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Breeding of the Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens, Tityridae)

Breeding of the Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens, Tityridae) Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 25(4): 269–272. SHORT-COMMUNIC ARA TICLE TION December 2017 Breeding of the Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens, Tityridae) 1,2 1 Miguel Ângelo Marini & Neander Marcel Heming Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil. Corresponding author: marini@unb.br Received on 30 April 2017. Accepted on 23 November 2017. ABSTRACT: Like several Neotropical bird species, the breeding biology of the seven species of Schiffornis (Tityridae) is poorly known. Only three of these species have some aspects of their breeding biology described. This study provides description of two rare unreported clutches of the Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens) housed for more than a century in the egg collection of Museu de Zoologia (MZUSP). Also, we estimated the nesting period for the species based on several scattered evidences of breeding, and compared the data with other Tityridae. Clutch size is of two or three, and museum eggs measure 2.13 ± 0.13 × 1.65 ± 0.08 cm (n = 4). Egg shape varied from oval to elliptical. The bree ding season of the Greenish Schiffornis lasts at least between October and February, a known breeding period of forest birds from its distribution range. The still s carce breeding evidences for Schiffornis species and their close relatives call for further field studies, especially when considering the debatable phylogeny of the group. KEY-WORDS: clutch size, egg measurements, nest, nesting, reproduction. Our knowledge of the breeding biology of several Suriname and Guiana (del Hoyo et al. 2017). This species Neotropical bird species are still lacking or incomplete is distributed from southeastern Venezuela, to Guianas (Heming et al. 2013, Crozariol 2016a). The genus and northeastern Brazilian Amazon. The Thrush-like Schiffornis (Tityridae) currently presents seven species Schiffornis (Schiffornis tur dina) has nest, clutch, eggs, and (Remsen-Jr. et al. 2016) with most aspects of their incubation and nestling period known from four nests breeding biology still poorly known (Skutch 1969, found in Central America (Skutch 1969). Sick 1997, Snow 2016). Formerly considered Pipridae, The Greenish S chiffornis (Schiffornis virescens) Schiffornis is presently included in Tityridae, placed in is a resident insectivorous species which inhabits the a clade with Lanisoma and Laniocera (Prum & Lanyon understory of forests and occurs in central and southeast 1989) in the subfamily Laniisominae (Barber & Rice Brazil, east Paraguay and northeast Argentina (Snow 2007, Tello et al. 2009) or Schiffornithinae (Ohlson et 2016). Sexes have similar greenish plumage and are much al. 2013). alike. The only published report of the Greenish Schiffornis Nearly all our knowledge about the breeding biology nest was given by Snow (2016): “nest found in Brasília, th of the genus consists on a few nests described from three 19 Dec, a large cup of leaves placed 3 m above ground of the seven species. For other two species, the Foothill in upright fork of bush, contained 2 eggs”. No additional Schiffornis (Schiffornis aenea) and t he Russet-winged description or source of information was given. However, Schiffornis (Schiffornis stenorhyncha), the breeding this description of the nest differs from most Schiffornis biology knowledge are based only on collected birds in nests described so far (reviewed by Crozariol 2016b). breeding condition (del Hoyo et al. 2017). There is still This study reports on two rare clutches housed no information about the Varzea Schiffonis (Schiffornis in the Museu de Zoologia (MZUSP) egg collection, major) reproductive biology (del Hoyo et al. 2017). estimates the nesting period for the species based on The Northern Schiffornis (Schiffornis veraepacis) several evidences of breeding from museums as well as has most of its breeding