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<p>Here we investigated the consumption of honeydew by bird communities in southern Brazil. We observed birds feeding on honeydew produced by scale insects on <i>Mimosa scabrella</i> host-trees, to clarify bird guilds—given birds could visit host-trees to feed on honeydew, honeydew-attracted insects, or both—and assessed the contribution of each bird species to beta diversity (SCBD) of bird communities across space and time. Fifteen host-trees were selected, and circular plots around them were used to assess honeydew availability and bird visits. Bird visitors were identified and counted over 180&#xa0;h. We recorded 947 visits by 39 species, with 23 feeding on honeydew, 16 on honeydew-attracted insects, and three feeding on both honeydew and insects. Notably, we had 15 first-time records of bird species foraging on honeydew. Bird–bird interactions varied from affiliative to agonistic, and 60.9% of the agonistic behaviors were interspecific. The White-throated Hummingbird (<i>Leucochloris albicollis</i>) was the most dominant species and engaged in agonistic interactions only among conspecifics. We found an association between species visitation frequency and its contribution to beta diversity, where species commonly feeding on honeydew had lower SCBD values and thus a minimal influence on community compositional differences. Overall, we point out the relevance of honeydew consumption by birds in the region and the role honeydew plays in supporting diverse bird communities across time and space. Competition by interference, in turn, seems to be an additional force in structuring such bird communities.</p>

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Assessing honeydew consumption and bird–bird interactions in bird communities in Southern Brazil

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月21日

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  • Joana Nascimento de Mattos,
  • Guilherme Renzo Rocha Brito,
  • Daniel B. Capella,
  • Eduardo L. H. Giehl

摘要

Here we investigated the consumption of honeydew by bird communities in southern Brazil. We observed birds feeding on honeydew produced by scale insects on Mimosa scabrella host-trees, to clarify bird guilds—given birds could visit host-trees to feed on honeydew, honeydew-attracted insects, or both—and assessed the contribution of each bird species to beta diversity (SCBD) of bird communities across space and time. Fifteen host-trees were selected, and circular plots around them were used to assess honeydew availability and bird visits. Bird visitors were identified and counted over 180 h. We recorded 947 visits by 39 species, with 23 feeding on honeydew, 16 on honeydew-attracted insects, and three feeding on both honeydew and insects. Notably, we had 15 first-time records of bird species foraging on honeydew. Bird–bird interactions varied from affiliative to agonistic, and 60.9% of the agonistic behaviors were interspecific. The White-throated Hummingbird (Leucochloris albicollis) was the most dominant species and engaged in agonistic interactions only among conspecifics. We found an association between species visitation frequency and its contribution to beta diversity, where species commonly feeding on honeydew had lower SCBD values and thus a minimal influence on community compositional differences. Overall, we point out the relevance of honeydew consumption by birds in the region and the role honeydew plays in supporting diverse bird communities across time and space. Competition by interference, in turn, seems to be an additional force in structuring such bird communities.