Bill Morphology and Niche Partitioning in Selasphorus platycercus

Abstract

It has often been stated that the bill shape of hummingbirds is an example of ecological adaptation, as the morphology of their bills are strongly associated with flower nectar resources (Bleiweiss 1999). Broadtailed hummingbirds (Selasphorus platycercus) are considered the most characteristic hummingbird of the Rocky Mountain region (Grant & Grant 1968). At the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) in Gothic, Colorado, the ecology and behavior of Broadtailed hummingbirds have been studied, but the reason behind why Broadtailed hummingbirds visit specific flowers has yet to be thoroughly examined. To explore this question, we caught a total of 198 Broadtailed hummingbirds in the summer of 2016 and measured their bill length, width, and curvature. We found that females have significantly longer, wider, and curvier bills. In addition, we examined the association between sex and flower visitation using pollen swabs as a proxy for flower visitation. A total of 13 species of pollen were found on bodies of hummingbirds. Through examining the visitation rate across these 13 species of pollen, we found potential for niche partitioning between sexes.

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Bill Morphology and Niche Partitioning in <i>Selasphorus platycercus</i>

Abstract

Local Knowledge Graph (Top 34 entities)

Related Works

Variation in bill morphology and pollen prevalence in the Broad-Tailed Hummingbird (<i>Selasphorus platycercus</i>)

Food supply and nest timing of broad-tailed hummingbirds in the Rocky Mountains

Picky eater? How different environmental factors affect broad-tailed hummingbirds’ (Selasphorus platycercus) foraging patterns in the Rocky Mountains

Vegetation Appendix Materials for Vegetation and Wildlife Studies for the Mount Emmons Project

A Classification of the Riparian Vegetation of the Gunnison River Basin, Colorado

Data from: Atypical flowers can be as profitable as typical hummingbird flowers

Appendix C. Relationships between temperature and arrival of Broad-tailed Hummingbirds and flowering onset in its early-season nectar resources at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado, USA.

Data from: Foraging efficiency and size matching in a plant – pollinator community: the importance of sugar content and tongue length

Colorado's Natural Heritage: Rare and Imperiled Animals, Plants, and Plant Communities

Cited By (1)

Variation in bill morphology and pollen prevalence in the Broad-Tailed Hummingbird (<i>Selasphorus platycercus</i>)

References (17)

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Hummingbird behavior and mechanisms of selection on flower color in <i>Ipomopsis</i>

The pollination ecology of Aquilegia elegantula and A. caerulea (Ranunculaceae) in Colorado

Food supply and nest timing of broad-tailed hummingbirds in the Rocky Mountains