Feeding Ecology of the Chilean Flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis (Aves: Phoenicopteridae) in a coastal wetland in southern Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study describes the diet of the Chilean Flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis in Lagoa do Peixe lagoon, a contranuptial area. The diet was evaluated through the analyses of undigested structures present in 91 droppings collected in feeding sites around the lagoon. It was possible to identify 268 prey items that belonged to six taxa (Calanoida, Laeonereis acuta, Alitta succinea, Nereis sp., Diptera, and Ostracoda). The most frequent prey in the faeces samples of the Chilean Flamingo were Calanoida, Laeonereis acuta, Alitta succinea, and Nereis sp. Additionally, through the analyses of sediment and water samples, we characterised the potential prey available for the Chilean Flamingo in the lagoon. All available taxa that were confirmed as prey items in the faecal samples of the Chilean Flamingo were observed in high abundances during the spring, summer, and the beginning of autumn in the environmental samples. Despite the effectiveness of the microscopical faecal analysis, the method may underestimate soft-body prey and reduce the number of identified taxa in the faecal samples. Therefore, the use of complementary methodologies, such as stable isotope analysis and molecular techniques, are recommended.