Diet supplementation with fish broth in early life improves bone development and growth of scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber)

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different dietary supplementations (fish or shrimp) on the growth, bone development and beak pigment disappearance in scarlet ibis kept in captivity. One-day-old scarlet ibis ( n = 20) were assigned to one of two diets, where 10 birds were fed a diluted commercial diet supplemented with shrimp broth, and 10 were fed a diluted commercial diet supplemented with fish broth. The feeding trial started at day one until day 35. The diluted commercial diet consisted of a flamingo diet diluted in water (puree). Chicks growth, bone development (radius, tarsus and tibia), and disappearance of beak pigmentation were recorded. No mortality was observed in the groups of the chicks fed supplemented commercial diets. Chicks fed diets supplemented with shrimp or fish broth gained weight from the first to the 35th day of life. However, from day 14 to the end of the trial growth was significantly higher in birds fed fish broth than shrimp broth. Again, the fish broth diet increased ( p < 0.001) the length of radius and tibia in comparison with shrimp one from day 14 and thereafter, while this similar difference in the tarsus was observed starting from day 28. The disappearance of the pigmented portion of the beak was not specifically affected by the diet, and it decreased over time. In conclusion, young scarlet ibis grow better in captivity when fed diets supplemented with fish broth than with shrimp broth.

ECOLOGIA DE Eudocimus ruber (PELECANIFORMES, THRESKIORNITHIDAE) NO LITORAL DO ESTADO DO PARANÁ, BRASIL

The Scarlet Ibis occurred in large numbers at the coast of Paraná until the nineteenth century, but a drastic decrease in its population ended with regional disappearance. The return of the species to São Paulo coast since the 1980s has been projecting its gradual reestablishment towards the southern Brazil. Here we studied the Scarlet Ibis in a mangrove ecosystem in the Paranaguá Estuarine Complex. Eighteen campaigns were conducted from October 2012 to September 2013, in an area between the bays of Laranjeiras and Pinheiros, totaling 1559 counts. Adult specimens accounted for 91.73 %. The largest group was observed in January and comprised 225 individuals, although groups were more consistently large between April and August (which corresponds to the least rainy season). This study suggests that Scarlet Ibis are recolonizing Paraná and that mangrove ecosystem preservation is extremely important to sustain the increase of Scarlet Ibis population.

Registros documentados del Corocoro Escarlata (Eudocimus ruber Linnaeus, 1758; Aves: Threskiornithidae) en Loreto, Perú

El Corocoro Escarlata (Eudocimus ruber) está considerado para el Perú como una especie divagante, errante o ambas; su avistamiento ocurre ocasionalmente y no es parte de la avifauna habitual. En esta nota documentamos la presencia de Eudocimus ruber en Loreto, y se actualiza su ocurrencia en el Perú. Adicionalmente confirmamos que algunas especies de aves aparecen en la zona aledaña a la ciudad de Iquitos u otras áreas de Loreto como consecuencia de los nuevos espacios abiertos que son generados por la actividad antropogénica.

BACTERIA PRESENT IN SCARLET IBIS (Eudocimus ruber) CHICKS, BABITONGA BAY, SANTA CATARINA STATE, BRAZIL

Wild birds are important for public health because of their potential to transmit pathogenic microorganisms to humans. The waterbird scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber) forages and breeds near urban areas and if they settle near polluted waters, the viability of adults and their young can be negatively affected. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the cloacal aerobic bacteria profile of nestling scarlet ibis in a mixed colony in Jarivatuba Island, in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Cloacal swab samples were collected from clinically normal scarlet ibis nestlings during the breeding season of 2015/2016 (n=16) and 2016/2017 (n=34), and plated onto blood, MacConkey, and Salmonella-Shigella agar plates. Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus spp., Klebsiella sp., Enterococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. were isolated and may be representative of the normal microbiota of E. ruber, although the normal profile is unknown for the species. However, the location of this colony in an area without adequate sewage treatment, which receives domestic effluents, may indicate a modified bacterial profile. Further studies are needed, to better understand the host's natural microbiome, as well as on the bacterial isolates, in order to characterize any association with the contaminated water. These results lay the foundation for successful species conservation projects in the area by providing insights that will help improve the viability of nestlings in each reproductive season.