1. Neotropical Birds Everybody loves birds!! There are numerous research opportunities in the tropics Many seminal papers were on birds Ecotourism is largely based upon birds

2. Neotropical Birds Neotropics are blessed with an abundance of birds E.g. 3,751 sp from 90 F (28 endemic) However, birding is not easy in the tropics

3. Neotropical Birds “the first thing that would strike a new- comer in the forest of the Upper Amazons would be the general scarcity of birds: indeed, it often happened that I did not meet with a single bird during a whole day’s ramble in the richest and most varied parts of the woods. Yet the country is tenanted by many hundred species, many of which are, in reality, abundant, and some of them conspicuous from their brilliant plumages” HW Bates

4. Neotropical Birds A key characteristic of birds is their extreme diversity Molecular work suggests that many ‘species’ should be split into multiple species for several antbirds and ground antbirds

5. Neotropical Birds large ground dwellers There are 47 sp of Tinamous Coloring generally cryptic Most habitats, but rainforest dominate Too heavy, poor fliers Very old group Only male incubates

6. Neotropical Birds 50 sp of Chachalacas, Guans, Curassows again look like chickens (Craciformes) In thick forest of any elevation 9 chachalacas 22 guan 913 curassow

7. Neotropical Birds

8. Trumpeters (3 sp) are odd shaped birds of the rainforest floor Flock, eating insects and fruits Poor flier Roost in cavities

9. Neotropical Birds Doves and Pigeons may look alike, but doves are found in open habitat while pigeons are mostly in closed forest

10. Neotropical Birds Both feed heavily on seeds and fruits, some species being important seed dispersers 300 sp worldwide, 64 Neotropical Most NW are dull (grays, tans) Most have basic calls of low cooing or hooting

11. Neotropical Birds the Gaudy Ones There are a number of groups of birds that are simply known for the bright colors E.g. trogons, motmots, toucans, cotingas, manakins, parrots and tanagers Many of these birds are frugivores…

12. Neotropical Birds the Gaudy Ones Trogons are found mostly in the Neotropics (25 of 31) Chunky w/ sq. tails ♀ ’s paler version of ♂ Barred tails and eye ring Frequently found in edge habitat Cavity nesters

13. Neotropical Birds the Gaudy Ones Some excavate nest in trees, termite mounds, wasp nests (how) Largely frugivores, but also eat insects, lizards In cloud forests, seasonal migrants Violaceous Trogon

14. Neotropical Birds the Gaudy Ones

15. Motmots (n=9) are endemic to the Neotropics Related to kingfishers Unique fused toes Long racquet-shaped tail Heavily serrated bill Black around eye

16. Neotropical Birds the Gaudy Ones Frequently found in the understory swinging its tail Feed on tough arthropods as well as lizards Cavity

17. Neotropical Birds the Gaudy Ones Toucans, Aracaris, Toucanets and NW Barbets (49 sp endemic to NW) Range 30-60cm Related to woodpeckers Share zygodactyle Lowland moist forests to cloud forests

18. Neotropical Birds the Gaudy Ones Toucans: most bare skin around eye Bill actually lightweight, curved tip Highly colorful feathers Not sexually dimorphic Typically flock Frugivores, but supplement with protein

19. Neotropical Birds the Gaudy Ones

20. Appears to be some sympatric species bear similar resemblance to one another E.g. yellow-ridged vs. Cuvier’s Toucans

21. Neotropical Birds the Gaudy Ones Consequently, song is often used to distinguish species (croaking vs. yelping) Where two large species co-occur, one is a croaker and one a yelper

22. Neotropical Birds the Gaudy Ones Aracaris (38-41cm) are darker birds with banded breast (yellow or orange) Longer tails than toucans Bills typically patterns of black and gray

23. Neotropical Birds the Gaudy Ones Toucanets (≈33cm), are smaller versions of aracaris (≈40cm), typically green with rufous tails Bills are typically dark underneath and yellowish above Also gregarious frugivores

24. Neotropical Birds the Gaudy Ones Ecological equivalents of AF hornbills

25. Neotropical Birds the Gaudy Ones Barbets are much smaller, but colorful frugivores 28 OW sp, 18 NW sp (but actually NW sp are more closely related to toucans)

26. Neotropical Birds fruit and nectar feeders While toucans are a major group of frugivore, there are many others Although there is a strong seasonality in the tropics, something is fruiting or flowering every month of the year Consequently, lots of species fill this tropical niche

27. Neotropical Birds fruit and nectar feeders Hummingbirds are the dominant nectarivore 322 sp endemic to the NW, most of which are tropical (all but 16) Most have iridescent feathers

28. Fruit and Nectar Feeders Hummingbirds Highly active, capable of forward and backward flight, and hovering Physiological wonders –1260 heart beats/min –4800 wing beats/min Many utilize torpor…where? E.g. bearded helmetcrest occurs on paramo

29. Fruit and Nectar Feeders Hummingbirds Range in size from bee (2.2. grams (dime) and 5.5cm ) to giant (23cm)

30. Fruit and Nectar Feeders Hummingbirds Group represents an excellent example of adaptive radiation, in terms of bill anatomy, plumage and tail characteristics

