Nest, eggs and reproductive biology of Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens)

Abstract

Schiffornis (Aves: Tityridae) includes seven species of Neotropical forest birds whose breeding biology is poorly known. We studied three nests of Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens) in the Atlantic Forest of Misiones, Argentina. Nests were bulky cups of dead leaves and other vegetative fibres, lined with Marasmius rhizomorphs and fine rootlets. They were attached laterally to tree fern (Alsophila procera) stems, supported from below, and camouflaged by abundant epiphytes and tree fern petioles. Each contained three eggs, which were creamy white speckled with chestnut. Only one adult was seen to incubate, with on-bouts of 65, 69 and 89 min, and off-bouts of 18, 25 and 28 min. Two nests were depredated at the incubation stage, and the third was not followed. Considering that no Schiffornis nest has been followed to fledging, we strongly encourage researchers and bird watchers to be alert to Schiffornis flushing in the understory, and to follow nests to completion whenever possible.