BIRD ENTANGLEMENT AND MORTALITY BY FRUITS OF THE ZAPALLO CASPI TREE PISONIA ZAPALLO IN THE DRY CHACO, ARGENTINA

Authors

  • Silvia C. Martínez-Gómez División de Ornitología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3071-2669
  • Matías Almeida Administración de Parques Nacionales (APN), Chaco, Argentina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1256-0457
  • Andrea Turner Independent researcher https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8517-9166
  • Leonardo D. Aguiar Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste (IBONE – CONICET – UNNE), Corrientes, Capital, Argentina https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4139-7002
  • Eduardo Schaefer Instituto de Investigaciones Geohistóricas (IIGHI – CONICET – UNNE), Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina
  • Eduardo Etchepare Facultad Regional Concordia, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN – CONICET), Concordia, Entre Ríos, Argentina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9452-8329
  • Gustavo S. Cabanne División de Ornitología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” (MACN – CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4812-2176

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58843/ornneo.v34i2.1179

Keywords:

Bird mortality, El Impenetrable National Park, entrapment, epizoochory, Nyctaginaceae

Abstract

Abstract ∙ Bird entanglement by plants may be globally widespread, but it is not a frequently studied phenomenon, and records in different regions of the world are still scarce. During a short visit to the El Impenetrable National Park, Chaco province, Argentina, in October–November 2022, we recorded 15 incidental cases of birds entangled or trapped by fruits of the tree Pisonia zapallo. Our report involves 12 bird species from eight families, with a wide range of body sizes and masses. To our knowledge, this is the first documented report on this phenomenon in continental South America.

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Published

27-07-2023

Issue

Vol. 34 No. 2 (2023)

Section

Short Communications

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Copyright (c) 2023 Silvia C. Martínez-Gómez, Matías Almeida, Andrea Turner, Leonardo D. Aguiar, Eduardo Schaefer, Eduardo Etchepare, Gustavo S. Cabanne

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