DATOS DE LA DIETA DE COTORRITA ALIRROJA (Touit huetii) DESDE LA AMAZONIA ECUATORIANA

The Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet (Touit huetii) is the only one from the seven species of the genus Touit with no published data on its diet. In March 2023, in Puerto Madero, Sucumbíos, Northeast of Ecuador, we recorded flocks of Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet feeding on the bark of Terminalia catappa and the bark and leaves of Syzygium malaccense, both ornamental trees introduced from Asia. Consumption of resin-secreting vegetative structures has been rarely recorded in Neotropical psittacines. We suggest that these two resources may be important in the diet of the Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet and that this could be due to the fact that they have specific active compounds with properties of relevance for the health of individuals (e.g., antibacterial, antifungal, hepato-protective, or anti-inflammatory). We highlight the need for futher observations to understand if their consumption is a generalized pattern.