The Peregrine Falco peregrinus, is an Nearctic migrant to Brazil where its status in central Brazil is still poorly known. Herein we present a compilation of records of the species from the state of Tocantins and comment on its use of a wintering site in the state of Goiás. These records show that the Tocantins-Araguaia River Basin is a migration route for the species, and therefore a mid-continental migration route through the interior of South America.

Death-feigning is a behavior ability with the purpose of allowing prey to evade from predators. Despite death-feigning is recorded on a wide variety of bird species, it has been recorded only once in vultures, more specifically on a Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) nest. In addition to this record, we report this behavior while manipulating an individual of Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) in Brazil. This behavior is not usual in Cathartidae since adult vultures do not have a known natural predator.

Te objective of this study was to investigate aspects of the nesting biology of the Aplomado Falcon, Falco femoralis (Temminck, 1822), at Parque Nacional das Emas, Brazil. Woodland (Campo Cerrado) frebreaks were searched for nests in October 2006 and October 2009 by driving a vehicle along a road adjacent to these fre managed vegetation strips. Most (62%) of the eight nests found were in canopies of fruiting Pouteria torta trees. Nests were at 2.2–3.8 m above ground. Invariably, clutch size was of three cream eggs and nestlings had a white plumage in the frst days of life. For two active nests, adults also defended an additional empty nest located in the surroundings. No evidences of nest destruction or predation were detected. Falco femoralis successfully uses frebreaks for breeding at Parque Nacional das Emas.

Habitat loss and fragmentation have led to grassland bird declines, with ground nesters particularly vulnerable. Roadsides could provide habitat, although their suitability depends on several roadside and field characteristics. Vegetation structure determines foraging and nesting site availability. In addition, road delimits sharp edges where the activity of nest predators is usually higher, whereas herbaceous vegetation determines ground nest concealment. Trees could provide lookouts to predators, and modified habitat and woodlands in surrounding fields could offer additional resources to predators. Our objective was to assess habitat suitability for ground nester birds in roadsides belonging to one modified grassland of the Argentine Pampas. We surveyed birds (90 plots) and monitored artificial nests (60 plots) in different road types: unpaved, paved of one-lane per side, and paved of two-lanes per side. Within each road type, we evaluated the relationship that ground nesters abundance had with vegetation structure of roadsides and surrounding fields. In addition, we related predation of artificial nests with the proximity to the road, roadside vegetation, and modified land and woodlands of surrounding fields. We made 2832 records of 84 species using roadsides, including 1083 records of 13 ground nesting species. Abundance of ground nesters increased with tall grass cover of roadsides and decreased with the number of native trees within roadsides. Roughly half (31/60) of the artificial nests were predated and 82.6% of the identified egg-marks were of mammal teeth. Nest predation decreased with nest proximity to the road. Our results emphasize the importance of tall grass cover of roadsides for the conservation of ground nesting species, and the necessity of monitoring natural nests in order to clarify the effect of trees, proximity to the road, and other environmental variables on nest success.

In the Brazilian Cerrado Biome, fire management within conservation units is usually restricted to burning grassland and woodland strips during the dry season to stop fires from spreading. Although it is a common practice, the impact of fire management on birds remains poorly investigated. This study aimed to examine the effects of fire management on nest-site selection by the Red-legged Seriema, Cariama cristata, and to describe nest-building characteristics at Parque Nacional das Emas (PNE). Nests were searched and monitored throughout 34 study sites between October and November 2006. These sites were 2.5-km strips of Campo Cerrado woodlands with (firebreaks) and without fire management, located at the interior and boundaries of the park. A total of 13 nests were found, all within firebreaks at the edge of the park. Nine (69%) of them were in fruiting Pouteria torta (Mart.) (Sapotaceae). Two or three white eggs were found in the nests. Nests had eggs and nestlings in October and no nestlings were found in November. Nests were usually in tree canopies and some of them were built nearly over the park’s fence. At PNE, breeding pairs of C. cristata are attracted to firebreaks located at the park’s boundaries. This is probably due to mobility through often burnt vegetation and ease in obtaining food from adjacent unsealed roads, exotic plantations and cleared areas. This study suggests that fire managers should: 1) avoid extinguishing natural fires initiated during the rainy season and 2) rotate controlled burning of patchy areas of Campo Cerrado woodlands. These two procedures should ensure the presence of suitable woodlands with short grasses in interior portions of PNE.

