NOTES ON THE DISPLAYS AND POSSIBLE LEK BEHAVIOR OF THE FIERY TOPAZ (TOPAZA PYRA) (APODIFORMES: TROCHILIDAE)

Abstract

The genus Topaza comprises two species of large hummingbirds with allopatric distributions in Amazonia. Lek behavior has already been described in almost 30 species of hummingbirds, including Crimson Topaz Topaza pella, but not for Fiery Topaz T. pyra. We describe male displays by T. pyra and how these might be possibly correlated to lek behavior, based on observations at different locations in Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil. These behaviors are compared to the previously described behavior of T. pella and other hummingbirds, but we also describe an extremely unusual upside-down hanging behavior during male to male interactions. Furthermore, some of our observations evidence an apparent tendency for more than one male to converge on a specific perch, perhaps to compete for dominance within a group of otherwise more dispersed, probably linear song territories.