Montezuma Oropendola Research Articles

Structure of diversity in birds and reptiles in the locality of Lipuntahuaca, Huehuetla, Puebla

The Sierra Norte de Puebla is an important region due to its high levels of wealth and biodiversity. The objective of the presentstudy was to identify the diversity structure of birds and reptiles, in areas of corn cultivation, coffee plantation and forest, throughdirect observations, image capture by means of a photographic camera, for its later identification in guides field. Four transects wereestablished, the first in forest, the second in coffee, the third in corn cultivation and the fourth in a mixture of the three vegetation’s.A total of 48 species of birds belonging to 13 orders, 20 families and 39 genera were identified. In the case of reptiles, 6 speciesbelonging to 1 order, 4 families and 4 genera. The coffee area presented the greatest diversity and richness of species, followed bythe forest area. In addition, 2 species that are subject to special protection and one threatened according to NOM-059 werevisualized, these species are: Aulacorhynchus prasinus, Psarocolius montezuma and Pionus senilis. For the group of reptiles aspecies was found which is: Aspidoscelis lineattissimus (subject to special protection). It is concluded that the coffee areas have thebest indices of richness, abundance and diversity of species, this may be due to the fact that they present greater benefits for theirdevelopment of birds and reptiles.

Inventario avifaunístico de Poza Rica, Veracruz, México

La urbanización se ha extendido de forma acelerada y ha modificado los ambientes donde habitan las aves. Generalmente, los ambientes urbanos conllevan una serie de modificaciones al entorno que derivan en cambios en la composición de aves y en la necesidad de realizar inventarios de éstas. El estado de Veracruz concentra más del 60% de la avifauna mexicana, pero hay zonas donde su conocimiento es aún deficiente, como la zona norte. En este estudio registramos la riqueza de aves de Poza Rica, una ciudad industrial, y cotejamos la categoría de conservación (nacional e internacional) y de residencia de las especies. De 2014 a 2017 realizamos una búsqueda intensiva no sistemática de aves con recorridos ad libitum en diferentes sitios del paisaje urbano. Registramos 64 especies (de 13 órdenes y 27 familias). Cuatro especies (Buteo swainsoni, Cairina moschata, Falco femoralis y Psarocolius montezuma) están protegidas por la legislación nacional. La riqueza de aves en Poza Rica fue relativamente baja, y es muy probable que sea por las condiciones industrializadas de la ciudad y su extensión. Por último, resaltamos que las zonas urbanas, aun siendo pequeñas, sirven como resguardo de especies protegidas y pueden ser espacios donde las personas observen, interactúen y protejan a las aves silvestres.

Primer registro de Psarocolius montezuma (Passeriformes: Icteridae) en El Salvador

La oropéndola de Moctezuma (Psarocolius montezuma) se distribuye desde el sureste de México hasta Centroamérica, con excepción de El Salvador. Registramos por primera vez la especie en el país. Presentamos documentación fotográfica y grabaciones de audio de dos tipos de vocalización. El registro lo hicimos en la zona de amortiguamiento del Área Natural Protegida Complejo Los Cóbanos (Acajutla, Sonsonate, El Salvador), ubicada en la zona costera marina del océano Pacífico centroamericano. Además, incluimos información de la interacción de esta especie con otras especies de aves.

Animal choreography of song and dance: a case study in the Montezuma oropendola, Psarocolius montezuma

Many multimodal displays incorporate choreography, which occurs when animals modulate how body movements are timed across the display. Choreography typically involves pairing specific gestures with vocalizations. This allows the signaller to effectively produce a display that is more complex than either of its components in isolation. Moreover, some animals appear to use a special case of choreography that can augment vocal performance. Expanding the multimodal framework to incorporate choreography is therefore a necessary step towards understanding how combining two signals into one impacts a display's structure. We explore this in a case study of free-living Montezuma oropendolas, Psarocolius montezuma, a polygynous songbird that performs a dramatic song and dance. We found that two elements of this display (bow and wing spread), are each choreographed with the song's loudest note (dBmax) and lowest peak frequency (LPF), respectively. This suggests that oropendolas electively time the swing and wing spread gesture with key song elements. Interestingly, there was a correlation between the depth of an individual's swing and LPF, which was not explained by body size or social context. However, social context did predict a difference in vocal performance in terms of frequency modulation. Meanwhile, there was no relationship between wing display performance and dBmax. This means that oropendolas choreograph their swing gesture to predict LPF, which might reflect an individual's motor skill or even directly influence vocal performance. Altogether, our data suggest that animals can incorporate phenotypically distinct forms of choreography into their display repertoire, where each instance of choreography serves as an opportunity to generate a novel signal when one did not exist before.

