The New Kids on the Block? A Novel Mistletoe Seed Disperser Reported for the First Time in an Urban Area

Seed dispersal interactions are critical for the persistence of parasitic plants. However, anthropogenic habitat change may alter those interactions. We examined how anthropogenic habitat transformation in an urban area alters frugivore interactions of the hemiparasitic mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus. While Mimus thenca is traditionally recognized as its primary disperser, rapid urbanization and the replacement of native sclerophyllous vegetation by invasive Acacia species have modified these dynamics. Using focal observations and camera traps, we recorded 181 fruit-consumption events. We found that the herbivorous bird Phytotoma rara accounted for 60