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Learning-by-consequence foraging model of the Northern Mealy Amazon in a modified landscape of tropical moist forest

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Abstract

Understanding the dynamics of animal responses to heterogeneity of food resources in modified landscapes is crucial for the conservation of threatened species. We evaluated dietary strategies of the Northern Mealy Amazon in a modified landscape of tropical moist forest in Los Chimalapas, Mexico. We established 30 phenology transects (200 × 6 m) to determine food resource availability in primary evergreen, riparian, and secondary forests during the parrot breeding (March–April) and non-breeding (August–September) seasons, and determined parrot diet by observations of foraging individuals. We found spatiotemporal variation in food resource availability, with significantly greater food resource availability in the breeding season compared to the non-breeding season, and significantly fewer resources in secondary forest. Parrots consumed mainly seeds of a variety of plant species, and presented a medium dietary niche during the breeding season. Nevertheless, parrots foraged predominantly in primary forest where they demonstrated dietary selectivity, and rarely foraged in secondary forest where they consumed resources according to availability. We found evidence that Northern Mealy Amazons employ hierarchical criteria in habitat use and resource selection, adjusting foraging strategies according to resource availability. This learning-by-consequence foraging model may enable parrots to rapidly adapt to spatiotemporal variations in food resource availability. Primary tropical moist forest may be a key habitat type for Northern Mealy Amazons during the breeding season as this provides an abundance of food resources for parrots when they are raising young.

Zusammenfassung

Lernen durch Verstärkung-Ernährungsmodell bei Guatemalaamazonen in einer modifizierten Landschaft von tropischem Feuchtwald.

Für den Schutz bedrohter Arten ist entscheidend, die Dynamik der Reaktionen von Tieren auf die Heterogenität von Nahrungsressourcen in modifizierten Landschaften zu verstehen. Wir haben Ernährungsstrategien der Guatemalaamazone in einer modifizierten Landschaft von tropischem Feuchtwald in Los Chimalapas, Mexiko, untersucht. Wir haben 30 Phänologie-Transekte (200 × 6 m) etabliert, um die Verfügbarkeit von Nahrungsressourcen in immergrünen, an Flussufern gelegenen Primär- und Sekundärwäldern während (März und April) und außerhalb (August und September) der Brutzeit der Papageien zu ermitteln, und haben die Nahrung der Papageien durch die Beobachtung fressender Individuen bestimmt. Wir fanden räumlich-zeitliche Schwankungen in der Nahrungsverfügbarkeit, mit signifikant höherer Nahrungsverfügbarkeit während als außerhalb der Brutzeit, sowie signifikant weniger Ressourcen in Sekundärwäldern. Die Papageien fraßen hauptsächlich die Samen einer Vielzahl von Pflanzenarten und wiesen während der Brutzeit eine mittlere Nahrungsnische auf. Nichtsdestotrotz suchten die Papageien hauptsächlich im Primärwald nach Nahrung, wo sie Nahrung gezielt auswählten, und fraßen nur selten in Sekundärwäldern, wo sie Ressourcen gemäß ihrer Verfügbarkeit konsumierten. Wir fanden Hinweise, dass Guatemalaamazonen bei Habitatnutzung und Ressourcenwahl hierarchische Kriterien anwendeten und ihre Ernährungsstrategien an die Ressourcenverfügbarkeit anpassten. Dieses Lernen durch Verstärkung-Ernährungsmodell könnte es den Papageien ermöglichen, sich schnell an räumlich-zeitliche Variationen in der Nahrungsverfügbarkeit anzupassen. Feuchte tropische Primärwälder könnten ein Schlüssel-Habitattyp für Guatemalaamazonen während der Brutzeit sein, da sie eine Fülle von Nahrung für die Papageien zur Zeit der Jungenaufzucht bieten.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this research was provided by the Programa de Apoyo a Proyectos de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica (UNAM-DGAPA-PAPIIT grant IN205716) to K. R. A doctoral studies grant was awarded to M. A. D. L. H. from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (Conacyt 215549), as well as an UNAM-DGAPA postdoctoral grant at the Instituto de Geografía, UNAM. We are grateful to Idea Wild who provided field equipment, and to Alvaro Campos who assisted with the taxonomic identification of tree species. The Secretaria del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales in Mexico provided research permits for the study. We are grateful to the authorities of the Santa Maria Chimalapa municipality for permission to work on their community lands, and to the local people who provided assistance at field locations in San Francisco La Paz, San Antonio Nuevo Paraíso and Chalchijapa.

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  1. Instituto de Ecología, Universidad del Mar, km 1.5, Carretera a Sola de Vega, 71980, San Pedro Mixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico

    Miguel A. De Labra-Hernández

  2. Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 21, San Patricio-Melaque, Jalisco, Mexico

    Katherine Renton

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  1. Miguel A. De Labra-Hernández
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Correspondence to Katherine Renton.

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Communicated by T. Gottschalk.

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De Labra-Hernández, M.A., Renton, K. Learning-by-consequence foraging model of the Northern Mealy Amazon in a modified landscape of tropical moist forest. J Ornithol 160, 497–507 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-019-01629-y

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