Publication Date
Fall 2024
Abstract
Many species of the family Phaethornis, commonly known as hermit hummingbirds, engage in a lek mating system, in which males gather in groups to “perform” at a lek with the goal of attracting a female to copulate with. Their performance includes a repetitive song, and often movement of the tail feathers, while sitting on a perch low to the ground. Their success is often influenced by morphology, age, behavioral display, and location of their territory. Little research has been done on the leks of the tawny-bellied hermit, the white-whiskered hermit, and the stripe-throated hermit, three species of Phaethornis that can be found within the Ecuadorian cloud forests. A lek of each of these species was observed over multiple days within or near the Santa Lucía reserve during the month of November, the dry season, and therefore non-breeding season for the hermits. Auditory and visual data was collected, as well as data on the characteristics of the lekking sites, such as canopy coverage and presence of hermit food sources. By building a basis of knowledge on the lekking behavior of the tawny-bellied, stripe-throated, and white-whiskered hermit, this study hopes to aid future research projects and conservation efforts. The study found that the number of males active varied among the leks: while the stripe-throated had at least 6 active males, the white-whiskered had 2 and the tawny-bellied had 3. Furthermore, the hours the birds were most active varied among species. Interesting correlations were found between the time of day and the rate of calling, as well as the number of birds present at a lek and the rate of calling for the tawny-bellied hermit. Hopefully, this study brings to light the complexity of lek mating systems and encourages further research on the subject, as well as supplies the basic information necessary for future research.
Disciplines
Life Sciences
Recommended Citation
Springer, Sophia, "Leks of Hermit Hummingbirds The importance of understanding the complicated mating system" (2024). Ecuador: Comparative Ecology and Conservation. 1.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/ece/1