PRIMER REGISTRO DE ANIDACIÓN DE LA OROPÉNDOLA DE MOCTEZUMA (PSAROCOLIUS MONTEZUMA) EN PLANTAS DE COCOTERO (COCOS NUCIFERA)

On March 23, 2012 four colonies of Psarocolius montezuma nesting in coconut plants (Cocos nucifera) were observed on the coast of the municipality of Cardenas, Tabasco, Mexico. A total of 14 plants with nests were quantified, having an overall average of 23.5 nests per colony and 6.7 nests per plant. It is the first nesting record of P. montezuma in coconut plants in the Neotropic.

Nuevos avistamientos de aves para Tamaulipas, México

Los inventarios y registros avifaunísticos facilitan el conocimiento de la composición de las comunidades de aves y ayudan a la comprensión de las interacciones en los ecosistemas. En este trabajo obtuvimos registros notables de cinco especies de aves de 2005 a 2011 en los municipios de Altamira, El Mante, González, Jaumave, Madero, Matamoros, Miquihuana y Soto La Marina, en el estado de Tamaulipas. Registramos por primera vez la presencia de Aphelocoma californica e Icterus wagleri en el estado, confirmando las predicciones de algunos autores. Con la colecta de un nido, reafirmamos la presencia de Psarocolius montezuma en el sur del estado. Registramos nuevamente la presencia de Falco femoralis en la entidad, especie reportada hace algunos años como extirpada. ParaLepidocolaptes affinis definimos parte de su área de distribución en los límites neotropicales del estado. Las modificaciones antropogénicas en los ecosistemas son algunos de los principales factores que influyen en los movimientos distribucionales de las especies; por esto, es necesario incrementar el esfuerzo de muestreo que permita el registro de un mayor número de especies y así poder tener un mejor conocimiento de su distribución y temporalidad a nivel local y regional para entender su historia natural y ecología a escalas más finas.

FATAL HEMOPROTOZOAL INFECTIONS IN MULTIPLE AVIAN SPECIES IN A ZOOLOGICAL PARK

Over a 3-yr span, two juvenile lesser flamingos (Phoeniconaias minor), two green jays (Cyanocorax yncas glaucescens), and two Montezuma oropendolas (Psarocolius montezuma) died peracutely with no premonitory signs at a zoological park in the southern United States. At necropsy, the birds were in excellent body condition. Except for one green jay, the coelomic cavities were filled with a dark serosanguineous fluid. Splenomegaly and hepatomegaly were present. The livers were tan to purple with numerous, randomly distributed red-to-black foci, ranging in size from 1 to 4 mm. The predominant histopathologic finding, except in one green jay, was large protozoal cysts in the hepatic parenchyma. Histologically, the protozoal cysts were restricted to the liver, and none were identified in the skeletal muscle, spleen, or other tissues. Frozen tissue samples harvested at necropsy had a nested polymerase chain reaction assay performed to amplify the mitochondrial cytochrome B gene of the protozoa. The amplified gene sequences were compared with reference cytochrome B gene sequences for avian Plasmodium spp., Haemoproteus spp., and Leucocytozoon spp. The protozoal parasite within the hepatic parenchyma from the Montezuma oropendolas and the lesser flamingos was identified as Haemoproteus spp. Both green jays had Plasmodium spp. isolated from the submitted tissue samples. The peracute nature of the infections precluded any successful medical intervention, making prevention by exclusion the principal means to control hemoprotozoal transmission. There are no reports in the literature documenting identified fatal hemoprotozoal infections in oropendolas, green jays, or lesser flamingos.