aspects (egg laying season, from the literature and the website wikiaves.com.br, and nest, clutch, eggs, incubation period, nestling, and compare all the breeding evidence about the genus. provisioning) described in Costa Rica (del Hoyo et al. We visited and searched for eggs in the following 2017), though it is distributed from south Mexico to egg collections: Western Foundation of Vertebrate west Ecuador. For the Olivaceous Schiffornis (Schiffornis Zoology (Camarillo, USA), Natural History Museum olivacea) there are only descriptions of breeding season (Tring, England), Museum fur Naturkundem (Berlin, (based on adult condition), nest, clutch, and eggs from Germany), “Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum” Breeding of the Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens) Marini & Heming (Leiden, Netherlands), Naturhistoriches Museum it is also probably from early XX century. Both clutches (Vienna, Austria), National Museums Scotland had light color apparently spotless eggs (though rusted (Edinburgh, Scotland), Muséum National d'Histoire with time) of different sizes and s hapes (Table 1). Eggs Naturelle (Paris, France), Natural History Museum - measured 2.13 ± 0.13 × 1.65 ± 0.08 cm (n = 4). The first Smithsonian Institution (Washington, USA), Museo clutch had similar eggs but one was narrower, while the Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” second had one egg much smaller (~22%) than the other (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Museu de La Plata (La Plata, (n = 4, Table 1). Argentina), Instituto de Investigación de Recursos The two clutches from MZUSP are in accor dance Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (Villa de Leiva, with three additional two-egg clutches for other Schiffornis Colombia), and in Brazil, Museu de Zoologia-USP (São from northern locations. One clutch (MG 426-427) Paulo), Museu Nacional (Rio de Janeiro), Museu Paraense collected by Emile Snethlage at Santo Antônio do Prata, Emilio Goeldi (Belém), Coleção Ornitológica Marcelo state of Pará, Brazil, on 12 May 1920, had two white Bagno (Brasília), Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia da eggs. Similarly a clutch (NHM 1952-8-421) collected PUCRS and Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande by T.A.W. Davis at Mahaicony River, Guyana, on 22 do Sul (Porto Alegre). We also visited the online egg April 1934, had two fresh white eggs. Lastly, a clutch of collections of the Field Museum of Natural History the Northern Schiffornis Schiffornis veraepacis veraepacis (Chicago, USA) and California Academy of Science (MVZ-Berkeley 14376) collected by Prentis T. Burtis at (San Francisco, USA), and the museum database Arctos Rio Chalchijapa, Vera Cruz, Mexico, on 3 April 1961, Collaborative Collection Management Solution (arctos. also had two fresh eggs (average size 17.9 × 24.3 mm). database.museum). We measured the eggs of the two Photos of a nest of the Greenish Schiffornis wit h clutches found using digital photography (Bridge et al. three eggs were taken on 18 December 2008 (Table 2) 2007, Troscianko 2014). (Wikiaves, WA36059, by A. Bianco). This is in accor dance We searched for breeding evidence (gonad size) with the three recently described three-egg clutches found and birds with immature characteristics (fleshy gape or in October at Misiones, Argentina (Bodrati & Cockle unpneumatized skull, juvenile plumage) on labels and skin 2017), but not in accordance with the reports of two eggs specimens at the MZUSP and Natural History Museum. from the two MZUSP clutches, the published report by Additionally, we searched the WikiAves website (www. Snow (2016) or the number of eggs reported for Thrush- wikiaves.com) on 23–25 March 2016, for photographs like Schiffornis (Skutch 1969), Northern Schiffornis, and of nests, eggs, fledglings and their dates and localities. Olivaceous Schiffornis (del Hoyo et al. 2017). The larger We found only two clutches of two eggs each clutches from southern locations (Santa Catarina, Brazil deposited at the MZUSP egg collection. No other and