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Nesting biology of a female long-wattled Umbrellabird Cephalopterus penduliger in north-western Ecuador

Abstract:

Long-wattled Umbrellabirds Cephalopterus penduliger are restricted to the Chocó Biogeographical Region, an area with exceptional levels of avian diversity and endemism. Due to widespread habitat loss and hunting pressure, the species is considered globally Vulnerable and Endangered within Ecuador. Little is known of the species' basic biology. This paper presents data on the first confirmed nest recorded for the species. The nest was found in June 2002 atop a tree fern Cyathea sp. located in secondary forest near Mindo, north-west Ecuador, at 1,600 m in the subtropical zone of the Andean slope. Data collected during incubation and nestling provisioning suggest that females may be responsible for all parental care. At the nest, the female provided food an average of once per hour, and brought roughly twice as many invertebrate food items as vertebrate or regurgitated food items. A male was never seen at the nest. In addition to presenting data from the nest, we compare Long-wattled Umbrellabirds to congeners and discuss implications for the conservation of this species.