Blooming meal: flower eating by the Blue-crowned Trogon Trogon curucui

Authors

  • Gustavo Gonsioroski Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, Centro de Estudos Superiores de Caxias, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade, Ambiente e Saúde https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5323-3794
  • Ivan Sazima Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Museu de Zoologia
  • Marcos Augusto Rodrigues Silva Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, Centro de Estudos Superiores de Caxias, Departamento de Química e Biologia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9944-3068
  • Flávio Kulaif Ubaid Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, Centro de Estudos Superiores de Caxias, Departamento de Química e Biologia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8604-1206

Keywords:

feeding behavior, flowers as food, Trogonidae, Cerrado, Pantanal

Abstract

Abstract: Flowers provide birds with a range of dietary resources, although few data are available on flower eating for birds that have mixed diets. We report here a new food type for the Blue-crowned Trogon (Trogon curucui), describing two flower eating events. The individuals fed on the yellow trumpet tree flowers (Handroanthus spp.) at the peak of the dry season in the Cerrado and Pantanal biomes. The birds picked up the flowers by sally-glean flying and a brief hovering, and then perched on a nearby branch to swallow the flower whole. Florivory appears to be seasonal and, while a minor component of this species' diet, flowers may be an important alternative resource during periods when fruits are scarce.

Downloads

Published

2021-01-01

How to Cite

Gonsioroski, G., Sazima, I., Silva, M. A. R., & Ubaid, F. K. (2021). Blooming meal: flower eating by the Blue-crowned Trogon Trogon curucui. Biota Neotropica, 21(3). Retrieved from //www.biotaneotropica.org.br/BN/article/view/1829

Issue

Section

Short Communications

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 3 > >> 
Loading...