Misiones, Argentina) compared to the northern ones Greenish Schiffornis eggs were found elsewhere. The first (Skutch 1969, Snow 2016, del Hoyo et al. 2017) might clutch (eggs 1 and 2 herein) was collected by Ricardo be explained by a latitudinal increase in clutch size (Jetz et Krone at Itamirim, Iguape, state of São Paulo, Brazil, al. 2008, Heming & Marini 2015). at an unknown date and labeled as Scotothorus unicolor An analysis of 58 skins from MZUSP revealed that (MZUSP 2675). This clutch was probably collected a young female with 50% pneumatized skull was caught around (1895–1906), the period that Krone collected on 26 November 2011 and a young male with 20% another 200 clutches of several bird species, most at pneumatized skull was caught on 13 March 2012 both Iguape, São Paulo (eggs from MZUSP and NMW). The at São Paulo state, Brazil. Also, a young male with beak second clutch (eggs 3 and 4 herein) has no location or commissure was caught on 17 December 2011 at the date and was labeled as Heteropelma virescens (no catalog state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Males had developed testes number). By the condition of the eggs and the data slip, (8 × 11 and 6 × 8 mm) on 16 November 2005 and 25 November 2011, respectively, also at São Paulo state. Table 1. Characteristics of Greenish Schiffornis eggs from When considering all the reproductive evidence we MZUSP (eggs 1 and 2 Iguape, SP; eggs 3 and 4 unknown found, the breeding period of the Greenish Schiffornis location). Egg length and width were measured in ImageJ (see lasts at least from October to February, a common period methods for details). of breeding of forest birds in its distribution range in Brazil Egg Length (cm) Width (cm) (Marini & Durães 2001, Marini et al. 2007, Repenning 1 2.23 1.60 & Fontana 2011, Maurício et al. 2013, Marques-Santos et al. 2015). Also, a photo of a fledgling per ched in a 2 2.20 1.72 branch taken on 29 February 2013 at Caraguatatuba, 3 2.13 1.71 São Paulo state (WA 585213, by M. Nema) (Table 2), 4 1.94 1.55 is in agreement with this breeding period. The Northern Mean 2.13 1.65 Schiffornis lays eggs from February to August in several Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 25(4): 2017 Breeding of the Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens) Marini & Heming Table 2. Date, location, stage, collection number, and author name of Greenish Schiffornis Latitude Longitude WikiAves/ Day Month Location Stage Author (S) (W) Museum ID - - - - - Eggs MZUSP no number - o o -- Iguape, SP, Brazil 24 47 Eggs MZUSP 2675 R. Krone Bodrati & Cockle o o 3–6 10 San Pedro, Misiones, Argentina 26 54 Eggs - (2017) o o 18 12 Urussanga, SC, Brazil 28 49 Eggs WA36059 A. Bianco o o 19 12 Brasília, DF, Brazil 15 47 Eggs - Snow (2016) o o 29 02 Caraguatatuba, SP, Brazil 23 45 Fledgling WA585213 M. Nema countries in the Northern Hemisphere (del Hoyo et al. Similarly to descriptions of Schiffornis nests and 2017). The O livaceous Schiffornis is suggested to bree d eggs, the Cinereous Mourner (Laniocera hypopyrra) nest from August to September (adults in breeding condition), consists of a bulky cup made of dry leaves (Londoño but a nest with eggs was found in April in Guyana (del & Cadena 2003). The bree ding evidence summarized Hoyo et al. 2017). Adults in breeding condition of above (nest type, clutch size and egg color and markings) Foothill Schiffornis were collected in Mar ch and June supports the hypothesis of closer relationship between in east Ecuador and of Russet-winged Schiffornis from Laniocera and Schiffornis (Prum & Lanyon 1989, Barber January to June in north Colombia (del Hoyo et al. 2017). & Rice 2007, Tello et al. 2009, Ohlson et al. 2013), and We found no nests at museums, but the description that several of these characteristics are homologous. of nests by Bodrati & Cockle (2017) is similar to the Considering all the above, the breeding of the nest in the photo published at Wikiaves, but both differ Greenish Schiffornis is similar to that of the Thrush- from the description given by Snow (2016). The nests like Schiffornis