Montezuma oropendolas modify a component of song constrained by body size during vocal contests

Physical constraints on animal signals can influence how challenging they are to produce, which in turn can provide potentially important cues about the condition or quality of a signaller. Some components of a signal are often more challenging to produce than others, however, and we expect animals to modify those elements that are especially costly so as to give high-intensity and demanding displays only when necessary. We found that Montezuma oropendolas, Psarocolius montezuma, modify a particular component of their songs during vocal contests, the lowest peak frequency (LPF). Songs that overlapped other males' songs during interactions at nesting colonies had slightly but significantly lower LPFs than did the same song types produced when singing alone. Other components of song, in contrast, did not change. We also provide evidence that the production of loud, low-frequency notes in this species is constrained by body size, based on a negative bounded relationship between mean measurements of LPF and tarsus length across 102 species and subspecies of New World blackbirds (Icteridae), the songbird family to which the Montezuma oropendola belongs. Measures of LPF in the songs of Montezuma oropendolas fall near the lower limit of what members of the family produce. Taken together, our results suggest that low-frequency notes in these birds might constitute an honest signal of competitive ability during male–male interactions.

Parasitism of maternal investment selects for increased clutch size and brood reduction in a host

The allocation of resources to young that will ultimately be left to die appears counterintuitive. Yet obligate brood reduction has evolved in a number of species, despite the waste of reproductive investment this may incur. Here we test whether brood parasitism could be one factor leading to the evolution of obligate brood reduction because surplus eggs in the nest during incubation offer some protection from the costs of parasitism. Surplus eggs could benefit females in two ways. First, additional eggs may protect against the direct costs of parasitism by facilitating recognition and removal of parasitic eggs with greater accuracy. Second, additional eggs may protect against the indirect costs of parasitism as parasites often damage or remove host eggs when entering the host nest; surplus eggs may be an essential insurance strategy against this damage. We test these possibilities in the Montezuma Oropendola (Psarocolius Montezuma), a species experiencing high levels of parasitism by Giant Cowbirds (Scaphidura oryzivora) throughout their range. Overall rejection rates of cowbird eggs were high (72%), and experimental addition of parasitic eggs to empty, one-, and two-egg nests demonstrated that recognition success was unaffected by the presence of additional host eggs for comparison. However, the value of surplus eggs when one egg was removed or damaged by a parasite was high; 31.6% of successful two-egg clutches lost a single egg during incubation and would have failed to produce a chick without a second egg. This was directly attributable to parasitism in at least 33% of all cases. Therefore, despite highly developed host defenses against direct costs of parasitism (recognition and removal of parasitic eggs), the associated indirect costs (egg damage and removal) could play an important role in selection for a clutch size that results in more chicks than can be raised

RECONSTRUCTING THE EVOLUTION OF COMPLEX BIRD SONG IN THE OROPENDOLAS

Abstract The elaborate songs of songbirds are frequent models for investigating the evolution of animal signals. However, few previous studies have attempted to reconstruct historical changes in song evolution using a phylogenetic comparative approach. In particular, no comparative studies of bird song have used a large number of vocal characters and a well-supported, independently derived phylogeny. We identified 32 features in the complex vocal displays of male oropendolas (genera Psarocolius, Gymnostinops, and Ocyalus) that are relatively invariant within taxa and mapped these characters onto a robust molecular phylogeny of the group. Our analysis revealed that many aspects of oropendola song are surprisingly evolutionarily conservative and thus are potentially useful characters for reconstructing historical patterns. Of the characters that varied among taxa, nearly two thirds (19 of 29) showed no evidence of evolutionary convergence or reversal when mapped onto the tree, which was reflected in a high overall consistency index (CI = 0.78) and retention index (RI = 0.88). Some reconstructed patterns provided evidence of selection on these signals. For example, rapid divergence of the songs of the Montezuma oropendola, Gymnostinops montezuma, from those of closely related taxa suggests the recent influence of strong sexual selection. In general, our results provide insights into the mode of vocal evolution in songbirds and suggest that complex vocalizations can provide information about phylogeny. Based on this evidence, we use song characters to estimate the phylogenetic affinities of three oropendola taxa for which molecular data are not yet available.

Reconstructing the evolution of complex bird song in the oropendolas.