The Tristan Thrush Turdus eremita is the only land bird that survived human colonisation of the main island of Tristan da Cunha and is listed as “Near Threatened”. Population estimates are confounded by the thrushes’ inquisitive and gregarious nature as well as limited information on their movements. We report the first measures of nest densities on Nightingale Island: 6 nests·ha-1 in Phylica arborea woodland and 4–5 nests·ha-1 in tussock habitat, which suggests that the population is approximately double the previous estimate. At Inaccessible Island, we individually color ringed 110 thrushes over two months to track their short-term movements and estimate the local population size. Individuals moved up to 950 m along the coast, but 96% of resightings were < 100 m. A Bayesian data augmentation approach estimated that some 260 thrushes visited the core study area, a 200-m stretch of cobble and boulder beach where birds come to drink, bathe and forage. This result suggests that the population on Inaccessible Island also is substantially larger than reported previously. We estimate the total population to be 8000–15,000 Tristan Thrushes. The main need is a population estimate for the nominate subspecies on the main island of Tristan.

The individual identification of animals by means of tagging is a common methodological approach in ornithology. However, several studies suggest that specific colors may affect animal behavior and disrupt sexual selection processes. Thus, methods to choose color tagging combinations should be carefully evaluated. However, reporting of this information is usually neglected. Here, we introduce the GenTag, an R package developed to support biologists in creating color tag sequence combinations using a random process. First, a single-color tag sequence is created from an algorithm selected by the user, followed by verification of the combination. We provide three methods to produce color tag sequences. GenTag provides accessible and simple methods to generate color tag sequences. The use of a random process to define the color tags to be applied to each animal is the best way to deal with the influence of tag color upon behavior and life history parameters.

In the present study, we describe the nest, eggs, and nestlings of the Silvery-flanked Antwren, Myrmotherula luctuosa. One nest was found on 08 May 2017 on the edge of one of the forest fragments of the Serra de Itabaiana National Park, in the state of Sergipe, northeast Brazil, and was monitored until 21 May 2017. The nest, presented the following dimensions: external height: 7.6 cm; outside diameter: 21 × 19 cm; internal diameter: 13.3 × 11 cm; depth of the oologic chamber: 4.7 cm; and height in relation to the ground: 84 cm. The two eggs found in the nest were white with reddish-brown dots, patches and stripes and weighed 1.7 and 1.5 g. Incubation was performed by both the male and female, as well as feeding of the nestlings. A single egg hatched, giving rise to a 3.9 cm, 3.7 g nestling. According to our estimates, the young fledged with about 11 days. This is the first study to present information about the reproductive biology of the Silvery-flanked Antwren.

From 15 January to 06 February 2016, we conducted an expedition to the Serra da Mocidade, a remote and previously unexplored mountain range in extreme northern Amazonian Brazil. There we encountered three bird species never before documented in Brazilian territory: Grallaria guatimalensis (Grallariidae) was photographed, audio recorded, video recorded and a single specimen collected; Catharus aurantiirostris (Turdidae) was similarly documented and a series of specimens collected; and a single individual of Parkesia motacilla (Parulidae) was photographed. All were found in the understory of montane forest at 1000–1550 m elevation. We interpret each of these as most likely representing a regularly occurring population on Mocidade. However, each had probably been overlooked in Brazil for a different reason and represents a distinct distributional pattern. Adding these novelties to Brazil’s previously published total of 1919 species clearly expresses the country’s position among the most bird-rich in the world, perhaps the richest, and suggests that further exploration of Brazil’s Amazonian mountains will yield more discoveries.

Toucans (Ramphastidae) have always attracted researcher’s attention for their exuberant bill shape and size, which function has been often related to feeding strategies and thermal regulation. In this study, we discuss the importance and use of the bill by Ramphastidae species in intraspecific disputes. We present novel data and video recordings on agonistic encounters between females of the Spot-billed Toucan Selenidera maculirostris, along with a compilation of data from the Brazilian citizen science platform WikiAves and previous studies on six other Ramphastidae species. Until now, only a couple of species was known for using their bill in fights against conspecifics. Our study highlights the between-species behavioral similarities and the widespread occurrence of such behavior in the family, suggesting that this may be more common than previously thought and proposing hypotheses on the likely roles of such intraspecific contests.

