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Notes on reproductive biology of two species of cracids innortheastern BrazilAuthor(s): Guilherme Santos Toledo-Lima , Tonny Marques de Oliveira Junior ,Phoeve Macario , Damio Valdenor de Oliveira , and Mauro Pichorim Source: The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 125(3):665-669. 2013.Published By: The Wilson Ornithological SocietyDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1676/12-149.1URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1676/12-149.1

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The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 125(3):665669, 2013

Notes on Reproductive Biology of Two Species of Cracids inNortheastern Brazil

Guilherme Santos Toledo-Lima,1,2,4 Tonny Marques de Oliveira Junior,1,3

Phoeve Macario,1,2 Damiao Valdenor de Oliveira,1 and Mauro Pichorim1

ABSTRACT.We describe nests, eggs, and somebreeding aspects of the Rusty-margined Guan (Penelopesuperciliaris) and Speckled Chachalaca (Ortalis gut-tata) in the Atlantic Rainforest of northeastern Brazil.Two active nests of P. superciliaris were found, the firstwas 50 cm above the ground and the second was 2.6 m.Both were bowl shaped and had three and two eggs,respectively. One egg from each nest was measured andweighed: 64.3 3 42.1 mm (61.5 g) and 55.5 3 38.0 mm(42.5 g). An active nest of O. guttata was found 3.2 mhigh on top of a tree. Initially, there was a single egg inthe nest but two more were laid. The average eggmeasurements and weight were 55.0 3 38.4 mm and43.3 g. The eggs of both species were rather similarwith a dull white color, rough shell, and smeared withorganic matter from the nest. We observed anincubation period of 2930 days for the chachalaca,which was longer than previous estimates of thisspecies. The guan nests were found in an advanced

stage of development, which prevented accuratetracking of their incubation periods. Although theprimary social reproductive strategy in most cracidsis monogamy, it is possible that P. superciliaris ispolygynous in our study area, justifying the absence of amale near the nest or even a nest territory.

Key words: breeding, Cracidae, life history, Rusty-

margined Guan, Speckled Chachalaca.

Cracids are gallinaceous birds found in

Neotropical regions and include three distinct

groups: chachalacas, guans, and curassows. They

are predominantly arboreal inhabitants of forest,

woodland, and scrub, and feed primarily on plant

parts, thus playing an important role in disper-

sion of certain plant species (del Hoyo 1994,

Brooks and Fuller 2006). Habitat loss and perse-

cution from hunters are the two major threats faced

by cracids, making this family the most threatened

in the New World, with approximately one-half ofthe species threatened with extinction (del Hoyo

1994, Brooks and Fuller 2006, Brooks and Strahl

2006).

The Speckled Chachalaca (Ortalis guttata) and

Rusty-margined Guan (Penelope superciliaris)

are regularly reported in the Atlantic Rainforest

1 Laboratorio de Ornitologia, Departamento de Botanica,

Ecologia e Zoologia, Centro de Biociencias, Universidade

Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59.078-900, Natal, RN,

Brazil.2 Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ecologia, Universidade

Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59.090-002, Natal, RN,

Brazil.3 Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencias Biologicas, Uni-

versidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59.078-900, Natal,

RN, Brazil.4 Corresponding author; e-mail: toledolimagui@gmail.com

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of northeastern Brazil (Schulz-Neto 1995, Silveira

et al. 2003, Telino-Junior 2005, Farias et al.

2007). Data regarding their life histories and

breeding aspects in Brazil, such as clutch size and

incubation period (Euler 1900, Ihering 1900, Sick

1997), are scarce, perhaps because of their

discreet behavior, local extinctions, or low

densities experienced by some populations in

unprotected areas (del Hoyo 1994, Pereira and

Wajntal 1999, Brooks and Fuller 2006).

The study of tropical bird life history traits is

important to address questions highlighting dif-

ferences between temperate and tropical species

(Martin 1996, Stutchbury and Morton 2001,

Tarwater and Brawn 2010). Nevertheless for

many species of tropical birds descriptions of

their nests or eggs do not exist (Marini et al.

