Construction of the nest of Amazilia rutila De Lattre (Trochillidae) and its anti- predatory defensive strategy in a medium deciduous forest in Campeche, Mexico

Abstract

The Yucatan peninsula (YP) is part of a biogeographical area characterised by its diversity of flora and fauna, among which are the birds, mainly hummingbirds, which are indicators of the state of conservation of the ecosystems. In birds, the site establishment and construction of nest plays a fundamental role for reproduction and survival rate, the selection of materials occurs opportunistically, but birds tend to use fresh leaves of plants with antimicrobial properties or that allow the depletion of ectoparasites in their nests. In this sense, for the first time we recorded for the cinnamon hummingbird (Amazilia rutila De Lattre), the materials used for the construction of its nest and the site of establishment of the nest in the host plants in two sites of a medium sub-deciduous forest in, Mexico. We recorded the construction of nests of A. rutila in two locations in Campeche; in the first site the nest was found in a chaya bush Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst. (Euphorbiaceae); most possibly as an anti-predatory strategy for trichomes in the form of sharp hairs and spines that the plants possess in their stems and leaves. In the second site, the nest was found in a mango tree Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae). The main vegetative material identified for the construction of the nests in both locations, were made from pappus (thin and cottony filament that possess the seeds for the dispersion) from Asclepias curassavica L. (Apocynaceae).

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