and t he Northern Schiffornis. The described by Bodrati & Cockle (2017) are much lower Greenish Schiffornis seems to build its nest in a similar (0.43–0.64 m above ground) and though not inserted in way to the Thrush-like Schiffornis, but at more variable cavities, were laterally protected by petioles of tree ferns. heights (~0.5–3 m, n = 5) than it (~1.1–1.5 m, n = 4). Similarly to Wikiaves reports, a nest of the Thrush-like Since clutch size, date and location (one clutch) from Schiffornis (NHM 1952-8-421) collected by T.A.W. the MZUSP records are unknown, it makes difficult Davis at Mahaicony River, Guyana, was built in a palm further comparisons between these clutches and the other cavity. The Northern Schiffornis eggs collected by Prentis records. The still s carce breeding evidences for Schiffornis T. Burtis in Mexico (MVZ-Berkeley 14376) were in an species and their close relatives (Shrike-like Cotinga open nest built entirely with dried leaves lined with black Laniisoma elegans, Speckled Mourner Laniocera rufescens strands, 1.8 m up in a small palm. and the Cinereous Mourner) call for further field studies, especially when considering its debatable phylogeny. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Distrito Federal (FAPDF), Brazil, for research funding received by M.Â.M. and N.M.H. and for a fellowship received by M.Â.M. We thank Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for a post-doctoral scholarship received by NMH. This resear ch was supported by grants from CNPq and FAPDF. We thank to all museum curators for kindly allowing us to study specimens under their care. REFERENCES Figure 1. Greenish Schiffornis eggs from (A) Itamirim, Iguape, state of São Paulo, Brazil (MZUSP 2675, eggs 1 and 2) and (B) Barber B.R. & Rice N.H. 2007. Systematics and evolution in the unknown location (MZUSP no catalog number, eggs 3 and 4). Tityrinae (Passeriformes: Tyrannoidea). Auk 124: 1317–1329. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 25(4): 2017 Breeding of the Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens) Marini & Heming Bodrati A. & Cockle K.L. 2017. Nest, eggs and reproductive biology Marques-Santos F., Braga T.V., Wischhoff U. & Roper J.J. 2015. of Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens). Revista Brasileira de Breeding biology of passerines in the subtropical Brazilian Atlantic Ornitologia 25: 273–276. Forest. Ornitología Neotropical 26: 363–374. Bridge E.S., Boughton R.K., Aldredge R.A., Harrison T.J.E., Bowman Maurício G.N., Bencke G.A., Repenning M., Machado D.B., Dias R. & Schoech S.J. 2007. Measuring egg size using digital R.A. & Bugoni L. 2013. Review of the breeding status of birds in photography: testing Hoyt's method using Florida Scrub-Jay eggs. Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Iheringia, Série Zoologia 103: 163–184. Journal of Field Ornithology 78: 109–116. Ohlson J.I., Irestedt M., Ericson P.G.P. & Fjeldså J. 2013. Crozariol M.A. 2016a. Espécies de aves com ninhos não descritos Phylogeny and classification of the New World suboscines (Aves, ou pouco conhecidos das famílias Tityridae, Platyrinchidae, Passeriformes). Zootaxa 3613: 1–35. Pipritidae, Pipromorphidae e Tyrannidae: um pedido de auxílio Prum R.O. & Lanyon W.E. 1989. Monophyly and phylogeny of the aos observadores de aves! Atualidades Ornitológicas 189: 18–24. Schiffornis group ( Tyrannoidea). Condor 91: 444–461. Crozariol M.A. 2016b. Evolução da forma de nidificação da Remsen-Jr. J.V., Areta J.I., Cadena C.D., Jaramillo A., Nores M., Superfamília Tyrannoidea (Aves: Passeriformes) com base na Pacheco J.F., Pérez-Emán J., Robbins M.B., Stiles F.G., Stotz D.F. fixação, arquitetura e composição dos ninhos, v. 2. Ph.D. Thesis. & Zimmer K.J. 2016.  A classification of the bir d species of South Rio de Janeiro: Museu Nacional/UFRJ. America. American Ornithologists' Union. http://www.museum. del Hoyo J., Elliott A., Sargatal J., Christie D.A. & de Juana E. (eds.). lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.html 2017. Handbook of the birds of the world alive. Barcelona: Lynx Repenning M. & Fontana C.S. 2011. Seasonality of breeding, moult Editions. http://www.hbw.com/ (accesses on 28 April 2017). and fat deposition of birds in subtropical lowlands of southern Heming N.M., Greeney H.F. & Marini M.