Abstract

The foraging strategies of animals is often shaped by the distribution and availability of resources. Ornithophilous plants greatly rely on avian foraging preference which is measured based on the frequency of avian visit and duration of foraging. To this end, the study on species composition and abundance of sunbirds foraging on Tapinanthus globiferus parasitizing Citrus sinensis in Permanent Site of Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria was carried out from January to July 2017. Focal observation with the aid of a pair of binoculars on visiting sunbirds was carried out thrice weekly in the morning and evening sessions on twelve randomly selected C. sinensis trees parasitized by T. globiferus. A total of 376 sunbirds were sighted which spread across Chalcomitra senegalensis (scarlet–chested sunbird) 181 (48.13%), Cinnyris venustus (variable sunbird) 134 (35.63%), Cinnyris pulchellus (beautiful sunbird) 43 (11.17%) and Cyanomitra verticalis (green-headed sunbird) 19 (5.05%). Thus, there was a very high significant difference (F₁₈₀ = 8.129, Adjusted R² = 0.1046, P < 0.001) in relation to the abundance of sunbird species foraging on T. globiferus. The abundance of sunbirds foraging on T. globiferus between months and as well as in relation to seasons showed a very high significant difference (months: F₆₅₅ = 9.216, Adjusted R² = 0.0586, P < 0.001; seasons: t = -5.8684, df = 589.02, P < 0.001). Also, abundance of sunbirds foraging on mistletoe showed a very high significant difference (t = 8.5947, df = 472.33, P < 0.001) in relation to time of day. On the average, Cinnyris pulchellus (beautiful sunbird) spent the highest foraging time (20.0 ± 2.0 seconds) on T. globiferus. However, there was no significant difference (F₁₈₀ = 0.3172, Adjusted R² = -0.01132, P = 0.8129) in foraging duration between sunbird species. This is the first study on sunbirds in the University Permanent Site which clearly shows that the Citrus orchard is a potential conservation site that will be of great benefit to sunbirds and other organisms, hence, it should not be cleared for building construction in the near future but allocated as a part of the Institution’s zoological garden. Trees parasitized by mistletoe in the area should be protected.

Keywords: Sunbirds; Tapinanthus globiferus; Citrus sinensis; Months; Seasons; Time of Day; Foraging Duration

