Stomach contents of some poorly known Brazilian birds with focus on species from the Caatinga biome

Abstract

Studies on feeding biology comprise one of the most basic knowledge about natural history of birds. Here, we report detailed descriptions of the stomach contents of 12 species (Eupsittula cactorum, Neomorphus geoffroyi, Picumnus pygmaeus, Synallaxis hellmayri, Megaxenops parnaguae, Myrmorchilus strigilatus, Hylopezus ochroleucus, Herpsilochmus sellowi, Formicivora serrana, Scytalopus speluncae, Arremon franciscanus and Lanio pileatus). Most species are from the Caatinga biome and many have none or vague information about their diet. We report consumption of soil from termite nest by E. cactorum, almost exclusively arachnids including large spiders for N. g. dulcis, a diverse composition of arthropods for S. speluncae, and the unrecorded importance of Isoptera for F. serrana. Finally, we briefly discuss the importance of some items such as Isoptera, Formicidae, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera larvae in the diet of most birds from the Caatinga biome.