The habitat and nest sites of an island-endemic, the Másafuera Grey-flanked Cinclodes, are described for the first time. The species breeds only in natural cavities in steep rock-walls and rocky slopes or ridges. The nest entrance diameter ranges from 5.5 to 20 cm, the nest chamber being placed within the rock so as to be invisible from the outside. The nest sites found — solely on Alejandro Selkirk Island — were located from a little above the sea-level to the summit region, the preferred habitats being barren canyon bottoms with small streams, and humid alpine plateaus. Nesting extends from early December to late January, indicating a core breeding season from November to January. Fledgling numbers per clutch average about two.
REFERENCES
B. Araya
,
G. Millie
,
M. Bernai
1998. [Field guide of the birds of Chile]. Editorial Universitaria, Santiago. Google Scholar
I. A. E. Atkinson
1985. The spread of commensal species of Rattus to oceanic islands and their effects on island avifaunas. In:
P. J. Moors
(ed.).
Conservation of island birds: case studies for the management of threatened island birds. Paston Press, Cambridge, pp. 35–81. Google Scholar
W. R. P. Bourne
,
M. L. Brooke
,
G. S. Clark
,
T. Stone
1992. Wildlife conservation problems in the Juan Fernández archipelago, Chile. Oryx 26: 43–51. Google Scholar
M. L. Brooke
1987. The birds of the Juan Fernandez Islands, Chile. ICBP Press, Cambridge. Google Scholar
J. C. Castilla
1987. [Chilean oceanic islands: scientific knowledge and need of investigation]. Ediciones Univ. Católica, Santiago. Google Scholar
R. T. Chesser
2004. Systematics, evolution, and biogeography of the South American ovenbird genus Cinclodes.
Auk 121: 752–766. Google Scholar
J. Cuevas
,
G. van Leersum
2001. Project “Conservation, restoration, and development of the Juan Fernandez islands, Chile”. Rev. Chil. Hist. Nat. 74: 899–910. Google Scholar
M. A. Fuentes
,
J. A. Simonetti
,
M. S. Sepulveda
,
P. A. Acevedo
1993. Diet of Red-backed Buzzard (Buteo polyosoma exsul) and Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus suinda) in the Juan Fernandez Archipelago off Chile. J. Raptor Res. 27: 167–169. Google Scholar
A. A. Glade
1993. [Red book of the terrestrial vertebrates of Chile]. Impresora Creces Ltda., Santiago. Google Scholar
I. Hahn
,
U. Römer
2002. Threatened avifauna of the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile: the impact of introduced mammals and conservation priorities. Cotinga 17: 56–62. Google Scholar
I. Hahn
,
U. Römer
,
R. P. Schlatter
2004. Nest sites and breeding ecology of the Másafuera Rayadito (Aphrastura masafuerae) on Alejandro Selkirk Island, Chile. J. Ornithol. 145: 93–97. Google Scholar
I. Hahn
,
U. Römer
,
R. P. Schlatter
2005. Distribution, habitat use, and abundance patterns of landbird communities on the Juan Fernández Islands, Chile. Ornit. Neotr. 16: 371–385. Google Scholar
C. E. Hellmayr
1925. Catalogue of birds of the Americas and the adjacent islands. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser. (Chicago) 8: 1–470. Google Scholar
A. W. Johnson
1967. The birds of Chile and adjacent regions of Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. Vol. II. Platt Establecimientos Gráficos, Buenos Aires. Google Scholar
E. Lönnberg
1921. The birds of Juan Fernandez Islands. In:
C. Skottsberg (ed.).
The natural history of Juan Fernandez and Easter islands. Vol. III. Almquist & Wiksells Boktryckeri, Uppsala, pp. 1–17. Google Scholar
S. Narosky
,
R. Fraga
,
M. de la Pena
1983. Breeding of the Argentinean birds (Dendrocolaptidae and Furnariidae). Asociación Ornitológica del Plata, Buenos Aires. Google Scholar
J. V. Remsen
2003. Family Furnariidae (ovenbirds). In:
J. del Hoyo,
A. Elliott
,
D. Christie
(eds.).
Handbook of the birds of the world. Vol. VIII. Lynx, Barcelona, pp. 162–357. Google Scholar
U. Römer
1995. [Norway Rats (Rattus norvegicus) prey on House Sparrows (Passer domesticus)]. Charadrius 31: 175–180. Google Scholar
R. P. Schlatter
1987. [Knowledge and situation of the bird fauna of the Chilean oceanic islands.] In:
J. C. Castilla (ed.).
[Chilean oceanic islands: scientific knowledge and necessities of investigation.] Ediciones Univ. Católica, Santiago, pp. 271–285. Google Scholar
C. Skottsberg
1920–1956. The natural history of Juan Fernandez and Easter islands. Vols. I–III. Almquist & Wiksells Boktryckeri, Uppsala. Google Scholar
C. Vaurie
1980. Taxonomy and geographical distribution of the Furnariidae (Aves, Passeriformes). Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 166: 1–357. Google Scholar
K. Zyskowski
,
R. O. Prum
1999. Phylogenetic analysis of the nest architecture of Neotropical ovenbirds (Furnariidae). Auk 116: 891–911. Google Scholar
