Reproductive Biology of the Red-ruffed Fruitcrow (Pyroderus scutatus granadensis)

We provide a detailed report on the reproductive biology of the Red-ruffed Fruitcrow (Pyroderus scutatus granadensis). Eight nests were found between 2003 and 2007 in tropical montane cloud forest in Yacambu National Park, Lara, Venezuela. All nests were near streams in steep drainages. Nests consisted of twigs arranged in a cupped platform. Clutch size was a single egg and the average incubation period (n = 3) was 22.3 days. Nest attentiveness during incubation averaged [± SE] 76.3 ± 1.86% and increased only slightly across stages (early, middle, late). On-bout and off-bout durations were relatively similar across incubation stages. A nestling period of 35 days was recorded for one nest and feather pin-break was estimated to occur at day 19. Brooding attentiveness during the early nestling period averaged 62.5 ± 6.41%, and the adult ceased brooding at about feather pin-break. Food delivery rates increased with nestling age. Food provisioning consisted mostly of insects (66.7%) and lizards (25%) with fruit comprising only 8.3% of the nestling diet at early stages. Provisioning changed to mostly fruit (82.4%) and some insects (17.6%) in late stages of the nestling period.