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Ingestion patterns and daily energy intake on a sugary diet: the Red Lory Eos bornea and the Malachite Sunbird Nectarinia famosa
Author(s) -
DOWNS COLLEEN T.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
ibis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1474-919X
pISSN - 0019-1019
DOI - 10.1111/j.1474-919x.2000.tb04431.x
Subject(s) - passerine , biology , ingestion , sugar , zoology , sucrose , ecology , food science , endocrinology
This study examines whether nectarivorous birds regulate daily energy intake as proposed by Lloyd in 1991. Two Old World nectarivorous species, a large non‐passerine, the Red Lory Eos bornea, and a small passerine, the Malachite Sunbird Nectarinia famosa, were fed 0.25 mol/1 sucrose (9%), 0.73 mol/1 sucrose [24%] or 0.73 mol/1 glucose in separate laboratory trials to determine hourly and overall daily rate of sugar intake and consumption. Overall daily energy intake rates of the Malachite Sunbird and the Red Lory support the hypothesis of regulated energy intake for nectarivorous Old World birds. However, the species differ in their ingestion patterns through the day. The Red Lory ingests large volumes initially, regardless of sugar type. This is possibly a consequence of their large size and having a crop in which food can be stored. The Malachite Sunbird showed more regular hourly consumption through the day, and no change in mass during the day. Intake rates of both species were greater on lower sugar concentrations.