2026/06/11 by Pedro Emmanuel de Oliveira Zanesco, Glauco Cássio de Sousa Oliveira, Marcos Magalhães de Souza · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior #Plant and animal studies #Wildlife Conservation and Criminology Analyses
paper · doi:10.1080/15594491.2026.2670905
Abandoned nests of social wasps are sometimes occupied by animals, especially insects and arachnids, but there are few reports of their occupation by birds. We report nest excavation and successful reproduction by Yellow-chevroned Parakeets (Brotogeris chiriri) in an abandoned nest of the social wasp Polybia scutellaris (Vespidae: Polistinae). The record occurred by chance on a rural property associated with forest fragments in the northern region of the state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. The parakeets’ use of a wasp nest might have been stimulated by a scarcity of nesting sites, but wasp nests could also confer benefits in terms of thermoregulation and predator deterrence. Further studies may indicate the frequency with which birds use social wasp colonies for nesting and the factors that motivate and regulate this interaction.