Consumption of Larvae by the Austral Parakeet (Enicognathus ferrugineus)

We report observations of the Austral Parakeet (Enicognathus ferrugineus) feeding on larvae in the northern part of its distribution in the austral temperate forests of Argentine Patagonia during the pre- and post-reproductive seasons. Larvae consumed were Aditrochus fagicolus (Chalcidoidea: Pteroma...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Wilson journal of ornithology 2011-03, Vol.123 (1), p.168-171
Main Authors: Díaz, Soledad, Peris, Salvador
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Birds
Consumption
Diet
Food
Food and nutrition
Food availability
Food quality
Foraging behavior
Forest ecology
Insect larvae
Insects
Male animals
Parakeets
Parrots
Pollen
Seeds
Short Communications
Winter
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Summary:We report observations of the Austral Parakeet (Enicognathus ferrugineus) feeding on larvae in the northern part of its distribution in the austral temperate forests of Argentine Patagonia during the pre- and post-reproductive seasons. Larvae consumed were Aditrochus fagicolus (Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) in leaf galls of Nothofagus pumilio (79 observations), larvae from Homoptera, Lepidoptera, and Diptera in seed galls of N. pumilio (12 observations), and larval Nemonychidae (Coleoptera) in male cones of Araucaria araucana (69 observations). Our observations suggest Enicognathus ferrugineus could be more insectivorous than previously thought, perhaps to help meet their demand for high-quality food during the pre- and post-reproductive seasons.
ISSN:1559-4491
1938-5447
DOI:10.1676/09-190.1