Foraging association of Groove-billed Anis with a Giant Anteater in Cojedes, Central-western Venezuelan Llanos

Abstract

We observed a group of Groove-billed Anis (Crotophaga sulcirostris) foraging and following a walking Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) in the Cojedes state (Central-western Venezuelan Llanos), using camera traps. We speculate that this behavior might be a mechanism to increase the birds’ foraging effectiveness since the number of prey caught when foraging along with the anteater tended to be high. Commensalism is relatively common in nature, but not easy to observe directly among Neotropical mammals and birds, due to their secretive and cryptic behaviors. Interactions between anis and anteaters had not been previously documented, so this is the first substantiated record of groove-billed anis foraging in association with an anteater. The expansion of camera trap networks in the tropics will likely increase our understanding and observations of commensal foraging behavior among diverse mammalian and avian taxa.