2010). Therefore, many field researchers havebeen involved increasingly in providing descrip-tions and detailed studies about bird breeding inthe Neotropical realm (Vasconcelos et al. 2006,Londono et al. 2007, Bodrati and Castillo 2008,Lima et al. 2010).

During our current fieldwork focusing on thedemography and breeding biology of birds innortheast Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest, we en-countered active nests and captured and markedyoung cracids for a monitoring program. Thisexperience provided us with descriptions andmeasurements of the nests, eggs, and other aspectsof reproduction of the Speckled Chachalaca andRusty-margined Guan.

OBSERVATIONS

We reported nests and juvenile birds in theBarreira do Inferno Launch Center (05u 549 S,35u 109 W), a protected military area that harbors,1,800 ha of tropical semideciduous lowlandforest, located in Parnamirim Municipality, RioGrande do Norte, Brazil. The nests were revisitedon alternate days to check contents and estimateincubation period. Nest classification followsSimon and Pacheco (2005) and egg shape followsBaicich and Harrison (1997). To reduce the riskof nest disturbance, we took many precautionarymeasures such as avoiding egg or chick handling.Birds were trapped in mist nets and marked withnumbered aluminum leg bands supplied byCEMAVE/ICMBio.

Rusty-margined Guan.On 2 February 2012,two active nests were found: one contained threeand the other two short subelliptical, white andrough eggs with dark stains from the moist leavesand twigs which composed the internal chamber.One egg from each nest was measured andweighed: 64.3 3 42.1 and 55.5 3 38.0 mm and61.5 and 42.5 g, respectively.

The first nest was discovered among terrestrialbromeliad leaves (Aechmea aquilega) 50 cmabove the ground with three eggs in advanceddevelopment. Besides some dry bromeliad leavesthat supported the entire nest, a shallow basketthat shaped the internal chamber was composed ofleaves of Anacardium occidentale and severaltwigs and leaves of plants from the Myrtaceaefamily, apparently gathered while green (Fig. 1).The nest had a low cup/base and its measure-ments were: largest external diameter 5 45.0 cm,smallest external diameter 5 35.5 cm, largestchamber diameter 5 38.5 cm, smallest chamber

FIG. 1. Female Rusty-margined Guans incubating

nests, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. (A) Nest near the

ground among bromeliads leaves; and (B) another nest in

the low canopy. Photographs by Guilherme S. Toledo-

Lima.

666 THE WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY N Vol. 125, No. 3, September 2013

diameter 5 26.0 cm, external height 5 19.0 cm,and depth 5 8.0 cm. On 10 February 2012, thenest was found only with eggshells and noevidence of predation.

The second nest of P. superciliaris was 2.6 mabove the ground and low cup/fork in structure,placed within interlaced branches of two pairedtrees (A. occidentale and Myrcia sp.). The nestcontained two eggs in the incubation chamber,and another on the ground in the leaf litter underthe nest; this egg was probably rejected ordropped during incubation and was collected.The nest was bowl shaped and was made with

twigs and leaves recently removed from either thesupport plants or the same species in the vicinity(Fig. 1). On 10 February 2012, we flushed anadult from the ground below the nest, where therewas a broken egg. Apparently the nest wasdepredated, and the damage prevented us fromtaking measurements.

On 20 August 2011, we captured an immatureguan (mass 5 514.5 g) which was probably bornduring the breeding season of the same year. Theplumage and morphology were similar to an adult(mass 5 9501,150 g; del Hoyo 1994), but thebird was smaller with a duller supercilium thanadult birds.

Speckled Chachalaca.An active nest ofOrtalis guttata was found on 3 February 2012,approximately 3.2 m high on top of a tree ofMyrcia sp. among dense foliage also formed by aliana plant. The nest was low cup/fork with abasket and the internal chamber flat without anydistinct material, and probably built with drytwigs and leaves of the support tree. Initially therewas a single egg in the nest, but two more werelaid: one the following day and the last probablyon 5 February, but it was not observed until themorning of 6 February. The eggs had a shortsubelliptical shape, were dull white, and had arough shell that was smeared with organic matterfrom the nest and possibly some female blood.The egg measurements were: 53.4 3 37.0, 55.4 338.4 and 56.3 3 39.7 mm and weighed 39.75,43.25 and 46.75 g, respectively. We observed anadult bird that flushed from the vicinity of the neston several occasions when the nest was inspected,while another bird (probably the female) remainedmotionless in the nest only leaving when severalresearchers approached. During the morning of 5March, the breeding pair of chachalacas could notbe seen within the vicinity of the nest, whichcontained one intact egg and the other two hadapparently hatched since there were no predationsigns such as blood or chick remains. These shellswere still wet and dirty with some residue; thus,we concluded the chicks hatched earlier that sameday with an incubation period of approximately2930 days, considering a synchronic incubation.On the same day the nest was damaged by heavyrains, preventing accurate measurements. Thenon-hatched egg was collected and artificiallyincubated for three days, but the chick did nothatch (Fig. 2).