Â. 2013. Breeding biology Brazil. Emu 111: 268–280. research and data availability for New World fly catchers. Natureza Sick H. 1997. Ornitologia brasileira. Rio de Janeiro: Editora Nova & Conservação 11: 54–58. Fronteira. Heming H.M. & Marini M.Â. 2015. Ecological and environmental Skutch A.F. 1969. Life histories of Central American birds III: Families factors related to variation in egg size of New World fly catchers. Cotingidae, Pipridae, Formicariidae, Furnariidae, Dendrocolaptidae, Journal of Avian Biology 46: 352–360. and Picidae. Berkeley: Cooper Ornithological Society, Pacific coast Jetz W., Sekercioglu C.H. & Böhning-Gaese K. 2008. The worldwide avifauna, No. 35. variation in avian clutch size across species and space. PLoS Biology Snow D. 2016. Greenish Mourner (Schiffornis virescens). In: del Hoyo 6: 2650–2657. J., Elliott A., Sargatal J., Christie D.A. & de Juana E. (eds.). Londoño G.A. & Cadena C.D. 2003. The nest and eggs of the Handbook of the birds of the world alive. Barcelona: Lynx Editions. Cinereous Mourner (Laniocera hypopyrra). Wilson Bulletin 115: http://www.hbw.com/ (access on 28 March 2016). 115–118. Tello J.G., Moyle R.G., Marchese D.J. & Cracraft J. 2009. Phylogeny Marini M.Â. & Durães R. 2001. Annual patterns of molt and and phylogenetic classification of the tyrant fly catchers, cotingas, reproductive activity of passerines in south-central Brazil. Condor manakins, and their allies (Aves: Tyrannides). Cladistics 25: 429– 103: 767–775. Marini M.Â., Aguilar T.M., Andrade R.D., Leite L.O., Anciães M., Troscianko J. 2014. A simple tool for calculating egg shape, volume Carvalho C.E.A., Duca C., Maldonado-Coelho M., Sebaio F. & and surface area from digital images. Ibis 156: 874–878. Gonçalves J. 2007. Biologia da nidificação de algumas aves do sudeste de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 15: 367–376. Associate Editor: Caio G. Machado. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 25(4): 2017 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Ornithology Research Springer Journals

Breeding of the Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens, Tityridae)

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Abstract

Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 25(4): 269–272. SHORT-COMMUNIC ARA TICLE TION December 2017 Breeding of the Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens, Tityridae) 1,2 1 Miguel Ângelo Marini & Neander Marcel Heming Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil. Corresponding author: marini@unb.br Received on 30 April 2017. Accepted on 23 November 2017. ABSTRACT: Like several Neotropical bird species, the breeding biology of the seven species of Schiffornis (Tityridae) is poorly known. Only three of these species have some aspects of their breeding biology described. This study provides description of two rare unreported clutches of the Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens) housed for more than a century in the egg collection of Museu de Zoologia (MZUSP). Also, we estimated the nesting period for the species based on several scattered evidences of breeding, and compared the data with other Tityridae. Clutch size is of two or three, and museum eggs measure 2.13 ± 0.13 × 1.65 ± 0.08 cm (n = 4). Egg shape varied from oval to elliptical. The bree ding season of the Greenish Schiffornis lasts at least between October and February, a known breeding period of forest birds from its distribution range. The still s carce breeding evidences for Schiffornis species and their close relatives call for further field studies, especially when considering the debatable phylogeny of the group. KEY-WORDS: clutch size, egg measurements, nest, nesting, reproduction. Our knowledge of the breeding biology of several Suriname and Guiana (del Hoyo et al. 2017). This species Neotropical bird species are still lacking