Boletín del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Chile, 63: 119-126 (2014)

Distribución, Fenología Reproductiva, e Historia Natural del Queltehue (Vanellus Chilensis) en la Zona Central de Chile

Manuel Marín Section of Ornithology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles CA 90007, USA. Dirección actual: Casilla 15 Melipilla, Chile; mma95@hotmail.com

Resumen

Se precisa la distribución latitudinal y altitudinal del Queltehue, Vanellus chilensis, dentro de Chile y se entregan antecedentes de su fenología reproductiva. La especie nidifica primariamente en invierno con aproximadamente un mes de desfase respecto a las primeras grandes lluvias de otoño /invierno. En la zona central de Chile comienza a anidar a fines de mayo, antes de lo indicado comúnmente en la literatura, y termina a finales de diciembre, concentrándose la mayor cantidad de nidos entre julio y septiembre. Nidifica desde el nivel del mar hasta los 1800 msnm. El nido puede variar desde una simple pequeña oquedad hasta una pequeña plataforma, con un diámetro promedio de 131mm. El tamaño de
la nidada varió de dos a cinco huevos pero mayoritariamente (52%) los nidos contenían tres huevos, se determinó un periodo de incubación de 27 días.

Palabras claves: Queltehue, Vanellus chilensis, distribución, fenología reproductiva, nidos, huevos.

Abstract

Distribution, reproductive phenology, and natural history of the Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis in central zone of Chile. The latitudinal and altitudinal distribution of the Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis is clarified. Some aspects of its breeding biology were studied. Breeding in central Chile started earlier than normally reported in the literature, the first nests were found by late May and the last by late December. There was a relationship between rains and breeding, nesting started about a month after the first "larger" rains. In central Chile, the earliest nest was found in late May and the last during late December. The species breeds primarily in winter and the highest number of nests was found between July and September. Breeding occurred from sea level to 1800 m ASL. The nest can be a simple scrape on the ground to a more elaborated platform made with dry grasses; the average nest diameter was 131 mm. The clutch size varied between two and five eggs but most nests (52%) contained three eggs. The incubation period was found to be 27 days.

Keywords: Southern Lapwing, Vanellus chilensis, distribution, breeding phenology, nests, eggs.