LA CONDUCTA TERRITORIAL DEL ZAFIRO OREJA BLANCA (HYLOCHARIS LEUCOTIS) ES AFECTADA POR LA DISPONIBILIDAD DE ENERGÍA

Abstract

White-eared Hummingbird (Hylocharis leucotis) territorial behavior is affected by energy availability. – Territoriality is a costly-foraging strategy. As a result, territorial animals must ensure that the energy within their territories is sufficient to support the costs of its defense. Hummingbirds are territorial and depend on nectar-containing flowers as their main energy source. In this study, we hypothesized that White-eared hummingbirds (Hylocharis leucotis), depending on the amount of energy (nectar) available in the environment, modify four aspects of their behavior (i.e., time spent for perching, foraging, and actively and passively defending territory), as well as territory size and response to intrusions into their territory. We monitored 30 individual territories during the winter flowering season at El Chico National Park, Mexico, and did not detect a significant effect of the energy available on time spent for perching or foraging, respectively. However, White-eared hummingbirds invested significantly more time in active and passive defense when the intrusion pressure was higher, and successful intrusions increased when the territories were bigger. Moreover, although territory size increased or decreased, a similar amount of energy therein was maintained throughout the duration of the study. Our results indicate that in this hummingbird species energy availability determines the size of their territories and the time spent on its defense.