PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION AND SEX-SPECIFIC ATTENDANCE OF NESTING SHINING HONEYCREEPER CYANERPES LUCIDUS ISTHMICUS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58843/ornneo.v37i1.1457Keywords:
Avian reproduction, Breeding behavior, Canopy birds, cup nest, Neotropical birdsAbstract
Little information exists on breeding biology of most Neotropical avian species, particularly for canopy nesting birds. We conducted observations of a Shining Honeycreeper Cyanerpes lucidus isthmicus nest from a 30-m canopy tower in tropical wet forest of southern Pacific Costa Rica. Over 26 days, from 4 February to 5 March 2025, we recorded nest visitation and attendance by the nesting pair and obtained the first photographs of the nest and nestlings for this species. The nest was a low cup, placed about 29 m high in the fork of a vertical twig of Coussapoa villosa. We recorded most nest visits from 06:00 h to 09:00 h, and only the female incubated. The two nestlings were provisioned mainly by the female, mostly with fruit pulp but also insects. Our observations contribute to knowledge on the breeding biology for a poorly-known species, permitting further meta-analysis to evaluate life-history theory for Neotropical birds.
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