OBSERVATIONS ON THE PARENTAL CARE OF THE YELLOW-BELLIED ELAENIA Elaenia flavogaster subpagana

We observed three nests of Yellow-bellied Elaenia Elaenia flavogaster subpagana in La Selva, Costa Rica. One nest had a single nestling, which was observed for 21 h in order to document incubation, breeding and feeding behaviors. We quantified number of visits per h to the nestling, as well as food transfer events and fecal sac removal, and confirmed that two parents fed the nestling. Adults visited the nest 4.9 ± 0.6/h/nestling on average. We observed 18 feeding events between adults, and five food transfer episodes of the incoming adult to the incubating adult, and then to the nestling. Food items brought to the nest included Diptera, Coleoptera, Phasmatodea, Hymenoptera, Araneae and berries.