or incomplete is distributed from southeastern Venezuela, to Guianas (Heming et al. 2013, Crozariol 2016a). The genus and northeastern Brazilian Amazon. The Thrush-like Schiffornis (Tityridae) currently presents seven species Schiffornis (Schiffornis tur dina) has nest, clutch, eggs, and (Remsen-Jr. et al. 2016) with most aspects of their incubation and nestling period known from four nests breeding biology still poorly known (Skutch 1969, found in Central America (Skutch 1969). Sick 1997, Snow 2016). Formerly considered Pipridae, The Greenish S chiffornis (Schiffornis virescens) Schiffornis is presently included in Tityridae, placed in is a resident insectivorous species which inhabits the a clade with Lanisoma and Laniocera (Prum & Lanyon understory of forests and occurs in central and southeast 1989) in the subfamily Laniisominae (Barber & Rice Brazil, east Paraguay and northeast Argentina (Snow 2007, Tello et al. 2009) or Schiffornithinae (Ohlson et 2016). Sexes have similar greenish plumage and are much al. 2013). alike. The only published report of the Greenish Schiffornis Nearly all our knowledge about the breeding biology nest was given by Snow (2016): “nest found in Brasília, th of the genus consists on a few nests described from three 19 Dec, a large cup of leaves placed 3 m above ground of the seven species. For other two species, the Foothill in upright fork of bush, contained 2 eggs”. No additional Schiffornis (Schiffornis aenea) and t he Russet-winged description or source of information was given. However, Schiffornis (Schiffornis stenorhyncha), the breeding this description of the nest differs from most Schiffornis biology knowledge are based only on collected birds in nests described so far (reviewed by Crozariol 2016b). breeding condition (del Hoyo et al. 2017). There is still This study reports on two rare clutches housed no information about the Varzea Schiffonis (Schiffornis in the Museu de Zoologia (MZUSP) egg collection, major) reproductive biology (del Hoyo et al. 2017). estimates the nesting period for the species based on The Northern Schiffornis (Schiffornis veraepacis) several evidences of breeding from museums as well as has most of its breeding aspects (egg laying season, from the literature and the website wikiaves.com.br, and nest, clutch, eggs, incubation period, nestling, and compare all the breeding evidence about the genus. provisioning) described in Costa Rica (del Hoyo et al. We visited and searched for eggs in the following 2017), though it is distributed from south Mexico to egg collections: Western Foundation of Vertebrate west Ecuador. For the Olivaceous Schiffornis (Schiffornis Zoology (Camarillo, USA), Natural History Museum olivacea) there are only descriptions of breeding season (Tring, England), Museum fur Naturkundem (Berlin, (based on adult condition), nest, clutch, and eggs from Germany), “Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum” Breeding of the Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens) Marini & Heming (Leiden, Netherlands), Naturhistoriches Museum it is also probably from early XX century. Both clutches (Vienna, Austria), National Museums Scotland had light color apparently spotless eggs (though rusted (Edinburgh, Scotland), Muséum National d'Histoire with time) of different sizes and s hapes (Table 1). Eggs Naturelle (Paris, France), Natural History Museum - measured 2.13 ± 0.13 × 1.65 ± 0.08 cm (n = 4). The first Smithsonian Institution (Washington, USA), Museo clutch had similar eggs but one was narrower, while the Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” second had one egg much smaller (~22%) than the other (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Museu de La Plata (La Plata, (n = 4, Table 1). Argentina), Instituto de Investigación de Recursos The two clutches from MZUSP are in accor dance Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (Villa de Leiva, with three additional two-egg clutches for other Schiffornis Colombia), and in Brazil, Museu de Zoologia-USP (São from northern locations. One clutch (MG 426-427) Paulo), Museu