Biologia reprodutiva de Thamnophilus aethiops distans Pinto, 1954 (Aves: Thamnophilidae)

Abstract

Reproduction is one of the most complex and important processes in the life of any bird. The studies developed on reproductive biology allow us to identify variations in reproductive patterns and strategies between species and populations, which allows us to test, for example, hypotheses on behavioral ecology. This information is crucial for the development of management and conservation strategies for the different species. In Brazil the Cerrado is the most threatened biome, due to large-scale agriculture. The Atlantic Forest has the largest number of endangered species in Brazil, especially in the northeastern region where the Pernambuco Center of Endemism (CEP) is located, an area that is considered a Hotspot within one of the most important Hotspots, the Atlantic Forest. The CEP, has about 2/3 of all the birds that occur in the Atlantic Forest, excluding marine birds, 46 of these birds are with some degree of threat according to the Ministry of Environment's list of threatened birds and about 27 appear on the global list of threatened birds. Between October 2017 and January 2020, monthly expeditions with two to three consecutive days were conducted in the study area, where active searches for nests and observation of the behavior of individuals were conducted. The various existing trails in the area were walked carefully, by visual inspection of all possible nesting sites (trees, bushes, and clumps). When a nest was found, it was assessed whether it was active or not, and given a unique identification. The nests were considered active when found with eggs or nestlings. Soon after the reproductive activity was confirmed, the nest started to be monitored with camera traps. Thamnophilus aethiops has a nest attached to a horizontal fork, in the shape of an open basket, made of different plant and fungal materials. Thamnophilus aethiops showed a 10-day feeding period for the offspring. Males and females invest similarly in parental care in the incubation and offspring feeding phase. Arthropods are a major part of the nestlings' diet, and on two occasions the feeding of small lizards was recorded. The species showed a different vocalization from the ones already known, in the presence of predators and researchers near the nest area, bringing unprecedentedness to the work.