References

1. Sulikowski D and Burke D. “Win-shift and win-stay learning in the rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus)”. Journal of Comparative Psychology 125 (2011): 143-149.
2. Beerens JM., et al. “Linking dynamic habitat selection with wading bird foraging distributions across resource gradients”. Plos One 10 (2015): 1-26.
3. Stiles FG. “Geographical aspects of bird-flower coevolution, with particular reference to Central America”. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 68 (1981): 323 -351.
4. Krebs JR and Davies NB. “An introduction to behavioural ecology, Third edition”. Blackwell Science, London. (1993).
5. Kelly D., et al. “Is dispersal easier than pollination? Two tests in New Zealand Loranthaceae”. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42 (2004): 89-103.
6. Voigt FA., et al. “Low fruit set in dioecious tree. Pollination ecology of Commiphora harveyi South African”. Journal of Tropical Ecology 21 (2005): 179-188.
7. Segun AO. “Tropical Zoology (2^nd Edition)”. University Press PLC (1998): 228.
8. Valido A., et al. “Bird flower interactions in the macaronesian islands”. Journal of Biogeography 31 (2004): 1945-1953.
9. Ladley JJ., et al. “Explosive flowering, nectar production, breeding systems and pollinators of New Zealand mistletoes (Loranthaceae)”. New Zealand Journal of Botany 35 (1997): 345-360.
10. Norton DA., et al. “Distribution and population structure of Loranthaceous mistletoes Alepis flavida, Peraxilla colensoi and Peraxilla tetrapetala within two New Zealand nothofagus forests”. New Zealand Journal of Botany 35 (1997): 323-336.
11. Barlow BA. “Biogeography of loranthaceae and viscaceae”. Sydney, Aust: Academic. (1983): 348.
12. Ladley JJ and Kelly D. “Dispersal, germination and survival of New Zealand mistletoes (Loranthaceae): dependence on birds”. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 1 (1996): 69-79.
13. Vaknin Y., et al. “Flowering seasonality and flower characteristics of Loranthus acaciae (Loranthaceae): implications for advertisement and bird pollination”. Sex Plant Reproduction 9 (1996): 279-285.
14. Burkill HM. “The useful Plants of West Tropical Africa”. 3 (families J-L) Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. (1985): 548-560.
15. Parker C and Riches CR. “Biology and Control”. Wallingford: CAB International. Parasitic weeds of the World. (1993): 332.
16. Polhill R and Wiens D. “Mistletoe of Africa”. The Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, U.K. (1998): 370.
17. Bright EO and Okusanya BA. “Infestation of economic plants in Badeggi by Tapinanthus dodoneifolius (DC) Danser and Tapinanthus globiferus (A. Rich) Van Tiegh”. Nigerian J of Weed Science 11 (1998): 51-56.
18. Gill LS and Onyibe HI. “Mistletoes on rubber trees in Nigeria”. Haustorium 23 (1990): 1-2.
19. Sridhar TS and Rao VR. “Dendrophthoe falcata, a menace to fruit orchards”. Current Science 38 (1978): 908.
20. Zewdie K and Eshetu T. “Proceedings of the 7 Annual Conference of the Ethiopian Weed Science Committee, Rezene Fesehale (IAR, (Ethiopia) EWSC. Preliminary observation on feasibility of mechanical control of parasitic plants on trees”. (1993): 41-42.
21. Jiofack RT., et al. “The Loranthaceae of the Bafou area in Cameroon; identification, distribution, biology and eradication strategies”. In: Burgt X van der, Maesen, J. van der, Onana, J., editors. Systematic and Conservation of African Plants; Proceedings of the 18^th AETFAT Congress, Yaounde, Cameroon (2010): 229-235.
22. Dibong SD., et al. “The study of sodium and potassium distribution in five host species of Phragmanthera capitata (Sprengel) S. Balle in the littoral region of Cameroon”. Journal of Applied Bioscience 30 (2010): 1839-1844.
23. Watson DM. “Mistletoe - a key stone resource in forests and woodlands worldwide”. Annual Review of ecological Systems 32 (2001): 219-249.
24. Grund R. South Australian butterflies data sheet: mistletoe. Chariot.net.au/~rbg/mistletoe-ds.htm (2002).
25. Krebs JR and Davies NB. “Behavioural ecology”. Blackwell Oxford (1997).
26. Nicolson SW and Fleming PA. “Nectar as food for birds: the physiological consequences of drinking dilute sugar solutions”. Plant Systematics and Evolution 238 (2003): 139-153.
27. Larsson C and Hemborg AM. “Sunbirds (Nectarinia) Prefer to Forage in Dense Vegetation”. Journal of Avian Biology 1 (1995): 85-87.
28. Akosim C., et al. “Species Obsolute population density and diversity of water bird in wetland areas of Yankari National park, Bauchi state, Nigeria”. Journal of Environment Research1 (2008): 28-32.
29. Rebelo AG. “Community organization of sunbirds in the Afro-tropical region”. XX Int. Orn. Cong. (1990): 1180-1187.
30. Gill FB and Wolf LL. “Economics of feeding territoriality in the golden-winged sunbird”. Ecology 56 (1975): 333-345.
31. Carpenter FL and MacMillen RJ. “Threshold Model of feeding territoriality and test with a Hawaiian Honey Creeper”. Science 194 (1976): 639-642.
32. Wolf LL., et al. “Foraging Efficiency and Time Budgets in Nectar-feeding Bird”. Ecology 65 (1975): 117-128.
33. Carpenter FL. “Concluding remarks: social patterns in nectarivorous birds”. Proceedings XX Int. Orn. Congr. 1188-1191. In: Larsson, C. and Hemborg, A.M. (1995). Sunbirds (Nectarinia) Prefer to Forage in Dense Vegetation. Journal of Avian Biology, 1 (1990): 85-87.
34. Carpenter FL and Hixion MA. “Distinguishing energy maximizers from time minimizers: a comparative study of two hummingbird species”. Integrative and Comparative Biology 28 (1988): 913:925.
35. Aluri RJS. “Pollination Biology of Decalepis Hamiltonni and Shorea Tumbuggaia”. (2005).
36. Adhola T and Permain E. “Foraging behaviour of the Nectariniidae in Kirindy forest, using Chadsia irondoensis as the focal plant species”. (A Tropical Biology Association field course project) (2004).
37. Mengesha G and Bekele A. “Diversity and relative abundance of birds of Alatish National Park”. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 34 (2008): 215-222.
38. Mengesha G., et al. “A comparison of terrestrial bird community structure in the undisturbed and disturbed areas of the Abijata Shalla lakes national park, Ethiopia”. International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation 3 (2011): 389-404.
39. Newton I. “The Migration Ecology of Birds”. Academic Press, San Diego (2008).
40. climate-Data.org/AMOP/OpenStreetMapcontributors
41. Burrow N and Demey R. “Field Guide to the birds of Western Africa”. Christopher Helm London, Imprint of A & c Black Publishers Ltd (2008): 512.
42. Klinkhamer PGL and de Jong TJ. “Effects of plant size, plant-density and sex differential nectar reward on pollinator visitation in the protandrous Eschium vulgare (Boranginaceae)”. Oikos 57 (1990): 399-405.
43. Smith RL and Smith TM. “Elements of ecology (4^th Edition)”. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc (2000): 545.
44. Anthony P. “Seasonal changes in Nectar feeding by Birds at Zaria, Nigeria”. IBIS3 (1977): 291-308.
45. Wessel S. “Seasonal movements and distribution of the White-bellied sunbird in Western and Central Namibia”. Bird Numbers1 (2004): 31-34.
46. Quintana-Rodríguez E., et al. “Biochemical Traits in the Flower Lifetime of a Mexican Mistletoe Parasitizing Mesquite Biomass”. Frontiers in Plant Science 9 (2018): 1031.
47. Gryj E., et al. “Avian pollination and nectar use in Combretum fruticosum (Loefl.) stuntz”. Biotropica 22 (1990): 266-271.
48. Ramsey M. “Causes and Consequences of Seasonal Variation in Pollen Limitation of Seed Production in Blandfordia grandiflora (Liliaceae)”. Oikos 73 (1995): 49-58.
49. Desta HT., et al. “Patterns of sunbird visitation to four sympatric plant species in Kibale National Park, Uganda”. International Journal of Molecular Evolution and Biodiversity 3 (2016): 1-8.

Citation

Citation: Ombugadu A., et al. “Species Composition and Abundance of Sunbirds Foraging on Tapinanthus globiferus Parasitizing Citrus sinensis in Permanent Site of Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria".Acta Scientific Biotechnology 1.8 (2020): 03-10.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2020 Ombugadu A., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.