31. Fruit and Nectar Feeders Hummingbirds E.g. booted racket-tail & ruby topaz

32. Fruit and Nectar Feeders Hummingbirds Some of the most common species are not brightly colored (e.g. hermit sp) Not sexually dimorphic Lowlands and understory Black & white eyelines Males court at leks

33. Fruit and Nectar Feeders Hummingbirds Frequently observe both intra- and inter-specific competition. Why? Males highly territorial Single site vs. ‘trapline’ Females may prostitute themselves, especially during the non-breeding season Many flowers utilize ‘bonanza-bank’

34. Fruit and Nectar Feeders Hummingbirds In Monteverde cloud forest, flowering was staggered among 10 plant species, resulting in a near constant supply of nectar for hummingbirds

35. Fruit and Nectar Feeders Hummingbirds Feinsinger and Colwell (1978) identified 6 patterns of how hummingbirds exploit flowers –1) high-reward trapliners (visit, not defend) –2) low-reward trapliners (generalist visitor) –3) territorialists (defending clumps) –4) terr parasites (large marauders) –5) terr parasites (small filchers) –6) generalists (follow shifting patters)

36. Fruit and Nectar Feeders Hummingbirds Enter the nectar-eating mites!! Rely on hummingbirds for transportation Therefore, they depend upon the mutualistic relationship between hummingbirds and flowers for their predatory behavior

37. Neotropical Birds fruit and nectar feeders There are 11 sp of flowerpiercers (all members of the tanager family) which are also nectarivores, but do not perform the service of pollination for the flower They pierce flowers at the base

38. Neotropical Birds fruit and nectar feeders (Tanagers) Tanagers are unusually colorful, perching bird that are frugivores (Emberizidae; 242 sp of tanagers, euphonias, chlorophonias, honeycreepers, (dacnis & conebills), and flowerpiercers) Found from lowland to montane forests Frequently found at forest edges 4 sp migrate to US to breed

39. Neotropical Birds fruit and nectar feeders (Tanagers) Most tanagers are not sexually dimorphic Euphonias are important mistletoe dispersers Honeycreepers are nectarivores Bananaquit Paradise Tanager

40. Neotropical Birds fruit and nectar feeders (Tanagers) Tanagers

41. Neotropical Birds fruit and nectar feeders (Tanagers) Euphonias

42. Neotropical Birds fruit and nectar feeders (Tanagers) Chlorophonias

43. Neotropical Birds fruit and nectar feeders (Tanagers) Honeycreepers

44. Neotropical Birds fruit and nectar feeders (Tanagers) Dacnis

45. Neotropical Birds fruit and nectar feeders (Tanagers) Conebills

46. Neotropical Birds fruit and nectar feeders (Tanagers) Flowerpiercers

47. Neotropical Birds fruit and nectar feeders (Tanagers) Ant-tanagers follow army ants (along with many other species) and are frequently the dominant members of these large mixed-species flocks

48. Fruit and nectar feeders Orioles, Oropendolas & Caciques The large family Icteridae are commonly known as blackbirds and relatives In the Neotropics, 13 oropendolas, 9 caciques, and 24 orioles All are frugivores and nectarivores, mixing in arthropods for protein Frequently found in large, mixed flocks

49. Fruit and nectar feeders Orioles, Oropendolas & Caciques Oropendolas (crow-sized) and caciques (robin- sized) are colonial nesters, usually near wasp or bee nests Caciques also frequently build on islands

50. Fruit and nectar feeders Orioles, Oropendolas & Caciques Old nests tend to remain. Why? Yellow-rumped caciques are abundant throughout the tropics but frequently have their nest usurped by larger, aggressive species E.g. troupials or pirate flycatchers

51. Fruit and nectar feeders Orioles, Oropendolas & Caciques Caciques are mostly black, but with bright red or yellow rumps and/or wing patches

52. Fruit and nectar feeders Orioles, Oropendolas & Caciques Oropendolas come in two versions: one black and chestnut the other greenish

53. Fruit and nectar feeders Parrots Global in distribution, but largely restricted to tropical forests of the southern hemisphere In the Neotropics there are 136sp and come in a variety of sizes (from Macaws to parrotlets (genus Forpus)) with many medium sized (e.g. parakeets) Generally not sexually dimorphic Gregarious frugivores

54. Fruit and nectar feeders Parrots Hyacinth Macaw Green-rumped parrotlet

55. Fruit and nectar feeders Parrots Large bill is useful in climbing, not just skinning fruits Tongues are muscular and able to be seed predators, crushing them

56. Fruit and nectar feeders Macaws There are 19 sp of Macaw Long tails and bare skin on face Distinctive flight pattern Mostly seen flying to and from roosts to feeding sites (frequently along rivers) Feed heavily on palm nuts

57. Fruit and nectar feeders Parrots

58. About 30% of all Neotropical parrots are T/E, principally from pet trade and deforestation Nest trees cut down to get young High mortality rates during transport Law enforcement problematic in most Latin American countries Huge ecotourism potential

59. Fruit and nectar feeders Cotingas End of Part I: birds in your backyard (provided you live in the Neotropics)