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Unraveling a complex alternate molt strategy: more evidence for prealternate molts and alternate plumages in the Blue-and-yellow Tanager (Pipraeidea bonariensis darwinii)

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Abstract

Some birds replace feathers after the formative plumage of the first cycle and after basic plumages in subsequent cycles as a consequence of prealternate molts. The presence of prealternate molts has been suggested to be due to prolonged exposure to sunlight, especially for birds inhabiting exposed and scrubby areas. Although prealternate molts appear to be common in many Nearctic-Neotropic passerines, these can be also present in resident Neotropical species. For example, prealternate molt has been reported in 14 species among nine genera in thraupids. Here, using wild individuals and museum specimens, we describe the presence of a Complex Alternate Strategy in the molt cycle of the Peru’s Blue-and-yellow Tanager (Pipraeidea bonariensis darwinii). We categorized seven molt cycle–based age groups in 75 wild-captured birds and thirteen molt cycle–based age categories across 167 museum specimens. Our results confirm the existence of limited to partial prealternate molts in Blue-and-yellow Tanager and demonstrate the importance of investigating the presence of these types of molts in wild bird populations.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgments

We thank to Mauricio Ugarte, Andrew Kratter, Thomas Webber, Van Remsen, Robb Brumfield, and Steven Cardiff for the permission and access to specimens housed at Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa, Florida Museum of Natural History, and Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science. Thanks to Kevin McCracken for the logistic support. Thanks to Emil Bautista, Cástulo Obispo, and the landowners of the community of “San Pedro de Casta” for granting us permission to work on their properties. Thanks to our many volunteers of the “Estación Biológica Río Santa Eulalia” for their assistance during fieldwork; special mention to Raúl Mandujano, Cristhian Félix, José Arcos, and Cynthia Cerna. Thanks to Philip Lavretsky, Erik Johnson, and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments in previous drafts. This research was conducted under permit RD No. 213-203-MINAGRI-DGFFS/DGEFFS, Ministerio de Agricultura y Riego, Dirección General Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre. Our thanks to Programa de Anillamiento CORBIDI, led by Eveling Tavera, for providing bands and banding tools for the project.

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Correspondence to Alexis Díaz.

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Communicated by: Luis F. Silveira

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Díaz, A., Hernández, F. & Salinas, L. Unraveling a complex alternate molt strategy: more evidence for prealternate molts and alternate plumages in the Blue-and-yellow Tanager (Pipraeidea bonariensis darwinii). Ornithol. Res. 28, 61–68 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43388-020-00004-3

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