Abstract
The breeding success of a double-brooding colony of Boat-billed Herons Cochlearius cochlearius was studied in pasturelands of Costa Rica. Mean clutch size in the first clutches (2.9 eggs/nest) was higher than in second and repeat clutches (2.3 eggs/nest). Breeding success was similar in the first attempt and second attempts (20.7 % and 21.7 %, respectively). In both attempts earlier nests enjoyed a higher breeding success. Starvation of the youngest chicks within the nest and destruction of nests by bad weather conditions were the main factors related to nestling death. No effects of human activity on the reproduction of the breeding colony were observed.
Highlights
The Boat-billed Heron Cochlearius cochlearius (Linnaeus, 1766) inhabits the wooded or mangrove fringes of freshwater creeks, lakes and marshlands from Mexico south to Peru, Bolivia and northeastern Argentina (Hancock and Kushlan 1984)
This paper presents some data on the breeding of a colony of Boat-billed Herons in pasturelands of Costa Rica and compares the breeding success of the first and second attempts
Clutch size ranged from two to three eggs, but clutches of three eggs were more common in first clutches (90 %, N= 10), while clutches of two eggs predominated in second attempts (73 %, N= 15)
Summary
The Boat-billed Heron Cochlearius cochlearius (Linnaeus, 1766) inhabits the wooded or mangrove fringes of freshwater creeks, lakes and marshlands from Mexico south to Peru, Bolivia and northeastern Argentina (Hancock and Kushlan 1984). Previous studies of some Boat-billed colonies pointed out that human presence appeared to affect breeding success.
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