Keeping an eye on small herpetofauna species from the Caatinga, northeastern Brazil: predation by Nystalus maculatus (Aves: Bucconidae) on frogs, lizards, and snakes
2023-03-01 ORNITHOLOGY RESEARCH 2023 31(卷), 1(期), (75-77页)
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The spot-backed puffbird, Nystalus maculatus, is a diurnal bird found in several open to semi-open habitats, ranging from semiarid Caatinga to semihumid woodland. Its diet consists mainly of arthropods, including caterpillars, spiders, and scorpions. Occasional consumption of vertebrates such as lizards, snakes, and juvenile birds is also reported. Between 2019 and 2021, we studied the herpetofauna along the state of Paraiba, northeastern Brazil, and described the first records of predation by N. maculatus on three species of herpetofauna: Ameivula ocellifera, Erythrolamprus viridis, and Dermatonotus muelleri. Our field records show that vertebrate predation by this bird species is fortuitous and opportunistic, although this behavior has been recorded relatively frequently by users of an online database (WikiAves). Predation on lizards, snakes, anurans, and mammals has already been reported in the literature for another species of this genus, Nystalus chacuru. Our study is the first to gather information about Nystalus maculatus predation on vertebrate species and can provide important knowledge about life history and trophic relationships of this bird species.