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The Saw-billed HermitRamphodon naevius and its flowers in southeastern Brazil

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Abstract

The large Saw-billed HermitRamphodon naevius and its foraging behaviour on a variety of ornithophilous flowers were studied at one site in the Atlantic rainforest in southeastern Brazil. The flower assemblage visited by this endemic hermit throughout the year is composed mainly by epiphytes and herbs, Bromeliaceae and Heliconiaceae being the staple foodplants. Most of the plant species present steady-state, long-tubed and high-reward flowers, and bloom sequentially. The Saw-billed Hermit is a year-round resident and traplining forager, behaves aggressively over its feeding routes, and excludes conspecifics and other hummingbird species from its main flower sources. This large hermit regularly visited and pollinated about 45 % of the native ornithophilous plants at the study site, thus acting as the major pollinator on this flower assemblage.

Zusammenfassung

Der große in Südbrasilien endemische Sägeschnabel-Schattenkolibri (Ramphodon naevius) und dessen Nahrungsverhalten an ornithophilen Blüten einer Pflanzengesellschaft des atlantischen Regenwaldes wurde untersucht. Die von ihm besuchten Blüten gehören hauptsächlich zu Kräutern und Epiphyten, wobei Bromeliaceen und Heliconiaceen die Hauptnahrungspflanzen bilden. Diese Arten haben eine lange Blühperiode und blühen konsekutiv. Die Blüten besitzen lange Kronröhren und sondern reichlich Nektar ab. Der standortstreue Kolibri hält eine bestimmte Route und einen Zeitplan bei der Nahrungsaufnahme ein; er verhält sich aggressiv sowohl gegenüber Individuen seiner eigenen Art als auch solchen anderer Kolibriarten, die er von den wichtigsten Nahrungsquellen vertreibt. Der Sägeschnabel-Schattenkolibri besuchte regelmäßig ca. 45 % der ornithophilen einheimischen Pflanzen einer bestimmten Gesellschaft. Damit ist er der wichtigste Bestäuber dieser Pflanzen.

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Sazima, I., Buzato, S. & Sazima, M. The Saw-billed HermitRamphodon naevius and its flowers in southeastern Brazil. J Ornithol 136, 195–206 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01651241

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