Breeding records of 325 bird species from Peru over 21 years based on citizen science data

Abstract

Breeding is a key component of the life history of birds. Documenting diverse aspects of their breeding biology provides valuable natural history data that can be used to address questions of evolutionary, ecological, or conservation significance. Despite its importance, this information is scarce for most Neotropical species. We compiled 1180 breeding records corresponding to 325 bird species for the period 2000–2021, through an in-depth review of photo or video records from Peru, sourced from Macaulay Library and iNaturalist platforms. We determined the geographical distribution of the breeding records, described patterns of activity and nesting behavior (i.e., host plant preference and clutch size), and explored the timing of breeding. Our study represents one of the few efforts to provide nationwide data on breeding birds in the Neotropical region. We also offer broad taxonomic coverage for further studies interested in testing hypotheses on the variation of reproductive traits and timing at both local and regional scales. The complete data set for this abstract published in the Data Article section of the journal is available in electronic format in MetaCat in JaLTER at http://db.cger.nies.go.jp/JaLTER/metacat/metacat/ERDP-2024-07.1/jalter-en.