3.1 Birds visiting both fruiting trees
In my 2021 study, each tree species was visited by thirty-one species of
birds, and twelve of those species visited both fruiting trees. However,
of those twelve, eight species visited one of those trees much more
frequently (>75% of visits), and eleven species spent more
than 60% of their total number of feedings in one of them.
Of the four species that did visit both trees more frequently, two had
very few visits — Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua )
with two visits, and Ochre-bellied Flycatcher (Mionectes
oleagineus ) with four visits. However, two other species had more
visits. Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus ) visitedHuevos de Caballo seven times and Gumbo Limbo five times, and
Chestnut-capped Warbler (Basileuterus delattri ) visitedHuevos de Caballo fifteen times and Gumbo Limbo eleven times.
Nevertheless, both birds fed more frequently on one of the trees. Great
Kiskadee fed on Huevos de Caballo fruits on 70% of its total
feedings, whereas Chestnut-capped Warbler fed on Gumbo Limbo fruits on
77% of its total feedings.
[The 2022 study showed that both Ochre-bellied and Boat-billed
Flycatchers fed much more frequently on Gumbo Limbo earlier in the
year]. Thus, it is clear that even for those species that fed on both
trees, one tree’s fruit was clearly favored as a food resource.