Abstract
Abstract : Guans (Cracidae) are vegetarians that feed mostly on fruits but also consume leaves, flowers, and occasionally invertebrates. They forage mostly by picking food while perched or walking on the ground. I describe here Dusky-legged Guan ( Penelope obscura ) males that stomp to uncover food in piles of plant litter on the ground. Besides feeding on uncovered titbits, the males feed their mated females that join them on the piles, both by placing food directly in bill or stomping out food that the closely following females pick. Stomping on litter piles to uncover food seems an uncommon and previously unrecorded foraging behaviour. Additionally, uncovering food for following females may be regarded as a type of courtship feeding.
Highlights
Guans (Cracidae) are Neotropical galliform birds that forage singly, in pairs, or small groups, mostly perched on vegetation, some species or populations forage on the ground as well (del Hoyo 1994, Sick 1997, Zaca et al 2006, Ottoni et al 2009)
Besides feeding on uncovered titbits, the males feed their mated females that join them on the piles, both by placing food directly in bill or stomping out food that the closely following females pick
A male Dusky-legged Guan was atop a pile of plant litter stomping on it with the right or the left feet (Figure 1a)
Summary
Guans (Cracidae) are Neotropical galliform birds that forage singly, in pairs, or small groups, mostly perched on vegetation, some species or populations forage on the ground as well (del Hoyo 1994, Sick 1997, Zaca et al 2006, Ottoni et al 2009). While foraging on the ground, guans do not rake (scratch) the substrate with their feet as several other galliforms do, locating the food by sight instead (Sick 1997). I describe the foraging behaviour of Duskylegged Guan males that stomp to uncover food hidden among piles of plant litter on the ground. Besides feeding on the uncovered titbits, the males feed their mated females that join them, both by placing food directly in bill or stomping out the food for the closely following females
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