The elaborate songs of songbirds are frequent models for investigating the evolution of animal signals. However, few previous studies have attempted to reconstruct historical changes in song evolution using a phylogenetic comparative approach. In particular, no comparative studies of bird song have used a large number of vocal characters and a well-supported, independently derived phylogeny. We identified 32 features in the complex vocal displays of male oropendolas (genera Psarocolius, Gymnostinops, and Ocyalus) that are relatively invariant within taxa and mapped these characters onto a robust molecular phylogeny of the group. Our analysis revealed that many aspects of oropendola song are surprisingly evolutionarily conservative and thus are potentially useful characters for reconstructing historical patterns. Of the characters that varied among taxa, nearly two thirds (19 of 29) showed no evidence of evolutionary convergence or reversal when mapped onto the tree, which was reflected in a high overall consistency index (CI = 0.78) and retention index (RI = 0.88). Some reconstructed patterns provided evidence of selection on these signals. For example, rapid divergence of the songs of the Montezuma oropendola, Gymnostinops montezuma, from those of closely related taxa suggests the recent influence of strong sexual selection. In general, our results provide insights into the mode of vocal evolution in songbirds and suggest that complex vocalizations can provide information about phylogeny. Based on this evidence, we use song characters to estimate the phylogenetic affinities of three oropendola taxa for which molecular data are not yet available.

Courtship Disruptions and Male Mating Strategies: Examples from Female-Defense Mating Systems.

Males frequently interrupt the copulation attempts of other males, and these courtship disruptions may limit the extent to which a few males are able to monopolize mating access to females. Males actively defend sexually receptive females in many species in which females form dense aggregations during the breeding season. Across and within such species there is considerable variation in the mating tactics adopted by males, with males in some cases defending groups of females and in other cases sequentially consorting with individual females. Colonial blackbirds have been central to studying this mating system, and we develop a conceptual model for how courtship disruption may account for variation in male mating tactics in this group. Our model assumes that the frequency of disruptions increases with greater colony size. As a consequence, successful copulations are less likely to occur at large colonies than at small colonies, and males are expected to switch from defending multiple females at the colony to consorting individual females away from it. Results from two species of blackbird support the basic assumptions of this model. In one species, the Montezuma oropendola, disruptions occur rarely and males defend groups of females, whereas in the other species, the yellow-rumped cacique, disruptions are frequent and males defend single females. Moreover, consistent with a key prediction, within each species, males associated with small colonies remain at the colony and defend groups of females, whereas males spend little time defending groups of females at large colonies and rarely attempt copulations there. This model has the potential to explain variation in male mating strategies and female monopolization for other taxa in which females form breeding aggregations.

Extreme Sexual Size Dimorphism, Sexual Selection, and the Foraging Ecology of Montezuma Oropendolas

Sexual differences in body size usually are considered to be a product of either sexual selection or ecological divergence between the sexes. I tested the predictions of these hypotheses to explain extreme sexual dimorphism in size in a Neotropical blackbird, the Montezuma Oropendola (Psarocolius montezuma). Sexual dimorphism was more pronounced in wing length and relative mass, traits that appear to be important in courtship and competition for mates, than in bill length or tarsus length. Male dominance rank, which is an indicator of mating success, was positively associated with body size (i.e. high-ranking males were larger than low- ranking males). These results suggest that sexual selection acts to increase male body size, and hence contributes to sexual size dimorphism in this species. Differences in foraging behavior and diet also existed between the sexes and were related to sexual size differences. The small size of females allowed them to forage on food resources that were difficult for the larger males to reach (e.g. insects in rolled leaves at the ends of branches). Females, though, did not appear to be restricted from those resources exploited by males (primarily epiphytal bromeliads). Although it was not possible to reject the ecological- divergence hypothesis, my results suggest that sexual foraging differences are a consequence rather than a cause of sexual dimorphism in size in this species.

Effects of Female Choice and Copulations Away from Colony on Fertilization Success of Male Montezuma Oropendolas (Psarocolius montezuma)

Effects of Female Choice and Copulations Away from Colony on Fertilization Success of Male Montezuma Oropendolas (Psarocolius montezuma)

Female-defence polygyny in a Neotropical bird, the Montezuma oropendola

Abstract. In a Costa Rican population of the Montezuma oropendola, Psarocolius montezuma , males defended groups of sexually receptive females. Females nested colonially, and males aggressively competed with each other for access to groups of females at nesting colonies. Males were ranked based on the outcome of aggressive interactions. The top-ranking or alpha male physically excluded all lower-ranking males from the colony and prevented them from approaching females. The alpha male was present at the nesting colony during those periods of the day when the highest number of females was present. During other parts of the day, the alpha male was often absent and lower-ranking males moved into the colony and defended females there until the alpha male returned. Over the course of the season, the number of males present at the colony was positively correlated with the number of sexually receptive females there. Male competition was localized at that portion of the colony containing the highest number of nest-building females; when females finished their nests and laid eggs, males shifted to areas containing females that had not yet laid eggs. Males also moved to new colony sites whenever the females moved, both within and between breeding seasons. Male mating success at the focal observation colony was strongly and positively associated with dominance rank; 77% of 88 copulations observed were obtained by the alpha male. These results indicate that the Montezuma oropendola has a female-defence mating system. This mating system is more similar to those of polygynous mammals than it is to those of most other polygynous birds.

The Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Breeding Female Montezuma Oropendolas: Effects on Male Mating Strategies

In a Costa Rican population of Montezuma Oropendolas (Psarocolius montezuma), females nested in the dry season (January through May) and males did not help build nests or behave parentally. The length of the nesting period, from nest initiation to fledging, was relatively long (ca. 2.5 months). Approximately one-third of all nests fledged young. Between 19 and 32% of nests fell out of colony trees before fledging, and most of these fell during periods of heavy rain. Females bred colonially, with up to 130 nests (median = 24) in a single tree. In addition, nests were clustered within colony trees: several nests were often built together on a single limb. This behavior appears to be costly, as the clustering of nests caused limbs to break, contributing to the high rate of nest loss. The degree of nesting synchrony was low among nest clusters within the colony, but relatively high within clusters. The overall degree of breeding synchrony within an oropendola colony (SD of nestlining date = 13-25 days) was lower than reported for most monogamous colonial birds, but similar to that reported for other polygynous colonial species. Breeding synchrony within but not among nesting clusters appears to increase the ability of high-ranking male oropendolas to defend or court multiple females.

Interspecific Brood Parasitism of Montezuma Oropendolas by Giant Cowbirds: Parasitism or Mutualism?

Interspecific Brood Parasitism of Montezuma Oropendolas by Giant Cowbirds: Parasitism or Mutualism?

Inland Migration of Jaegers in Northeastern Alaska

careful observations, Mrs. Zimmermann has added seven additional species of birds, including four orioles, to the list of exploiters of man-made nectar. This list can be further expanded by adding several orioles and other birds which feed on from flowers. Leck (1974) reported this feeding habit by the Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole (I. spurius), Yellow-backed Oriole (I. chrysater), and Chestnutheaded Oropendola (Zarhyncus wagleri). Nectar feeding at flowers has also been reported for the Montezuma Oropendola (Gymnostinops montezuma) and 14 other Central American birds by Skutch (1954, 1960, 1967, 1969). The Florida Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis floridanus) occasionally exploits this food source (Russell 1951, Wible 1974). Dr. and Mrs. Raymond Ryckman (pers. comm. 1974) have also observed Hooded Orioles and Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) feeding on the spongy, nectar-filled petals of cultivated guavas (Feijoa sellowiana) in Loma Linda, California. These additions are of interest because they include principally granivorous and insectivorous birds that have not previously been considered as feeders. The known nectarivorous birds of North America, exclusive of hummingbirds, are summarized in table 1. Thirty-two species representing 10 families are included in this temporary listing. The expanded list of feeding orioles, now including nine species or subspecies, further substantiates the claim that nectar feeding is more common in all orioles than has previously been recognized (Fisk 1973). Nectar feeding appears to be even more widespread than was formerly suspected. From the list presented here, the statement by Peterson and others (1963) that more t an 1600 species of birds feed on should no longer be so difficult to believe, even for North American ornithologists.

Avifauna del Caribe sur asociada a ecosistemas alterados en Limón, Costa Rica

Southern Caribbean avifauna associated with altered ecosystems in Limón, Costa Rica. The Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, one of the areas with higher bird species richness in the country, is the main migratory route in Central America. We sampled the coast with visual counts (April-October 2002) and counted 1 639 individuals of 123 species in 14 sample sites from Moin to Cahuita. The most common species were Psarocolius montezuma (Montezuma Oropendola), Ramphocelus passerinii (Passerini's Tanager) and Oryzoborus funereus (Thick-billed Seed-Finch). Most were in cattle land with isolated trees, followed by rivers and streams and the logged forest. Penshurt had the highest relative abundance, followed by Miravalles and Tuba Creek; the site with the lowest relative abundance was Tomatal. A cluster model indicated significant differences in avifauna composition. Pastures with trees, gardens, and mixed stands were the most diverse and had more birds. Vulnerable forest species occur in these forest remnants that are important for their conservation.