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 (22°43'S, 45°53'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. © 2009 Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - UFMG.