Data from: Atypical flowers can be as profitable as typical hummingbird flowers

Waser, Nickolas M.

CaraDonna, Paul J.

Price, Mary V.

Published Jun 12, 2018 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.cd4h7f1

Cite this dataset

Waser, Nickolas M.; CaraDonna, Paul J.; Price, Mary V. (2018). Data from: Atypical flowers can be as profitable as typical hummingbird flowers [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.cd4h7f1

Abstract

In western North America, hummingbirds can be observed systematically visiting flowers that lack the typical reddish color, tubular morphology, and dilute nectar of "hummingbird flowers". Curious about this behavior, we asked whether these atypical flowers are energetically profitable for hummingbirds. Our field measurements of nectar content and hummingbird foraging speeds, taken over four decades at multiple localities, show that atypical flowers can be as profitable as typical ones and suggest that the profit can support 24-hr metabolic requirements of the birds. Thus, atypical flowers may contribute to successful migration of hummingbirds, enhance their population densities, and allow them to occupy areas seemingly depauperate in suitable resources. These results illustrate what can be gained by attending to the unexpected.

Usage notes

Waser, CaraDonna, Price data

These are raw data on nectar properties of flowers and on hummingbird feeding rates at the flowers from field observations from 1970s though 2010s, to accompany Waser, CaraDonna, and Price MS 58156R1 In Press in The American Naturalist ("Atypical flowers can be as profitable as typical hummingbird flowers"). The data are hand-written on data paper as the original data were taken. Note that the Greek letter lambda refers to the capacity of the Drummond microcap used to extract nectar, e.g., 5 lambda = 5 ul capacity. Each microcap capacity has a fixed length (1, 2, and 5 = 32mm long, 10 = 41mm); this is essential to know in converting mm of nectar to microliters of nectar. Sites referred to on the data sheets are explained in Table 1 of the manuscript.

Location

Western North America