Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2017-07-12
Page range: 275–294
Abstract views: 126
PDF downloaded: 1

Calls distinguish species of Antbirds (Aves: Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae) in the genus Pyriglena

Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA.
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Campus Diadema, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil.
Aves speciation Neotropics systematics vocalizations

Abstract

Populations in the genus Pyriglena Cabanis, 1847, commonly known as fire-eyes, are patchily distributed in central South America from the Pacific slope of the Andes to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Pyriglena populations are currently placed into 12 taxa, only five of which are not isolated from their neighbors by distance, a high mountain range, or a major river. In the Thamnophilidae, taxonomic decisions regarding such allopatric populations have primarily rested on differences in vocalizations, thought not to be learned and to play a key role in the speciation process. When we examined Pyriglena vocalizations in this context, the outcomes revealed substantial diversity in their calls, rather than their songs. They commonly delivered four different types of calls, unusual although not unprecedented in thamnophilids. Diversity in calls rather than songs underscores the need to consider all vocalizations in taxonomic studies. The outcomes support the continued recognition of the White-shouldered Fire-eye Pyriglena leucoptera (Vieillot) and Fringe-backed Fire-eye Pyriglena atra (Swainson) as distinct species, and indicate that, in addition, the currently constituted Pyriglena leuconota should be considered three species: the Western Fire-eye Pyriglena maura (Ménétries); the Tapajos Fire-eye Pyriglena similis Zimmer; and the East Amazonian Fire-eye Pyriglena leuconota (von Spix). We also identify taxonomic uncertainties regarding subspecies that require acquisition of additional data and further analysis.

 

References

  1. Baker, M.C. & Baker, A.E.M. (1988) Vocal and visual stimuli enabling copulation behavior in female buntings. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 23, 105–108.
    https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00299893

    Baker, M.C. & Baker, A.E.M. (1990) Reproductive isolation in female buntings: isolation mechanisms in a hybridizing pair of species. Evolution, 44, 332–338.
    https://doi.org/10.2307/2409411

    Brumfield, R.T., Tello, J.G., Cheviron, Z.A., Carling, M.D., Crochet, N. & Rosenberg, K.V. (2007) Phylogenetic conservatism and antiquity of a tropical specialization: Army-ant-following in the typical antbirds (Thamnophilidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 45, 1–13.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2007.07.019

    Cabanis, J. (1847) Ornithologische Notizen. Archiv für Naturgeschichte, 13, 186–256.

    Chapman, F.M. (1923) Descriptions of proposed new birds from Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. American Museum Novitates, 67, 1–12.

    Charif, R.A., Waack, A.M. & Strickman, L.M. (2010) Raven Pro 1.4 User’s Manual. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, 367 pp.

    Chubb, C. (1916) New birds from Ecuador. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club, 36, 46–48.

    Freile, J.F. (2004) Range extensions and other noteworthy and new bird records from mainland Ecuador. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club, 124, 188–202.

    Isler, M.L. (1997) A sector-based ornithological geographic information system for the Neotropics. In: Remsen Jr., J.V. (Ed.), Ornithological Monographs 48. Studies in Neotropical Ornithology Honoring Ted Parker. The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, pp. 345–354.
    https://doi.org/10.2307/40157542

    Isler, M.L., Alvarez A., J., Isler, P.R., Valqui, T., Begazo, A. & Whitney, B.M. (2002) Rediscovery of a cryptic species and description of a new subspecies in the Myrmeciza hemimelaena complex (Thamnophilidae) of the Neotropics. The Auk, 119, 362–378.
    https://doi.org/10.1642/0004-8038(2002)119[0362:ROACSA]2.0.CO;2

    Isler, M.L., Bravo, G.A. & Brumfield, R.T. (2013) Taxonomic revision of Myrmeciza (Aves: Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae) into 12 genera based on phylogenetic, morphological, behavioral, and ecological data. Zootaxa, 3717 (4), 469–497.
    https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3717.4.3

    Isler, M.L., Isler, P.R. & Whitney, B.M. (1998) Use of vocalizations to establish species limits in antbirds (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae). The Auk, 115, 577–590.
    https://doi.org/10.2307/4089407

    Isler, M.L., Isler, P.R. & Whitney, B.M. (2007) Species limits in antbirds (Thamnophilidae): the Warbling Antbird (Hypocnemis cantator) complex. The Auk, 124, 11–28.
    https://doi.org/10.1642/0004-8038(2007)124[11:SLIATT]2.0.CO;2

    Johnson, N.K., Remsen, Jr., J.V. & Cicero, C. (1999) Resolution of the debate over species concepts in ornithology: a new comprehensive biological species concept. Proceedings of the International Ornithological Congress, 22, 1470–1482.