The White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) is a raptor that has been less studied in the Neotropics than in the Nearctic region, especially in relation to its reproductive behavior. In this study, we report information about the phenology and activity patterns of this raptor at the Pampas of Argentina. We found that White-tailed Kites have a prolonged breeding season, from October to May. Time-activity budgets of mating pairs indicated a pronounced division of roles in parental care between sexes. Females devoted most of their time to nest construction, incubation and chick care (80% of total time) and males to food provisioning and vigilance (70% of total time). We registered 11 cases of prey transfer from the male to the female. In four cases the transfer occurred in flight and in the remaining seven cases while individuals were perched. Our results agree with general patterns on breeding behavior of White-tailed Kites from North America, suggesting a consistent behavioral pattern throughout the species’ distribution.

Based on microsatellite prospection, we isolated and characterized 21 microsatellite markers for the Sooty Swift (Cypseloides fumigatus) and tested the cross-amplification in the White-collared Swift (Streptoprocne zonaris). Both species are New World species included in the Apodidae family. From these 21, only 13 loci were polymorphic in the Sooty Swift, and their levels of polymorphism were surprisingly low compared to related species. Cross-amplification in the White-collared Swift was successful for 11 loci of the 13 polymorphic found for the Sooty Swift, but seven were monomorphic and four were biallelic. The microsatellites described here could be useful in future genetic population studies for Sooty Swifts and related species.

Beak deformities in wild birds are rarely reported. Here, I described a case of beak deformity in Shiny Cowbird, Molothrus bonariensis, and also provide a review on beak deformities recorded in wild birds in Brazil. In October 2016, I observed a M. bonariensis with a grossly elongated maxilla in the east region of the Mato Grosso state, Brazil. The literature review revealed 60 records of beak deformities in the Brazilian avifauna. The most common types of deformity were crossed maxillae or mandibles (38%), probable accidental injuries (27%), and elongations (15%). Deformities were reported in 35 bird species of 22 families. The most affected species was Ramphastos toco with 21 records. The number of published reports from Brazil was low overall, and are not related as an epizootic episode recorded in some bird communities.

Little is known about the age at which many Neotropical bird species first attempt to breed. We evaluated the breeding condition of 515 adult and subadult males and females among four species of Turdus thrushes (T. nigriceps, T. chiguanco, T. amaurochalinus and T. rufiventris) in Tucumán, Argentina during three breeding seasons (2015 to 2018). We registered a total of 126 individuals with brood patches and cloacal protuberances, which accounted for 24.5% of thrushes in breeding condition that we sampled. Forty thrushes had a brood patch (31.7% of those in breeding condition), of which 11 were subadults (8.7%). Eighty-six thrushes (68.3%) had a swollen cloacal protuberance, 18 of which were subadults (14.3%). Only a few of the subadults in breeding condition built nests, incubated eggs or raised nestlings. Of 130 nests we found, only 3 belonged to a subadult thrush (in all cases, a subadult female with an adult social mate), one of which was successful. Further research on these patterns among various Neotropical bird species could lead to important insights into the life history strategies that characterize different populations, and how these ultimately affect their population dynamics.

Natural grasslands are declining due to loss, fragmentation and degradation, resulting in the decline of grassland-associated bird species. The Pampas Biome in south Brazil is not exception to this worldwide trend, facing the expansion of croplands and afforestation with exotic tree plantations for cellulose production. To cope with the continuous degradation and loss of grasslands, restoration is an important conservation strategy, but basic information regarding the response of the fauna to restoration practices in southeastern South America grasslands is lacking. Here we compared the structure of bird communities in natural grasslands and revegetated grasslands after mining by planting native and exotic grasses. We sampled birds using 5-min point counts with unlimited radius in three replicates of each habitat (natural and revegetated grasslands; average size 22.2 ± 2.3 ha). We also compared the vegetation density between the two habitat types. The structure of bird communities at natural and revegetated grasslands differed, with natural grasslands presenting higher species richness (42 vs. 35 species) and abundance (1459 vs. 839 records) than revegetated areas, and also a distinct species composition. Ten of the 11 grassland species that were associated to one of the two habitat types occurred more frequently in natural grasslands, which had higher vegetation density than revegetated areas. Even a decade after the beginning of the restoration process, revegetated areas did not resemble natural grasslands in bird species richness, abundance, and composition. These results differed from another study conducted in the Brazilian Pampas in which native plant species were used to actively restore a grassland. Therefore, until we have additional studies addressing the use of exotic grasses for the recovery of bird communities in South America grasslands, we encourage greater representation of native plant species in restoration projects.

