Consume of workers of Eciton burchellii (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) by several bird species in urban conditions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53157/ecotropicos.5y5x-j2ggKeywords:
Turdus, Pitangus, Tachyphonus, Hormigas legionariasAbstract
The follow of army ant trails is a common phenomenon perform by mixed flocks of insectivorous birds in neotropical forests, where birds feed insects that are driven away by the ants. However, little is known about the consumption of these ants by the birds. This note is reported the consumption of the ant Eciton burchellii in a garden area on the Universidad Simón Bolívar campus (Caracas, Venezuela); by the species Pitangus sulphuratus (Great Kiskadee), Turdus leucomelas (Pale-breasted Thrush), Turdus nudigenis (Spectacled Thrush) and Tachyphonus rufus (White-lined Tanager). Two strategies of ant consumption were observed: “by tandem” (down from the perch consumed several workers and returned to the perch) and “one at a time” (down from the perch, eating only an ant and returned to the perch). A series of aggressions among different birds that conformed the group were observed. This report indicates the need for a systematic study of birds that follow the trails of army ants in disturbed environments, to determine if the consumption of the workers is a common or whether it was an opportunistic consumption.
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