The development of innate vocal signals in birds has received much less attention than that of learned vocalizations and has been documented in only a small fraction of non-vocal learning species. For the order Trogoniformes, there are only qualitative descriptions for a few species in the previous literature. We report the first audio and video recording to our knowledge of vocalizations of nestlings of surucua trogon (Trogon surrucura). We analyzed the recordings of these vocalizations and compared them with those of adults of the same subspecies. Our results, while preliminary and exploratory, suggest that the songs of the nestlings we recorded are similar to those of adults in terms of sound frequencies, but may differ in the temporal structure, as they produce shorter songs with fewer notes. This is interesting because other studies of vocal development in non-vocal learning avian species report mostly differences in frequency parameters between nestlings and adult songs. Further studies are needed to confirm these observations.
Owls exhibit a diverse range of defensive behaviors directed at potential predators or competing owls. These behaviors include wing displays, bill snapping, vocalizations, camouflage and attacks to protect themselves, their nests or nestlings, and their territory. Herein, we report vocal and wing displays for two Neotropical Strix species: Strix huhula and Strix virgata. Individuals were recorded during independent field surveys conducted in 2024 and 2025 at two locations in Brazil. To maximize owl detection, we used playback surveys following literature established protocols. The first record was in Aruanã, Goiás state. After a playback survey, the owl (Strix huhula) landed in an erect posture with its wings half-open, exposing the ventral surface. The individual then engaged in a vocal duet (with another individual) with ascending calls. The first individual´s call consisted of five to six notes, while the second individual´s call had two notes. The second record was in Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas state. After a playback survey, we recorded an individual of S. virgata macconnelli performing a wing-defensive display, slowly opening its wings and tail feathers while maintainig an erect body posture. Our records of defensive wing displays, which reinforce potential territorial calls, are distinct from those previously reported in the literature and could possibly represent a new behavior. Most defensive behaviors (e.g. vocal activity, wing clapping and wing displays) in the genus Strix and other owl species are related to territorial defense, and our records could possibly represent a variation of these displays.
Following behavior, in which birds exploit invertebrate prey flushed by other organisms, is a hallmark of tropical bird ecology, yet associations with large terrestrial mammals remain rarely documented. Here, we report repeated camera-trap records of the white-shouldered fire-eye ( Pyriglena leucoptera ) foraging in close association with white-lipped peccaries ( Tayassu pecari ) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Across 671 peccary records, 17 (2.53%) included the white-shouldered fire-eyes. This interaction likely reflects opportunistic exploitation of prey flushed by peccary disturbance and places P. leucoptera among a small but ecologically important group of Neotropical birds that track large mammals. Our findings highlight the role of large-bodied fauna as mobile disturbance agents and suggest that defaunation may erode overlooked facilitative interactions in tropical forests.
Acrobatornis fonsecai (Passeriformes: Furnariidae) is a canopy-dwelling bird endemic to the Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia, Brazil, and closely associated with shaded cacao agroforestry systems (cabruca). The species is currently classified as Vulnerable due to habitat loss and degradation. Here, we report the occurrence and nesting of A. fonsecai within a highly anthropomorphized environment, the campus of the State University of Santa Cruz (UESC), Ilhéus, Bahia. Between 2024 and 2025, we recorded five nests built in two individuals of Schizolobium parahyba, as well as five A. fonsecai foraging in a mixed-species flock in a cabruca area. This represents the first documented record of nesting by the species on a university campus. Our findings expand current knowledge of the species’ reproductive ecology and reinforce that human-modified landscapes containing forest remnants and agroforestry systems play a relevant role in the persistence of threatened Atlantic Forest birds.
Flavism is a rare chromatic anomaly characterized by the partial reduction or absence of eumelanin, the pigment responsible for dark tones in plumage, resulting in individuals with predominantly yellowish coloration. Unlike albinism and leucism, this condition does not completely disrupt melanin production, allowing for the partial maintenance of other pigments. This study reports the first documented record of flavism in a free-ranging cactus parakeet (Eupsittula cactorum) in Brazil. The record was made on February 27, 2025, in the municipality of Santa Luzia, Paraíba, in an area of arboreal Caatinga near Pico do Yayu. During the observation, a flock of six individuals was spotted in flight, and it was subsequently possible to record a specimen with predominantly yellow plumage, displaying only small green areas distributed across its body. The individual was photographed in its natural environment alongside other members of the flock, demonstrating apparently normal behavior. In addition to describing the record, this study presents a review of chromatic anomalies in birds and highlights previous records of similar mutations in other psittacines. A survey was also conducted on the WikiAves platform, which identified 16 species of Psittacidae with records of chromatic alterations, underscoring the relevance of citizen science in expanding knowledge about these occurrences. This record expands the knowledge of Caatinga biodiversity and contributes to the understanding of chromatic variations in wild birds.