    Krabbe, N. & Schulenberg, T.S. (1997) Species limits and natural history of Scytalopus tapaculos (Rhinocryptidae) of Ecuador, with descriptions of three new species and notes on extralimital forms. In: Remsen Jr., J.V. (Ed.), Ornithological Monographs 48; Studies in Neotropical Ornithology Honoring Ted Parker. The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, pp. 47–88.

    Maldonado-Coelho, M. (2010) Evolution and Biogeography of South American Fire-eye Antbirds (Genus Pyriglena): Insights from Molecules and Songs. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, 196 pp.

    Maldonado-Coelho, M. (2012) Climatic oscillations shape the phylogeographic structure of Atlantic Forest fire-eyes (Aves: Thamnophilidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 105, 900–924.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01823.x

    Maldonado-Coelho, M., Blake, J.G., Silveira, L.F., Batalha-Filho, H. & Ricklefs, R.E. (2013) Rivers, refuges and population divergence of fire-eye antbirds (Pyriglena) in the Amazon Basin. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 26, 1090–1107.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.12123

    Martens, J. (1996) Vocalizations and speciation of Palearctic birds. In: Kroodsma, D.E. & Miller, E.H. (Eds.), Ecology and Evolution of Acoustic Communication in Birds. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, pp. 222–238.

    Ménétriés, E. (1835) Monographie de la famille des Myiotherinae où sont décrites le espéces qui ornent le Musée de l’Académie Impériale des Sciences. Mémoires de Académie Impériale des Sciences (Sciences Mathématiques, Physiques et Naturelles), 3, 443–544.

    Moore, J.V., Krabbe, N. & Jahn, O. (2013) Bird Sounds of Ecuador, a comprehensive collection. John V. Moore Nature Recordings, San Jose, California. [compact disk]

    Parker III, T.A., Stotz, D.F. & Fitzpatrick, J.W. (1996) Ecological and distributional databases for Neotropical birds. In: Stotz, D.F., Fitzpatrick, J.W., Parker III, T.A. & Moskovits, D.K. (Eds.), Neotropical Birds: Ecology and Conservation. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, pp. 131–436.

    Peters, J.L. (1951) Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 7. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 318 pp.

    Pinto, O.M. de O. (1947) Contribuição à ornitologia do baixo Amazonas. Arquivos de Zoologia do Estado de São Paulo, 5, 311–482.

    Price, T. (2008) Speciation in Birds. Roberts and Co., Boulder, Colorado, 470 pp.

    Remsen, Jr., J.V. (2005) Pattern, process, and rigor meet classification. The Auk, 122, 403–413.
    https://doi.org/10.1642/0004-8038(2005)122[0403:PPARMC]2.0.CO;2

    Remsen, Jr., J.V., Areta, J.I., Cadena, C.D., Claramunt, S., Jaramillo, A., Pacheco, J.F., Pérez-Emán, J., Robbins, M.B., Stiles, F.G., Stotz, D.F. & Zimmer, K.J. (2016) A Classification of the Bird Species of South America. Version 20 September 2016. American Ornithologists' Union. Available from: http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.html/ (accessed 1 October 2016)

    Ridgely, R.S. & Tudor, G. (1994) The Birds of South America. Vol. 2. The Suboscine Passerines. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas, 814 pp.

    Robbins, M.B., Geale, D., Walker, B., Davis, T.J., Combe, M., Eaton, M.D. & Kennedy, K.P. (2011) Foothill avifauna of the upper Urubamba Valley, dpto. Cusco, Peru. Cotinga, 33, 41–52.

