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Does foraging competition drive plumage convergence in three look-alike Atlantic Forest woodpecker species?

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Abstract

Explaining the co-existence of sympatric and ecologically similar species is a central goal in ecology. In woodpeckers (Picidae), co-existence is frequently accompanied by plumage convergence. A particularly striking case concerns three woodpecker species in the Atlantic Forest of South America: Robust Woodpecker (Campephilus robustus), Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) and Helmeted Woodpecker (Celeus galeatus), which show a remarkable degree of plumage similarity thought to result from convergence due to interspecific social dominance mimicry (ISDM). We studied the foraging ecology and interactions of these three species in old-growth forests and selectively logged forests to test the extent to which these species differ in various aspects of their foraging ecology, and we examined whether particular foraging requirements may help explain the association of the threatened Helmeted Woodpecker with mature forests. The species selected different tree species, tree diameters, foraging heights, decay states of trees and decay states of substrates, resulting in marked niche separation among the three species. Proportionally, the Robust Woodpecker chiselled more, Helmeted Woodpecker used more probing and Lineated Woodpecker used more hammering. Helmeted Woodpecker was the only species that included bamboos as foraging substrates, and it foraged more on dead wood than Lineated or Robust Woodpeckers, but mostly on small dead branches in live trees rather than standing dead trees. Foraging requirements are not the most likely factor explaining the association of Helmeted Woodpecker with mature forests. Limited resource and substrate overlap among the three woodpecker species, lack of interspecific interactions, and rarity of the Helmeted Woodpecker do not match predictions if these species were conforming to a mimicry complex under the hypothesis of ISDM. Instead, plumage convergence may aid in interactions with third species, or impart advantages in intraspecific competition.

Zusammenfassung

Fördert Konkurrenz bei der Nahrungssuche die Konvergenz der Gefiederfärbung dreier ähnlich aussehender Spechtarten im Atlantischen Regenwald?

Die Erklärung der Koexistenz bei sympatrischen und ökologisch ähnlichen Arten ist ein zentraler Gegenstand der Ökologie. Bei Spechten (Picidae) geht die Koexistenz häufig mit einer Konvergenz der Gefiederfärbung einher. Ein besonders auffälliger Fall betrifft drei Spechtarten im Atlantischen Regenwald Südamerikas: Scharlachkopfspecht (Campephilus robustus), Linienspecht (Dryocopus lineatus) und Wellenohrspecht (Celeus galeatus), die ein auffallend hohes Maß an Gefiederähnlichkeit aufweisen. Es wird davon ausgegangen, dass dies aus einer Konvergenz resultiert, die auf der interspezifischen Mimikry der sozialen Dominanz (engl. interspecific social dominance mimicry; ISDM) beruht. Wir untersuchten die Nahrungsökologie und Interaktionen dieser drei Arten in Altholzbeständen und selektiv bewirtschafteten Beständen, um zu testen, inwieweit sich diese Arten in verschiedenen Aspekten ihrer Nahrungsökologie unterscheiden. Weiterhin überprüften wir, ob bestimmte Anforderungen an die Nahrungssuche dazu beitragen können, die Assoziation des bedrohten Wellenohrspechts mit ausgewachsenen Waldbeständen zu erklären. Zwei oder jede der Arten wählten bzw. wählte unterschiedliche Baumarten, Baumdurchmesser, Baumhöhen bei der Nahrungssuche sowie Zersetzungszustände der Bäume und Substrate, was zu einer deutlichen Nischentrennung unter den drei Spechtarten führte. Proportional meißelte der Scharlachkopfspecht am meisten, während der Wellenohrspecht häufiger bohrte und der Linienspecht häufiger hämmerte. Der Wellenohrspecht war die einzige Art, die Bambus als Substrat für die Nahrungssuche einschloss. Außerdem nutzte diese Art mehr Totholz für die Nahrungssuche als der Linien- und Scharlachkopfspecht, jedoch handelte es sich hierbei hauptsächlich um kleine tote Äste lebender Bäume und nicht um stehendes Totholz. Die Anforderungen an die Nahrungssuche stellen nicht den wahrscheinlichsten Faktor dar, der die Assoziation des Wellenohrspechts mit ausgewachsenen Waldbeständen erklärt. Geringe Ressourcen- und Substratüberlappungen zwischen den drei Spechtarten, das Fehlen interspezifischer Interaktionen und die Seltenheit des Wellenohrspechtes stimmen nicht mit den Vorhersagen überein, wenn diese Arten gemäß der Hypothese der ISDM einem Mimikry-Komplex entsprechen würden. Stattdessen kann die Konvergenz der Gefiederfärbung bei Interaktionen mit anderen Arten vermitteln oder Vorteile bei intraspezifischer Konkurrenz bringen.

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Acknowledgements

Comments and recommendations from two reviewers and the Subject Editor Jan Lifjeld much improved our manuscript. Paula Bertolini, Alejandro Bodrati, Federico Castía, Kristina Cockle, Hugo Janssen, John Fitzpatrick, José González, and Vanesa Maciel provided advice and logistical support. For assistance with capturing and radio-tracking woodpeckers we thank Marcelo Alves, Caterina Barisón, Flavia Barzan, Julián Cabruja, Brian Camacho, Patricia Casco, Matías Castellán, Matías Condori, Guy Cox, Iván Ebrecht, Ayelén Encinas, Anabella Fariña, Analia Fernández, Miguel Fernández, Carlos Ferreyra, Dorila Finken, Tomas Franzese, Julia Gastaudo, Carolina Gomez, Milka Gomez, Hugo González, Osvaldo Gularte, Valdomiro Gularte, Chuck Hunter, Emmanuel Lozana, Javier Luque, Sebastián Lyons, Giselle Mangini, Geoffrey McMullan, Catriel Oliva, Agustín Pereira, Sebastián Pereira, Fabricio Reales, Francisco Sanchez, Franco Sánchez, Sebastián Sandullo, Clifford Shackelford, Elias Sigura, Hugo de Siquiera Pereira, Luz Thomann, and Mariana Welter. Primary funding for fieldwork was provided by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, including the Neotropical Birds program and the Forest Park Foundation Fund for Conservation Collaborations; additional funding was provided by National Geographic, Aves Argentinas and W. C. Hunter. Ministerio de Ecología de Misiones issued permits for capturing and radio-tagging woodpeckers and for access to protected areas. Arauco Argentina S.A. permitted access to Valle del Alegría, Laharrague S.A. permitted access to Lote 13, and Papel Misionero-Arcor permitted access to RNC Papel Misionero. None of our funders or permit providers had influence on the content of the submitted manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CICyTTP-CONICET, Diamante, Entre Ríos, Argentina

    Juan Manuel Fernández

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Av. Independencia 5470, CP. 3400, Corrientes, Argentina

    Juan Manuel Fernández

  3. Laboratorio de Ecología, Comportamiento y Sonidos Naturales, Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del Noroeste Argentino (IBIGEO-CONICET), Av. 9 de Julio 14, 4405, Rosario de Lerma, Salta, Argentina

    Juan Ignacio Areta

  4. Instituto de Biología Subtropical, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Misiones, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina

    Martjan Lammertink

  5. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Martjan Lammertink

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  1. Juan Manuel Fernández
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Correspondence to Juan Manuel Fernández.

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Fernández, J.M., Areta, J.I. & Lammertink, M. Does foraging competition drive plumage convergence in three look-alike Atlantic Forest woodpecker species?. J Ornithol 161, 1105–1116 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-020-01802-8

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