The white-browed woodpecker Piculus aurulentus (Temminck, 1821) (Aves: Picidae) as a potential seed disperser of Myrsine umbellata Mart. (Myrsinaceae)

Abstract

We describe the consumption of fruits of Myrsine umbellata Mart. (Myrsinaceae) by the white-browed woodpecker Piculus aurulentus (Temminck, 1821) based on seeds found in the digestive tract of one specimen collected in an Araucaria forest at Serra do Juncal (22o43’S, 45o53’W), southern Minas Gerais, south-eastern Brazil. It is possible that P. aurulentus is a disperser of seeds of M. umbellata, since these were found intact in the bird digestive tract, completely separated from their pulps, which could facilitate their germination. Keywords: Piciformes, seed dispersal, frugivory, stomach content, Atlantic Forest.