Behavioural correlates of drinking speed in two West African sunbird species

Abstract

The effect of perching versus hovering on the drinking speed of the Cameroon Sunbird Cyanomitra oritis and the Northern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris reichenowi was investigated in a cage experiment. Our results support the hypothesis that the shorter handling times on flowers during hovering compared to perching are largely caused by an increase in drinking speed.

Keywords

• Cameroon
• Cinnyris reichenowi
• Cyanomitra oritis
• hovering