Dieta e táticas de forrageamento de Formicivora littoralis (Aves: Thamnophilidae) na Restinga da Massambaba, Araruama, Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

The diet of a species is partly determined by their foraging tactics, as well as the prey distribution. From the analysis of a combination between diet, feeding behavior, availability of food resources and morphometry, we can identify possible differences in the exploitation of resources and relate them to ecological factors. This study is about the issues mentioned for a bird species, Formicivora littoralis in an area of Restinga in the Lakes Region in Rio de Janeiro State. Restinga are recent ecosystems associated with the Atlantic Rain Forest, poor in the number of species and endemism. This is the habitat of F. littoralis considered the only bird species endemic to Restinga and Critically Endangered, according to IUCN Red List. The aim of this study was to determine the diet, foraging tactics used to capture food items, the availability of these items in the microhabitat and to compare male and female as the morphometric measurements and for possible differences in diet and behavior foraging. To capture the species we used mist nets and a reproduction of its song, a system calling (playback) that acts attracting individuals to the mist nets. Upon being captured, individuals were ringed with metallic and colored rings, had their measures taken and any fecal samples collected for laboratory analysis. To determine the foraging tactics, we made monthly journeys across the grid study. The availability of food resources was evaluated by the method of pitfall traps to capture the arthropods. The results indicate that the species is strictly insectivorous, with a diet consisting mainly of arthropods of the orders Coleoptera and Formicidae. The order Orthoptera was recorded exclusively for males, and Hemiptera and Himenoptera for females. For the electivity index, there was no preference for any specific order, with the species feeding what were more available in the environment. The most frequently foraging tactic performed by both sexes was stop and perch gleaning (75% and 50% for males and females, respectively n = 218) including the species in the category of sally gleaners. Males and females foraged at different heights in the two seasons (reproductive and non-reproductive), with males capturing prey heights significantly higher than females. Both used mainly substrates shrubs and trees, to capture preys. Males had all morphometric measurements larger than females with six measurements statistically significant. We discussed as competition, functional role of each sex, habitat physical characteristics, size and palatability of prey, abundance and vertical stratification of food items and the methods used could be influencing the way to explaining the differences between sexes.