We describe here the first documented nest and nestling of the Chestnut-crowned Foliage-gleaner (Automolus rufipileatus) in Brazil. They were recorded in the municipality of Vitória do Xingu, state of Pará, at Amazonian domains. As other members of the genus Automolus, the nest of A. rufipileatus was in a steep clay bank on the edge of a small stream, comprising an inclined entrance tunnel to access two distinct chambers. The nest can be classified as a cavity with inclined tunnel. When discovered, the nest housed a nestling in advanced stage of development; therefore, it was not possible to describe the eggs, incubation period and nestling’s initial development. We encourage additional studies on Chestnut-crowned Foliage-gleaner reproductive biology.

The Semipalmated Sandpiper, Calidris pusilla, is a Western Hemisphere migrant shorebird for which Brazil forms an internationally important contranuptial area. In Brazil, the species main contranuptial areas is along the Atlantic Ocean coast, in the north and northeast regions. In addition to these primary contranuptial areas, there are also records of vagrants widely distributed across Brazil. Here, we review the occurrence of vagrants of this species in Brazil, and document a new record of C. pusilla for the central-west region and a first occurrence for the state of Goiás.

Several species of insect-eating birds occasionally visit flowering trees or shrubs to feed on arthropods at flowers instead of nectar or petals. In southeastern Brazil, the Planalto Tyrannulet Phyllomyias fasciatus (10.3 g) and the Gray-headed Tody-Flycatcher Todirostrum poliocephalum (7 g) often watch flowers to get insects and can visit flowering trees for hours or for several days. We describe the foraging behavior of these two tyrannulets at flowering trees and also report observations on several other species, mostly tyrant-flycatchers and tanagers. As an opportunistic foraging strategy, flower watching can be expected to be more common among small, canopy or edge birds that sally or hover-glean to catch small insects on or near foliage.

Natural history studies can provide information that can be used in species conservation and management. The present study provides information about the nests and nest sites of Hyacinth Macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) in a mosaic of protected areas in Carajás and surrounding areas in the Amazon region of the state of Pará, Brazil. Data were collected during four expeditions conducted in 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2014. A total of 66 tree cavities were monitored, and 28 of these were used by Hyacinth Macaws. In addition, 38 breeding events were recorded (some nests were active in multiple seasons), and 17 eggs and 33 nestlings were observed. Environmental variables for the 24 cavities that were actively used by Hyacinth Macaws were evaluated. Most of the nest cavities were located in Sterculia sp. trees (86.6%) and in open areas (e.g., near pastures). Nesting tree and cavity measurements were variable, but the mean diameter at breast height of the trees containing Hyacinth Macaw nest cavities was larger than that reported from other regions, such as the Pantanal. The present study describes the unique ecology and life history of Hyacinth Macaws in Carajás, for which information is scarce. This information will facilitate the conservation and management of Hyacinth Macaws and can be used locally for environmental education.

We describe the diet of Pearl Kite (Gampsonyx swainsonii magnus) by pellet analysis collected in an active nest in southwest Ecuador in May 2018. Reptiles were the most consumed taxonomic group both in frequency of occurrence (FO = 46.4%) and in biomass (B = 59.8%), followed by birds (FO = 33.9% and B = 38.3%) and insects (FO = 19.6% and B = 1.8%). Our results showed Pearl Kite as a generalist raptor but with a higher consumption of reptiles, which is according with previous studies in other areas where other subspecies inhabit, despite this subspecies showed a higher consumption of birds. Despite the low sample size, this study is interesting as it is the first one on the diet of the Pearl Kite for Ecuador and also for this subspecies. Basic studies on the trophic ecology of Neotropical raptors such as this are needed. For this reason we encourage further studies to fill existing gaps in knowledge and improve effective long-term conservation strategies.