Nacional (Rio de Janeiro), Museu Paraense collected by Emile Snethlage at Santo Antônio do Prata, Emilio Goeldi (Belém), Coleção Ornitológica Marcelo state of Pará, Brazil, on 12 May 1920, had two white Bagno (Brasília), Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia da eggs. Similarly a clutch (NHM 1952-8-421) collected PUCRS and Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande by T.A.W. Davis at Mahaicony River, Guyana, on 22 do Sul (Porto Alegre). We also visited the online egg April 1934, had two fresh white eggs. Lastly, a clutch of collections of the Field Museum of Natural History the Northern Schiffornis Schiffornis veraepacis veraepacis (Chicago, USA) and California Academy of Science (MVZ-Berkeley 14376) collected by Prentis T. Burtis at (San Francisco, USA), and the museum database Arctos Rio Chalchijapa, Vera Cruz, Mexico, on 3 April 1961, Collaborative Collection Management Solution (arctos. also had two fresh eggs (average size 17.9 × 24.3 mm). database.museum). We measured the eggs of the two Photos of a nest of the Greenish Schiffornis wit h clutches found using digital photography (Bridge et al. three eggs were taken on 18 December 2008 (Table 2) 2007, Troscianko 2014). (Wikiaves, WA36059, by A. Bianco). This is in accor dance We searched for breeding evidence (gonad size) with the three recently described three-egg clutches found and birds with immature characteristics (fleshy gape or in October at Misiones, Argentina (Bodrati & Cockle unpneumatized skull, juvenile plumage) on labels and skin 2017), but not in accordance with the reports of two eggs specimens at the MZUSP and Natural History Museum. from the two MZUSP clutches, the published report by Additionally, we searched the WikiAves website (www. Snow (2016) or the number of eggs reported for Thrush- wikiaves.com) on 23–25 March 2016, for photographs like Schiffornis (Skutch 1969), Northern Schiffornis, and of nests, eggs, fledglings and their dates and localities. Olivaceous Schiffornis (del Hoyo et al. 2017). The larger We found only two clutches of two eggs each clutches from southern locations (Santa Catarina, Brazil deposited at the MZUSP egg collection. No other and Misiones, Argentina) compared to the northern ones Greenish Schiffornis eggs were found elsewhere. The first (Skutch 1969, Snow 2016, del Hoyo et al. 2017) might clutch (eggs 1 and 2 herein) was collected by Ricardo be explained by a latitudinal increase in clutch size (Jetz et Krone at Itamirim, Iguape, state of São Paulo, Brazil, al. 2008, Heming & Marini 2015). at an unknown date and labeled as Scotothorus unicolor An analysis of 58 skins from MZUSP revealed that (MZUSP 2675). This clutch was probably collected a young female with 50% pneumatized skull was caught around (1895–1906), the period that Krone collected on 26 November 2011 and a young male with 20% another 200 clutches of several bird species, most at pneumatized skull was caught on 13 March 2012 both Iguape, São Paulo (eggs from MZUSP and NMW). The at São Paulo state, Brazil. Also, a young male with beak second clutch (eggs 3 and 4 herein) has no location or commissure was caught on 17 December 2011 at the date and was labeled as Heteropelma virescens (no catalog state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Males had developed testes number). By the condition of the eggs and the data slip, (8 × 11 and 6 × 8 mm) on 16 November 2005 and 25 November 2011, respectively, also at São Paulo state. Table 1. Characteristics of Greenish Schiffornis eggs from When considering all the reproductive evidence we MZUSP (eggs 1 and 2 Iguape, SP; eggs 3 and 4 unknown found, the breeding period of the Greenish Schiffornis location). Egg length and width were measured in ImageJ (see lasts at least from October to February, a common period methods for details). of breeding of forest birds in its distribution range in Brazil Egg Length (cm) Width (cm) (Marini & Durães 2001, Marini et al. 2007, Repenning 1 2.23 1.60 & Fontana 2011, Maurício et al. 2013, Marques-Santos et al. 2015). Also, a photo of a fledgling per