Evolution of nest architecture in tyrant flycatchers and allies

Abstract

Innovations in nest design are thought to be one potential factor in the evolutionary success of passerine birds (order: Passeriformes), which colonized new ecological niches as they diversified in the Oligocene and Miocene. In particular, tyrant flycatchers and their allies (parvorder: Tyrannida) are an extremely diverse group of New World suboscine passerines occupying a wide range of habitats and exhibiting substantial extant variation in nest design. To explore the evolution of nest architecture in this clade, we first described nest traits across the Tyrannida phylogeny and estimated ancestral nest conditions. We then quantified macroevolutionary transition rates between nest types, examined a potential coevolutionary relationship between nest type and habitat, and used phylogenetic mixed models to determine possible ecological and environmental correlates of nest design. The Tyrannida ancestor probably built a cup nest in a closed habitat, and dome nests independently evolved at least 15 times within this group. Both cup- and dome-nesting species diversified into semi-open and open habitats, and we did not detect a coevolutionary relationship between nest type and habitat. Furthermore, nest type was not significantly correlated with several key ecological, life-history and environmental traits, suggesting that broad variation in Tyrannida nest architecture may not easily be explained by a single factor. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach'.

Keywords: Tyrannida; cup; dome; flycatcher; nest architecture; nest type.

Figure 1.

Bird species representing the different families in the parvorder Tyrannida. (a) Manakins–Pipridae (blue-capped manakin–Lepidothrix coronata), (b) cotingas–Cotingidae (purple-throated fruitcrow–Querula purpurata), (c) royal flycatchers–Onychorhynchidae (royal flycatcher–Onychorhynchus coronatus), (d) tityras–Tityridae (cinnamon becard–Pachyramphus cinnamomeus), (e) sharpbill–Oxyruncidae (sharpbill–Oxyruncus cristatus), and (f) tyrant flycatchers–Tyrannidae (rusty-margined flycatcher–Myiozetetes cayanensis). Photo credits: (a-d,f) Daniel Field, (e) Aisse Gaertner.

Figure 2.

Phylogenetic distribution of nest architecture and location, based on 100 rounds of stochastic character mapping. The external circle represents the habitat type (closed, semi-open, open) across the Tyrannida. Nest type–location ancestral state estimations are depicted on the phylogeny. Examples of nest architecture diversity, in terms of nest type and location, are depicted in the photographs and shown on the phylogeny. (a) Cup–branch (white-bearded manakin–Manacus manacus); (b) cup–banks or rocks (Andean cock-of-the-rock–Rupicola peruvianus); (c) dome–hanging (Atlantic royal flycatcher–Onychorhynchus swainsoni); (d) cup–cavity (masked tityra–Tityra semifasciata); (e) dome-ground (ringed antpipit–Corythopis torquatus); (f) dome–branch (great kiskadee–Pitangus sulphuratus); (g) cup–ground (spot-billed ground-tyrant–Muscisaxicola maculirostris); and (h) transition from dome–hanging to cup–bank (shown in the photo is the cup-building cinnamon flycatcher–Pyrrhomyias cinnamomeus). (i) A red line highlights members of the chat-tyrant genus Ochthoeca, which includes species that build cup and dome nests. Photo credits: (a,b,g,h) David Ocampo, (c) Daniel Perrella, (d) John and Milena Beer, (e) Gustavo Londoño, (f) Juan Felipe León.

Figure 3.

Macroevolutionary transitions among habitat states. The value q represents the instantaneous transition rate between states and can be interpreted as the relative probability of moving from one state to another; thin arrows indicate smaller q rates (less likely transitions) and thick, black arrows indicate larger q rates (more likely transitions). Median rate values are presented here. The star next to the ‘closed’ habitat circle indicates that it is the most probable ancestral state. Original illustrations by Maria Camila León.

Figure 4.

Distribution of cup and dome nests among different habitat types. Original illustrations by Maria Camila León.