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Fruit and nectar feeders Cotingas

Fruit and nectar feeders Cotingas. Cotingas (Passeriformes) are among the most ‘glamorous’ of Neotropical birds Bellbirds, umbrellabirds, cocks-of-the-rock, pihas, fruiteaters, fruit-crows, and purpletufts

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Fruit and nectar feeders Cotingas

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  1. 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

  2. Fruit and nectar feedersCotingas • 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

  3. Fruit and nectar feedersCotingas • Umbrellabirds and cocks-of-the-rock, are large and have ornate plumage on their heads

  4. Fruit and nectar feedersCotingas • Pihas (captain of the forest) and fruiteaters are smaller and drab • Sexually, range from monogamous (frequently lacking dimorphism) to polygynous, some with large leks

  5. Fruit and nectar feedersCotingas • 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

  6. Fruit and nectar feedersCotingas

  7. Fruit and nectar feedersCotingas

  8. 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

  9. Fruit and nectar feedersManakins • Manakins have short tails, rounded wings, and a short but wide bill with a hooked tip • Pluck fruit on the wing • Occasionally eat arthropods

  10. Fruit and nectar feedersManakins • 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)

  11. Fruit and nectar feedersManakins • VIDEO

  12. 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)

  13. 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

  14. 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)

  15. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders • 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

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

  17. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders • 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)

  18. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (flycatching) • Puffbirds and Nunbirds (Piciformes) consist of 32 endemic Neotropical sp • Found throughout Amazon basin • All excavate, many in termite mounds

  19. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (flycatching) • Puffbirds look puffy and most are brown (some black and white) • Cryptic plumage, stationary feeding and understory location make them rarely seen

  20. 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

  21. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (bark feeders) • Climb vertically using adapted tail as a third prop • Toes zygodactyl to help grasp

  22. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (bark feeders) • Range in color from black and red crest, to greenish olive, to soft browns and chestnut

  23. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (bark feeders) • Others are ‘ladderbacks’ of B&W

  24. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (bark feeders) • Woodpeckers are primary excavators, but are frequently usurped by larger species (e.g. collared aracaris)

  25. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (bark 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

  26. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (bark feeders) • Like furnids, woodcreepers are soft shades of brown and rufous (with some whitish or yellowish streaking)

  27. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (bark 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

  28. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (bark feeders) • Personal favorite; scythebills • Feed in bromeliads and other epiphytes

  29. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (foliage gleaners) • Ovenbirds (Furnariidae; Passeriformes) are ‘LBB’ of the tropicsw • All are brown, tan, or gray with very little subtle differences occurring

  30. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (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

  31. 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

  32. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (ant 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

  33. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (ant 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

  34. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (ant 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?

  35. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (ant followers) • In central America, the spotted antbird, bicolored antbird and black-faced antthrush are dominant players

  36. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (ant 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)

  37. SuboscinesInsect-Arthropod Feeders (ant 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

  38. 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)

  39. 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

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

  41. 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

  42. Birds of PreyHawks, Falcons, & Caracaras • 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

  43. Birds of PreyHawks, Falcons, & Caracaras • Black-collared hawk feeds on fish, found near marshes • Distinctive shape (wide wings, short tail)

  44. Birds of PreyHawks, Falcons, & Caracaras • Roadside hawk is among the most commonly seen BoP in the tropics as it frequently is perched along roads • Highly variable plumage (13 races)

  45. Birds of PreyHawks, Falcons, & Caracaras • 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

  46. Birds of PreyHawks, Falcons, & Caracaras • The laughing falcon is found along forest edges • Loud call • Eats snakes (and others)

  47. Birds of PreyHawks, Falcons, & Caracaras • Forest falcons are grayish falcons that lurk in the forests, often sitting motionless

  48. Birds of PreyHawks, Falcons, & Caracaras • Yellow-headed Caracara is extremely common and can be seen in flocks • Why flock? • Carrion feeders… what is the limitation?

  49. Birds of PreyHawks, Falcons, & Caracaras • The largest Neotropical bird of prey are eagles and hawk-eagles (3sp) • Ornate hawk-eagle • Black hawk-eagle • B&W hawk-eagle

  50. Birds of PreyHawks, Falcons, & Caracaras • Harpy eagle is a huge predator (>1m) with very thick legs • Territories frequently exceed 100km2 • Strictly a forest dweller • Eats monkeys and sloths

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