On 8 May 2011, we caught three youngchachalacas that were #1 month old. They

FIG. 2. (A) One of the young Speckled Chachalacas

captured in Barreira do Inferno Launch Center, Parnamirim,

RN, Brazil. (B) The non-hatched Speckled Chachalaca egg

collected on 5 March 2012. Photographs by Tonny M. de

Oliveira Junior.

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weighed 70, 76 and 94 g (mean 5 80 g). Theirfeathers were growing; the plumage was a browncoloration, darker on the back and brighter onhead, breast, and abdomen. The small one hadmore downy plumage, including a wide black lineextending from the crown to the nape, wing andtail feathers not fully developed, and the outer pairof rectrices was chestnut in color in contrast to theother which had browner plumage (Fig. 2).

DISCUSSION

Our observations regarding reproductive tim-ing were similar to previous studies in southernBrazil. Specimens of O. guttata were collected inreproductive condition in October and November(Belton 1994), and P. superciliaris most likelyhad its breeding season between October andMarch (Mikich 1996). When additional studies inSouth America countries are combined, the mainnesting season emerges as September throughMarch (Brooks et al. 1993, Begazo and Bodmer1998, Almendras et al. 1999, Bodrati and Castillo2008, Herrera et al. 2009).

The reports on clutch size and egg character-istics follow the previous available descriptionsfor these species (del Hoyo 1994, Begazo andBodmer 1998, Almendras et al. 1999, Bodrati andCastillo 2008, Herrera et al. 2009). The incubationperiod that we observed for O. guttata was longerthan previous estimates of this species (e.g.,21 days; Sick 1997) and other congeners (24 days;del Hoyo 1994).

Nests of cracids are built at variable heights inforest vegetation and in different support plants(del Hoyo 1994), as we found guan nests rangingfrom 0.5 m in a bromeliad to 2.6 m on top of atree. Furthermore, nests were chiefly constructedof material from the supporting plant or possiblycollected from surrounding areas as reported inother cracid species (del Hoyo 1994, Bodrati andCastillo 2008, Herrera et al. 2009).

The primary social reproductive strategy inmost cracids is monogamy, with the breeding pairstaying together during incubation and defendingintruders from the nest territory (del Hoyo 1994).We concordantly encountered a pair of chachala-cas near the nest on several occasions. In contrast,we did not observe any birds near the guan nestswhile monitoring them except for the incubatingfemales. There is insufficient information aboutthe reproductive strategy used by Penelope sp.,but other guans such as the Horned Guan(Oreophasis derbianus) and Highland Guan

(Penelopina nigra) are perhaps polygynous (delHoyo 1994, Gonzalez-Garca 1995). It is possiblethat P. superciliaris is also polygynous in ourstudy area, justifying the absence of a male nearthe nest or even a nest territory. More detailedstudies are needed to clarify these issues.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This field work was supported by the Brazilian Research

and Technological Development Council (CNPq Process

474945/2010-3). G. S. Toledo-Lima, P. Macario and T. M.

Oliveira Junior received scholarships from the Coordina-

tion for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel

(CAPES). We are grateful to Barreira do Inferno Launch

Center for permission to access the study area, and the

Brazilian Bird Research and Conservancy Center (CE-

MAVE) for supplying the aluminum leg bands. J. G. Jardim

helped us to identify the plant species. We especially thank

R. M. Costa and K. Lundberg for assistance in improving

the English manuscript, and the valuable suggestions of the

editor and two anonymous reviewers.

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