Feeding behavior by hummingbirds (Aves: Trochilidae) in artificial food patches in an Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil.
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2017
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During flight, hummingbirds achieve the maximum aerobic metabolism rates within vertebrates. To meet such
demands, these birds have to take in as much energy as possible, using strategies such as selecting the best food resources
and adopting behaviors that allow the greatest energy gains. We tested whether hummingbirds choose sources that have
higher sugar concentrations, and investigated their behaviors near and at food resources. The study was conducted at
Atlantic forest remnant in Brazil, between June and December 2012. Four patches were provided with artificial feeders,
containing sucrose solutions at concentrations of 5%, 15%, 25% and 35% weight/volume. Hummingbird behaviors were
recorded using the ad libitum method with continuous recording of behaviors. The following species were observed: the
Brazilian ruby Clytolaema rubricauda (Boddaert, 1783), Violet-capped woodnymph Thalurania glaucopis (Gmelin, 1788),
Scale-throated hermit Phaethornis eurynome (Lesson, 1832), White-throated hummingbird Leucochloris albicollis (Vieillot,
1818), Versicoloured emerald Amazilia versicolor (Vieillot, 1818), Glittering-bellied emerald Chlorostilbon lucidus (Shaw, 1812)
and other Phaethornis spp. C. rubricauda, P. eurynome and Phaethornis spp. visited the 35%-sucrose feeders more often, while
the T. glaucopis visited the 25%-sucrose feeders more often. L. albicollis and A. versicolor visited more often solutions with
sugar concentration of 15%. C. lucidus visited all patches equally. Three behavioral strategies were observed: 1) C. rubricauda
and T. glaucopis exhibited interspecific and intraspecific dominance; 2) the remaining species exhibited subordinance to
the dominant hummingbirds, and 3) P. eurynome and Phaethornis spp. adopted a hide-and-wait strategy to the dominant
hummingbird species. The frequency of aggressive behaviors was correlated with the time the hummingbird spent feeding,
and bird size. Our results showed that hummingbirds can adopt different strategies to enhance food acquisition; that more
aggressive species feeding more than less aggressive species; and that the birds, especially if they were dominant species,
visited high quality food resources more often.
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Behavioral strategies, Food resources, Dominance, Subordination
Citação
LANNA, L. L. et al. Feeding behavior by hummingbirds (Aves: Trochilidae) in artificial food patches in an Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil. Zoologia, Curitiba, v. 34, p. 1-9, 2017. Disponível em: <http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1984-46702017000100305&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en>. Acesso em: 25 ago. 2017.