Published in

SAGE Publications, Tropical Conservation Science, (12), p. 194008291987896, 2019

DOI: 10.1177/1940082919878960

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Differential Use of Nectar Feeders Among Migrant and Resident Hummingbirds

Journal article published in 2019 by Laura E. Nuñez-Rosas ORCID, María Del Coro Arizmendi ORCID
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Published version: archiving allowed
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

The use of artificial nectar feeders has increased in the past decades. Feeders represent extra food resource at a low cost that can cause an increment of hummingbird populations in urban and rural areas. Assuming that migrant hummingbirds have had contact with feeders in breeding areas, we propose that when feeders are held for the first time in an area, migrant hummingbirds will be visiting the novel resource faster than the resident species. Second, assuming that the finding of new resources is correlated with habitat structure, hummingbirds will visit earlier the feeders in places with less environmental complexity as a rural area. This study was done at the southern coast of the Mexican state of Jalisco in a rural area and in a protected natural area. Three twin feeders were placed in each area and visitation was recorded in periods of 50 minutes during morning and afternoon. We found that (a) migrant hummingbird began visiting the feeders in less time than residents at all the feeders, (b) once migrants used the feeder’s residents began visiting, and (c) in the rural site visitation occurred earlier than in the natural forest. These findings support that hummingbirds learn to use novel food sources and remember used resources recognizing them at the landscape level, and that residents never exposed to an artificial food source learn to use them faster in more open areas and after migrants used them.