Keywords
diet
leaves
parrot
Psittacidae
Touit huetii
Abstract
The Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet (Touit huetii) is the only one from the seven species of the genus Touit with no published data on its diet. In March 2023, in Puerto Madero, Sucumbíos, Northeast of Ecuador, we recorded flocks of Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet feeding on the bark of Terminalia catappa and the bark and leaves of Syzygium malaccense, both ornamental trees introduced from Asia. Consumption of resin-secreting vegetative structures has been rarely recorded in Neotropical psittacines. We suggest that these two resources may be important in the diet of the Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet and that this could be due to the fact that they have specific active compounds with properties of relevance for the health of individuals (e.g., antibacterial, antifungal, hepato-protective, or anti-inflammatory). We highlight the need for futher observations to understand if their consumption is a generalized pattern.
References
Álvarez-Castillo C, MacGregor-Fors I, Arriaga-Weiss SL, Mota-Vargas C y Santiago-Alarcon D (2022) Abundance of White-fronted Parrots and diet of an urban parrot assemblage (Aves: Psittaciformes) in a green Neotropical city. Avian Research 13:100019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avrs.2022.100019
Bahia R, Lambertucci SA, Plaza PI y Speziale KL (2022) Antagonistic-mutualistic interaction between parrots and plants in the context of global change: Biological introductions and novel ecosystems. Biological Conservation 265:109399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109399
Barbosa JM, Hiraldo F, Romero MA y Tella JL (2021) When does agriculture enter into conflict with wildlife? A global assessment of parrot–agriculture conflicts and their conservation effects. Diversity and Distributions 27:4-17. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13170
Benavidez A, Palacio FX, Rivera LO, Echevarria AL y Politi N (2018) Diet of Neotropical parrots is independent of phylogeny but correlates with body size and geographical range. The Ibis 160:742–754. https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12630
BirdLife International (2022) Touit huetii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022:e.T22686014A209587238. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T22686014A209587238
Brightsmith DJ y Cáceres A (2017) Parrots consume sodium-rich palms in the sodium-deprived landscape of the Western Amazon Basin. Biotropica 49(6):921-931. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12479
Bucher EH (1992) Neotropical parrots as agricultural pests. Pp: 201-219 en: Beissinger SR y Snyder NER (eds) New World parrots in crisis: solutions from conservation biology. Smithsonian Institute Press, Washington, DC
Buitrón-Jurado G y Sanz V (2016) Notes on the diet of the endemic Red-Eared Parakeet Pyrrhura hoematotis and other Venezuelan Montane Parrots. Ardeola 63:357-367. https://doi.org/10.13157/arla.63.2.2016.sc2
Cadena H (2023) eBird Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S133008694. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance (web application). eBird, Ithaca. http://www.ebird.org)
Chavez L (2021) eBird Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S85198649. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance (web application). eBird, Ithaca. (URL: http://www.ebird.org)
Collar N y Boesman PFD (2020) Red-fronted Parrotlet (Touit costaricensis). En: del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J, Christie DA y de Juana E (eds) Birds of the World. Version 1.0. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.refpar1.01
Collar N, Boesman PFD y Bonan A (2020a) Spot-winged Parrotlet (Touit stictopterus). En: del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J, Christie DA y de Juana E (eds) Birds of the World. Version 1.0. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.spwpar2.01
Collar N, Bonan A, Boesman PFD y de Juana E (2020b) Sapphire-rumped Parrotlet (Touit purpuratus). En: del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J, Christie DA y de Juana E (eds) Birds of the World. Version 1.0. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.sarpar2.01
Collar N, Boesman PFD y Kirwan GM (2020c) Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet (Touit huetii). En: del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J, Christie DA y de Juana E (eds) Birds of the World. Version 1.0. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.scspar1.01
Díaz JA y Álvarez Alonso J (2014) Registros del Periquito de Lomo Zafiro Touit purpuratus y notas sobre su alimentación en Loreto, Perú. Cotinga 36:103-106
Freile J y Robin R (2018) Birds of Ecuador. London: Helm
García J (2023) eBird Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S131514821. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance (web application). eBird, Ithaca. (URL: http://www.ebird.org)
Garwood NC, Metz MR, Queenborough SA, Persson V, Wright SJ, Burslem DFRP, Zambrano M y Valencia R (2023) Seasonality of reproduction in an ever-wet lowland tropical forest in Amazonian Ecuador. Ecology e4133. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4133
Hapida Y, Elfita, Widjajanti H y Salni (2021) Biodiversity and antibacterial activity of endophytic fungi isolated from jambu bol (Syzygium malaccense). Biodiversitas 22:5668-5677. https://doi.org/ 10.13057/biodiv/d221253
LiuVJ y Lyons JA (2012) Notes on the feeding activity and diet of the Blue-fronted Parrotlet (Touit dilectissima) in north-west Ecuador. Boletín SAO 21:45-49
Neelavathi P, Venkatalakshmi P y Brindha P (2013) Antibacterial activities of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Terminalia catappa leaves and bark against some pathogenic bacteria. International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 5:114-120
Pimentel l y Olmos F (2011) The birds of Reserva Ecológica Guapiaçu (REGUA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Cotinga 33:6-22
Remsen JV Jr, Areta JI, Bonaccorso E, Claramunt S, Del-Rio G, Jaramillo A, Lane DF, Robbins MB, Stiles FG y Zimmer KJ (2023) A classification of the bird species of South America. Versión 31 March 2023. American Ornithological Society (URL: http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm)
Renton K, Salinas-Melgoza A, De Labra-Hernández MA y de la Parra-Martínez SM (2015) Resource requirements of parrots: nest site selectivity and dietary plasticity of Psittaciformes. Journal of Ornithology 156:73-90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1255-9
Seeholzer G (2022) eBird Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S107234469. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance (web application). eBird, Ithaca. (URL: http://www.ebird.org)
Simpson R y Simpson E (2012) Behavioural notes on Brown-backed Parrotlet Touit melanonotus in Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. Cotinga 34:19-23
Sullivan BL, Aycrigg JL, Barry JH, Bonney RE, Bruns N, Cooper CB, Damoulas T, Dhondt AA, Dietterich T, Farnsworth A, Fink D, Fitzpatrick JW, Fredericks T, Gerbracht J, Gomes C, Hochachka WM, Iliff MJ, Lagoze C, La Sorte FA, Merrifield M, Morris W, Phillips TB, Reynolds M, Rodewald AD, Rosenberg KV, Trautmann NM, Wiggins A, Winkler DW, Wong W-K, Wood CL, Yu J y Kelling S (2014) The eBird enterprise: An integrated approach to development and application of citizen science. Biological conservation 169:31-40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.11.003
Torres J (2023) eBird Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S127787613. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance (web application). eBird, Ithaca. (URL: http://www.ebird.org)
Troncoso FP, Van Der Wolf PAJ y Ahumada JA (1995) The Lilac-tailed Parrotlet (Touit Batavica), a new record for Colombia. Caldasia 18:147-148
Urueña L (2022) eBird Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S107602791. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance (web application). eBird, Ithaca. (URL: http://www.ebird.org)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.