Along a distance gradient from a given river, two types of habitat can be recognized: natural river edge and forest interior, each one with its own vegetation characteristics and dynamics. In a continuous area of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, we investigated (1) if bird communities are different between a riverbank of a small stream and an inland forest habitat; (2) if the species of the river edge habitat are the ones that persist in the most in forest fragments after deforestation of a continuous forest; (3) if the river edge habitat species are those that are less sensitive to forest fragmentation. It is expected that there are differences in the bird communities and the occupancy of some species between the two habitats. We allocated 16 sampling points in each of the habitats and sampled the birds by point counts with a short radius of 30 m. Results suggest that there is a significant difference between the composition of the bird communities of the river edge and forest interior habitats, although the species richness is similar. Six species were more likely to occupy the river edge and 14 species had a greater probability of occupancy in the forest interior. Species associated with the river edge habitat (15 species) tend not to be sensitive to forest fragmentation (12 species). In this study, we demonstrated that river-border species of continuous forest areas form a significant part of the bird communities that persist in small forest fragments, with intense edge effect. This shows that not all forest edge species are the result of the colonization from open areas. Congruently, species that occupy the most distant areas from the river vegetation in a continuous forest are those more sensitive to forest fragmentation.

We present the first nesting information for the Tropeiro Seedeater (Sporophila beltoni), a newly described and poorly known Neotropical passerine endemic to southern Brazil. We observed a novel male biased behavior for nest site selection in the Tropeiro Seedeater based on seven events of pre-nesting display courtship. We describe the nest, eggs, nestlings, and fledglings based on 133 nests found over four breeding seasons (2007 to 2011). The nest is a cup-shaped structure made with dry grass inflorescences and spider webs. It is placed in low, forked branches of substrate shrubs and contains multiple attachment points. The eggs are typically white with dark spots or stripes, and are pyriform in shape. Average egg dimensions are 18.2 × 13.2 mm. Nestlings fledge after 10 days. We provide the key information for distinguishing the nest, eggs, nestlings and fledglings of S. beltoni from other sympatric Sporophila species.

Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea; Parulidae) is a “Vulnerable” species which breeds in North America and migrates to winter in South America. Here we present the first documented record of the species in Brazil. One male was photographed foraging in the canopy of secondary forest on Santa Catarina island, south Brazil, on 07 April 2018. At the time of the record the species was expected to be on migration north to North America. Since the individual was heading south it is assumed that it was lost. This record can then be potentially explained by the vagrancy theory of reverse migrants.

Epiphytes reach up to 67% of the total plant species richness in some tropical areas and act as diverse food resources that can be crucial in times of food scarcity. The avifauna assists in their reproduction, either through pollination or seed dispersal, thus creating a vast interaction spectrum between both communities within a continuous ecological process. Few scientific studies concerning avian and epiphytic community interactions are available and not much is known on their specific relationships. However, their absence can change existing ecological processes in habitats. With this in mind, a study undertaken at the Reserva Ecológica do Guapiaçu, Cachoeiras de Macacu, RJ analyzed bird and epiphytic interactions in three different environments: forest, fragmented forest and pastureland. The aim was to study how these interactions can vary according to their degree of conservation and successional stage. Three observation points were marked in a forest, nine points in forest fragments and ten observation points in the pastureland, thus providing a total of 1056 observation hours. As a result, 643 avian and epiphytic interactions were registered. We tested differences in the number of interactions between the areas. The initial hypothesis was that the largest number of registered interactions would occur in the preserved forest given its preserved state and existing biodiversity; however, the pasture area presented the highest number and variety of interactions. Most of the birds observed in the different habitats presented a high interaction in pasture areas where resource availability is reduced, making epiphytes an important food supply. Epiphytes permit a valuable network of interactions by attracting a high diversity of birds, especially those that disperse fruit or pollinate flowers, illustrating their importance within a degraded environment.