A new behavior at the lek by male violet?crowned plovercrests (stephanoxisloddigesii)

Abstract

Males of the Violet-crowned Plovercrest (Stephanoxis loddigesii) exhibit a lekking reproductive system where agonistic interactions are relatively common. Here we describe a new behavior performed when Violet-crowned Plovercrest males are alone on perches. This study was conducted in 2011 at two Violet-crowned Plovercrest leks located in semi-deciduous forests of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. We performed ad libitum observations on seven males. The new behavior is always performed by solitary males. During the displays the hovering male with raised crest, pointed the beak towards the display perch while flying sideways in semicircles or circles. This behavior is similar to aggressive displays performed in front of perched rival males. Such a display is also present in other species of hummingbirds and May help to prepare males for aggressive aerial exhibitions or, alternatively, May represent a displacement behavior.