    Schulenberg, T.S., Stotz, D.F., Lane, D.F., O'Neill, J.P. & Parker III, T.A. (2007) Birds of Peru. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 656 pp.

    Searcy, W.A. & Yasukawa, K. (1996) Song and female choice. In: Kroodsma, D.E. & Miller, E.H. (Eds.), Ecology and Evolution of Acoustic Communication in Birds. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, pp. 455–472.

    von Spix, J.B. (1825) Avium species novae, quas in itinere per Braziliam annis 1817–20 collegit et descripsit. Vol. 2. Impensis, Monachii, 85 pp.

    Stolzmann, J. & Domaniewski, J. (1918) Notes sur les formes du genre Pyriglena Cab. Comptes Rendus des Société des Sciences Varsovie, 11, 179–185.

    Swainson, W. (1825) On two new genera of birds, Formicivora and Drymophila, with descriptions of several species. Zoological Journal of London, 2, 145–154.

    Templeton, A.R. (1989) The meaning of species and speciation: a genetic perspective. In: Otte, D. & Endler, J.A. (Eds.), Speciation and its Consequences. Sinauer, Sunderland, Massachusetts, pp. 3–27.

    Templeton, A.R. (1998) Species and speciation. Geography, population structure, ecology, and gene trees. In: Howard, D.J. & Berlocher, S.H. (Eds.), Endless Forms. Species and Speciation. Oxford University Press, New York, pp. 32–43.

    Templeton, A.R. (2001). Using phylogeographic analyses of gene trees to test species status and processes. Molecular Ecology, 10, 779–791.
    https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-294x.2001.01199.x

    Thom, G. & Aleixo, A. (2015) Cryptic speciation in the white-shouldered antshrike (Thamnophilus aethiops, Aves: Thamnophilidae): The tale of a transcontinental radiation across rivers in lowland Amazonia and the northeastern Atlantic Forest. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 82, 95–110.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2014.09.023

    Touchton, J.M., Seddon, N. & Tobias, J.A. (2014) Captive rearing experiments confirm song development without learning in a tracheophone suboscine bird. PLoS ONE, 9, e95746, 1–9.
    https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0095746

    Uy, J.A.C., Moyle, R. & Filardi, C.E. (2009) Plumage color and song differences mediate species recognition between incipient flycatcher species of the Solomon Islands. Evolution, 63, 153–164.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00530.x

    Vieillot, L.P. (1818) Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle. Tome. 20. 2éme Edition, Chez Deterville, Paris, 272 pp.

    Whitney, B.M., Pacheco, J.F., Buzzetti, D.R.C. & Parrini, R. (2000) Systematic revision and biogeography of the Herpsilochmus pileatus complex, with description of a new species from northeastern Brazil. The Auk, 117, 869–891.
    https://doi.org/10.1642/0004-8038(2000)117[0869:SRABOT]2.0.CO;2

    Willis, E.O. (1981) Diversity in adversity: the behaviors of two subordinate antbirds. Arquivos de Zoologia, 30, 159–234.
    https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2176-7793.v30i3p159-234

    Willis, E.O. & Oniki, Y. (1982) Behavior of Fringe-backed Fire-eyes (Pyriglena atra, Formicariidae): a test case for taxonomy versus conservation. Revista Brasileira de Biologia, 42, 213–223.

    Zimmer, J.T. (1931) Studies of Peruvian birds. II. Peruvian forms of the genera Microbates, Rhamphocaenus, Sclateria, Pyriglena, Pithys, Drymophila, and Liosceles. American Museum Novitates, 509, 1–20.

    Zimmer, K.J. (2002) Species limits in olive-backed foliage-gleaners (Automolus: Furnariidae). Wilson Bulletin, 114, 20–37.
    https://doi.org/10.1676/0043-5643(2002)114[0020:SLIOBF]2.0.CO;2

    Zimmer, K.J. & Isler, M.L. (2003) Family Thamnophilidae (typical antbirds). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A. & Christie, D.A. (Eds.), Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 8. Broadbills to Tapaculos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, pp. 448–681.