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Fig-eating by birds in a Malaysian lowland rain forest

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Frank Lambert
Frank Lambert
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB9 2TN, Scotland
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Abstract

Sixty bird species ate the figs of 29 Ficus taxa at a lowland forest site in Peninsular Malaysia. Although most bird-eaten figs were brightly coloured, four Ficus species produced dull-coloured ripe fruits. Whilst there was tremendous overlap in the sizes of figs eaten by different bird species, data presented show that the fig resource was partitioned by birds. Large birds were commoner visitors to large-fruited Ficus, but small birds tended to eat small figs. Within two avian genera, the Treron pigeons and Megalaima barbets, there was distinct partitioning of figs consumed according to fig size.

Keywords

birdsFicusfigsfrugivoryMalaysiaMegalaimarain forestresource partitioningseed-dispersalTreron
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 5 , Issue 4 , November 1989 , pp. 401 - 412
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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