribute to the knowledge of the variability of this parasite in the free-living population of Brazil. Stool samples were collected from 242 birds, with the following proportions of individuals: 50 Emberizidae (20.7%), 112 Psittacidae (46.3%), 44 Cardinalidae (18.2%), 12 Turdidae (5.0%), eight Ramphastidae (3.3%), seven Icteridae (2.9%), three Estrilididae (1.2%), two Contigidae (0.8%), two Thraupidae (0.8%) and two Fringilidae (0.8%). Among the 242 fecal samples from wild birds, 16 (6.6%) were positive for the presence of oocysts of Cryptosporidium. Molecular characterization of the 16 samples of Cryptosporidium, were performed with phylogenetic reconstructions employing 292 positions of 18S rDNA. None of the samples of birds was characterized as C. meleagridis. C. galli was identified in one rufous-bellied thrush (Turdus rufiventris), five green-winged saltators (Saltator similis), one slate-coloured seedeater (Sporophila schistacea), one goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) and three saffron finches (Sicalis flaveola). One goldfinch isolate, one buffy-fronted seedeater (Sporophila frontalis), one red-cowled cardinal (Paroaria dominicana) and one other saffron finch (S. flaveola) were identified as C. baileyi. Avian genotype II was found in an isolate from a white-eyed parakeet (Aratinga leucophthalma). Clinical symptoms of cryptosporidiosis in birds have already been described and the number of wild birds which were shedding parasites was high. Therefore, further epidemiological research and disease surveillance of birds in the wild is warranted.

Females of the closely related capuchino seedeaters are difficult to distinguish from one another based on human visual perception of colouration and morphology. We examined plumage colour differences among females of four species, the tawny-bellied seedeater Sporophila hypoxantha, the dark-throated seedeater S. ruficollis, the rufous-rumped seedeater S. hypochroma, and the chesnut-bellied seedeater S. cinnamomea. Reflectance values were measured on museum skins, and interspecific differences were analyzed using the Vorobyev-Osorio avian colour discrimination model. Interspecific distances in the colour space calculated by the model were considerably higher than the threshold for colour discrimination, indicating the presence of colour differences among species that should be detectable by birds. Colour differences between S. hypoxantha and the other three species were the largest. A Discriminant Function Analysis showed that UV-wavelength was particularly important in species separation. Our results indicate that female plumage of these four species is considerably divergent in colour; these differences being imperceptible to the human eye, thus representing previously unknown morphological evolution in these species. Fil: Benites, Maria del Pilar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; Argentina Fil: Eaton, Muir D.. Drake University; Estados Unidos Fil: Lijtmaer, Dario Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; Argentina Fil: Lougheed, Stephen C.. Queens University; Canadá Fil: Tubaro, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; Argentina

Three new coccidian (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) species from the buffy-fronted seedeater Sporophila frontalis Verraux in Brazil are reported in the current study. Isospora frontalis n. sp. oöcysts are spherical to sub-spherical, 27.9 x 26.9 mum, with a smooth, bi-layered wall c.1.4 microm thick. A micropyle and an oöcyst residuum are absent, but polar granules are present. Sporocysts are elongate ellipsoidal, 19.6 x 11.1 microm. The Stieda body is knob-like and the substieda body is slight. The sporocyst residuum is composed of scattered granules, and the sporozoites are vermiform with a refractile body and a nucleus. Isospora teresopoliensis n. sp. oöcysts are spherical to sub-spherical, 25.7 x 24.3 microm, with a smooth, bi-layered wall 1.3 microm thick. A micropyle, oöcyst residuum and polar granule are absent. Sporocysts are ovoid, 18.8 x 11.2 microm. The Stieda body is nipple-shaped and the substieda body is large and prominent. The sporocyst residuum is composed of scattered granules, and the sporozoites are large and elongate, with a refractile body and nucleus. Oöcysts of Isospora chanchaoi n. sp. are spherical to sub-spherical or ovoid, 24.2 x 22.0 microm, with a smooth, bi-layered wall c.1.2 microm thick. Both a micropyle and an oöcyst residuum are absent, but one or two polar granules are present. The sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 16.1 x 10.3 microm. The Stieda body is nipple-shaped and the substieda body is small but prominent. The sporocyst residuum forms a compact mass of granules, and the sporozoites are large and elongate, with a refractile body and a nucleus.

3 Corresponding author Abstract Two proctophyllodid species described by Herbert F. Berla were studied, re-described and their generic status was re-eval- uated. A new genus, Lamellodectes gen. nov. (Proctophyllodidae: Pterodectinae), is erected to accommodate Pterodectes ocelatus Berla, 1960 from the White-collared Foliage-gleaner, Anabazenops fuscus (Vieillot) (Furnariidae), and a new species, L. distinctus sp. nov., from the Double-collared seedeater, Sporophila caerulescens (Emberizidae). Proctophyl- lodes minor Berla, 1959a is herein transferred to the genus Platyacarus Kudon, 1982a (Proctophyllodinae) and given a valid name Platyacarus minor (Berla) comb. nov. Updated keys to subfamilies and genera of the family Proctophyllodi- dae are presented. In addition, the known biogeographical distribution for each genus is summarized.

Biology 6:414-420. EITNIEAR, J. 1997. White-collared seedeater (Sporophila torqueola). In: Poole, A., and F. Gill, editors. The birds of North America, No. 278. Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. EITNIEAR,J., AND T. RUECKLE. 1995. Successful nesting of the white-collared seedeater in Zapata County, Texas. Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society 28:20-21. EMLEN,J. T., AND M.J. DEJONG. 1981. The application of song detection threshold distance to census operations. Studies in Avian Biology 6:346-352. HOWELL, S. N. G., AND S. WEBB. 1995. A guide to the birds of Mexico and northern Central America. Ox

Summary Milewski, A. V. 1978. Diet of Serinus species in the southwestern Cape, with special reference to the Protea Seedeater. Ostrich 49:174-184. The diet of the Protea Seedeater Serinus leucopterus was assessed by opportunistic observation of feeding occasions throughout the distribution of the bird. The Protea Seedeater feeds mainly on seed of a wide range of plant species. It takes the large seed of Proteo more frequently than it does any other food item. The diet of the Protea Seedeater consists essentially of food items and types similar to those taken by six sympatric and partly sympatric congeners, which are also mainly dating. However, its diet differs quantitatively, each species taking different food types, such as achenes and seed kernels, with different frequency.