THE NEST OF THE SCARLET-HEADED BLACKBIRD AMBLYRAMPHUS HOLOSERICEUS IN BRAZIL WITH NOTES ON ITS BREEDING BEHAVIOR

Abstract

Although it is a common marsh bird of central Brazil, there is little information about the reproductive biology of the Scarlet-headed Blackbird Amblyramphus holosericeus. Here we present data from observations made of two nests —found in November 2005 and March 2008— amid the vegetation of a flooded area in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, the central-west region of Brazil. The nests were built by the couple attached to marshy vegetation, at least 1 m above the surface of the water. The clutches consisted of two eggs with a greenish background color, spotted with fine brown striations and some small, spaced spots across the surface. In one of the nests the incubation period lasted 13 days. Both male and female cared for the chicks, who left the nest around 10 days after hatching. Despite its Least Concern global conservation status, the species could be experiencing a population decline, primarily due to the destruction of swamp areas and to frequent fires in much of the Pantanal region during drought periods.