ched in a 2 2.20 1.72 branch taken on 29 February 2013 at Caraguatatuba, 3 2.13 1.71 São Paulo state (WA 585213, by M. Nema) (Table 2), 4 1.94 1.55 is in agreement with this breeding period. The Northern Mean 2.13 1.65 Schiffornis lays eggs from February to August in several Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 25(4): 2017 Breeding of the Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens) Marini & Heming Table 2. Date, location, stage, collection number, and author name of Greenish Schiffornis Latitude Longitude WikiAves/ Day Month Location Stage Author (S) (W) Museum ID - - - - - Eggs MZUSP no number - o o -- Iguape, SP, Brazil 24 47 Eggs MZUSP 2675 R. Krone Bodrati & Cockle o o 3–6 10 San Pedro, Misiones, Argentina 26 54 Eggs - (2017) o o 18 12 Urussanga, SC, Brazil 28 49 Eggs WA36059 A. Bianco o o 19 12 Brasília, DF, Brazil 15 47 Eggs - Snow (2016) o o 29 02 Caraguatatuba, SP, Brazil 23 45 Fledgling WA585213 M. Nema countries in the Northern Hemisphere (del Hoyo et al. Similarly to descriptions of Schiffornis nests and 2017). The O livaceous Schiffornis is suggested to bree d eggs, the Cinereous Mourner (Laniocera hypopyrra) nest from August to September (adults in breeding condition), consists of a bulky cup made of dry leaves (Londoño but a nest with eggs was found in April in Guyana (del & Cadena 2003). The bree ding evidence summarized Hoyo et al. 2017). Adults in breeding condition of above (nest type, clutch size and egg color and markings) Foothill Schiffornis were collected in Mar ch and June supports the hypothesis of closer relationship between in east Ecuador and of Russet-winged Schiffornis from Laniocera and Schiffornis (Prum & Lanyon 1989, Barber January to June in north Colombia (del Hoyo et al. 2017). & Rice 2007, Tello et al. 2009, Ohlson et al. 2013), and We found no nests at museums, but the description that several of these characteristics are homologous. of nests by Bodrati & Cockle (2017) is similar to the Considering all the above, the breeding of the nest in the photo published at Wikiaves, but both differ Greenish Schiffornis is similar to that of the Thrush- from the description given by Snow (2016). The nests like Schiffornis and t he Northern Schiffornis. The described by Bodrati & Cockle (2017) are much lower Greenish Schiffornis seems to build its nest in a similar (0.43–0.64 m above ground) and though not inserted in way to the Thrush-like Schiffornis, but at more variable cavities, were laterally protected by petioles of tree ferns. heights (~0.5–3 m, n = 5) than it (~1.1–1.5 m, n = 4). Similarly to Wikiaves reports, a nest of the Thrush-like Since clutch size, date and location (one clutch) from Schiffornis (NHM 1952-8-421) collected by T.A.W. the MZUSP records are unknown, it makes difficult Davis at Mahaicony River, Guyana, was built in a palm further comparisons between these clutches and the other cavity. The Northern Schiffornis eggs collected by Prentis records. The still s carce breeding evidences for Schiffornis T. Burtis in Mexico (MVZ-Berkeley 14376) were in an species and their close relatives (Shrike-like Cotinga open nest built entirely with dried leaves lined with black Laniisoma elegans, Speckled Mourner Laniocera rufescens strands, 1.8 m up in a small palm. and the Cinereous Mourner) call for further field studies, especially when considering its debatable phylogeny. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Distrito Federal (FAPDF), Brazil, for research funding received by M.Â.M. and N.M.H. and for a fellowship received by M.Â.M. We thank Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for a post-doctoral scholarship received by NMH. This resear ch was supported by grants from CNPq and FAPDF. We thank to all museum curators for kindly allowing us to study specimens under their care. REFERENCES Figure 1. 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Journal

Ornithology ResearchSpringer Journals

Published: Dec 1, 2017

Keywords: clutch size; egg measurements; nest; nesting; reproduction

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