FEEDING BEHAVIOR OF BIRDS ON Cecropia pachystachya TRÉCUL (URTICACEAE) IN AN URBAN AREA IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF LUZ, STATE OF MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL

• Autor(a) principal: Gonçalves, Gustavo Leite
• Data de Publicação: 2014
• Outros Autores: Vitorino, Breno Dias
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Biota Amazônia
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.unifap.br/index.php/biota/article/view/1050

Frugivorous species are important because they are potential seed dispersers. This study aims at identifying which birds feed on the fruit of Cecropia pachystachya and what methods are commonly used for obtaining food, at the same time indicating which ones act in the seed dispersal process. The data collection was performed on non-consecutive days from March to June 2009 in an urban area in Luz, MG, Brazil. Fourteen bird species from six families were observed consuming part of the fruits of C. pachystachya. Even though Forpus xanthopterygius accounted for 76% of the rushes to the fruit, it presented a predatory behavior, and was the only species not to contribute effectively in the dispersion process. The Thraupidae family was the potential disperser of C. pachystachya. The most common methods among the birds were gleaning, reaching and hanging. The behavior in the fruit acquisition through uninterrupted flight was carried out by only two species, Pitangus sulphuratus and Myiarchus ferox. The behavior of hovering over an area before getting the fruit was not presented by any bird.Keywords: Cecropia pachystachya; frugivory; bird-plant interaction.