ECOLOGIA ALIMENTARIA DEL PICAFLOR COMETA Sappho sparganura EN LA PROVINCIA DE CORDOBA, ARGENTINA

Abstract

Summer and winter foraging of the Red-tailed Comet (Sappho sparganura) was studied in three sites in the Córdoba mountain range. This is the only hummingbird species overwintering in the province. Along the entire year it does altitudinal movements looking for different blooming plants. Although the Red-tailed Comet does not discriminate between native or introduced plants, feeding even on non-ornithophilous ones, it strongly interacts with five indigenous species. Al! of them are ornithophilous species and the hummingbirdís visits would be important for reproduction of these plants. However, in two of the sites an exotic species (Chaenomeles lagenaria) was the most important resource al!owing overwintering of the Red-tailed Comet in colder years.