The study was conducted in the Dry Chaco of central Argentina, assessing the seed dispersal role of Black-legged seriemas (). We collected 42 faeces of and found that all of them contained seeds from at least three woody plant species: algarrobo dulce (), tintitaco () and mistol (). We were able to compare the germination rates of seeds found in the faeces of with control seeds that did not undergo endozoochory only for The percentage of germinated seeds was slightly higher in the seeds that were ingested by compared to the control group. This study provides the first evidence of ‘s role as a seed disperser for dominant trees in the Dry Chaco forest. The discovery is surprising because was previously known only for its predatory behaviour. These findings highlight the need for further research on tree dispersal by vertebrates in the Chaco region, considering that dry forests, like the Chaco, are among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide.

中文翻译：

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黑腿鹬（Chunga burmeisteri）：干查科地区一种新的、未被怀疑的树木传播者

该研究在阿根廷中部的干查科地区进行，评估了黑腿鹬的种子传播作用 ()。我们收集了 42 份粪便，发现它们都含有至少三种木本植物的种子：algarrobo dulce ()、tintitaco () 和 Mistol ()。我们能够将粪便中发现的种子的发芽率与未经历动物体内发育的对照种子进行比较，仅与对照组相比，摄入的种子中发芽种子的百分比略高。这项研究首次证明了其作为干燥查科森林中优势树木的种子传播者的作用。这一发现令人惊讶，因为此前人们只因其掠食性行为而为人所知。这些发现强调需要进一步研究查科地区脊椎动物的树木传播，因为像查科这样的干燥森林是全球受威胁最严重的生态系统之一。