Nesting information for Tropeiro Seedeater (Sporophila beltoni), an endemic songbird from southern Brazil

Márcio Repenning,Carla Suertegaray Fontana

doi:10.1007/bf03544466

Márcio Repenning, Carla Suertegaray Fontana

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03544466

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Abstract

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.

Highlights

The Tropeiro Seedeater, Sporophila beltoni, is the rarest and perhaps the most threatened of the 35 species of Neotropical seedeaters
We revealed a novel behavior that involves the selection of nest sites in the Tropeiro Seedeater
In monogamous species the selection of the nest site often results from a subtle interplay between the two sexes where male and female inspect potential nest sites together (Collias & Collias 1984)

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The Tropeiro Seedeater, Sporophila beltoni, is the rarest and perhaps the most threatened of the 35 species of Neotropical seedeaters. Information about nesting biology of Sporophila species has been increasing, including details about several species such as S. caerulescens (Francisco 2006), S. hypoxantha (Facchinetti et al 2008, Bichinski 2011, Franz & Fontana 2013), S. cf hypochroma (Roda & López-Lanús 2008), S. collaris (Facchinetti et al 2008), S. leucoptera (Francisco 2009), S. melanogaster (Rovedder & Fontana 2012, Fontana & Repenning 2014) and S. lineola (Oliveira et al 2010) These information may provide the basis for comparative analyses of nesting behavior and provide the necessary background to assess the evolutionary relationships within the Sporophila genus. We studied the breeding biology of the Tropeiro Seedeater for 4 years and present the first description of its pre-nesting behavior, nest, eggs and nestlings/fledglings

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