DIET OF THE PYGMY PALM‐SWIFT (TACHORNIS FURCATA)

Authors

  • Charles T. Collins Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA.
  • Henry A. Hespenheide Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58843/ornneo.v27i0.130

Keywords:

Apodidae, Diet, Pygmy Palm‐Swift, Stomach contents, Tachornis, Venezuela

Abstract

ABSTRACT We studied the diet of the Pygmy Palm‐Swift (Tachornis furcata) based on stomach contents of four individuals collected in Venezuela. The diet consisted of insects from 6 orders and 22 families and of three spiders. Hymenoptera, particularly fig wasps and their parasitoids, made up 71.32% of 750 prey items. Flies (Diptera) and aphids (Homoptera) were important prey items as well. Body length of 39 intact prey items ranged from 1.1 to 4.2 mm, with a mean of 2.03 mm. These prey sizes are consistent with that of other small swift species.

 

RESUMEN ∙ Dieta del Vencejo Enano (Tachornis furcata)

Estudiamos la dieta del Vencejo Enano (Tachornis furcata) en base a contenidos estomacales de 4 individuos coleccionados en Venezuela. La dieta estaba compuesta por insectos pertenecientes a seis órdenes y 22 familias y por tres arañas. Hymenoptera, en particular avispas del higo y sus parasitoides, formaron el 71.3% de 750 presas identificadas. Moscas (Diptera) y áfidos (Homoptera) también fueron ítems presa importantes. El tamaño de 39 ítems presa intactos medidos varió entre 1.1 y 4.2 mm con una media de 2.03 mm. Estos tamaños de presa son similares a los de otras especies de vencejos pequeños.

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Issue

Vol. 27

Section

Short Communications

License

This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License  (CC BY), that allows others unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction, providing the original author and source are credited.