Cuban Bullfinch Melopyrrha nigra
Version: 1.0 — Published April 19, 2013
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Diet and Foraging
Diet
Seventy two plant species have been recorded for the diet of Cuban Bullfinch (Todd 1916, Hechevarria et al. 2005, Ruiz et al. 2006, Ruiz and Ayón 2012). The Cuban Bullfinch feeds on a great variety of fruits, flower buds, seeds and insects. The species is also known to practice nectar robbing (Hechevarria et al. 2005). Todd (1916) reports it feeding on the flower buds of Jatropha glaucovirens. In the region of Siboney-Jutici the Cuban Bullfinch feeds on flower buds of Senna atomaria as well as on the fruit and seeds of Consolea macracantha and Pilosocerus brooksianus (Iñigo-Elias pers. obs.).
List of plants consumed by Cuban Bullfinch on the Islands of Cuba and Youth (Todd 1916, Hechevarria et al. 2005, Ruiz et al. 2006, Ruiz and Ayón 2012, Iñigo-Elias pers. obs.):
|
Species |
Family |
Part consume |
|
Acalypha spp. |
Euphorbiaceae |
fruit |
|
Angelonia angustifolia |
Plantaginaceae |
flower, nectar |
|
Annona squamosa |
Anonacea |
|
|
Baccharis halimifolia |
Asteraceae |
fruit |
|
Baccharis scoparia |
Compositae |
|
|
Batis maritima |
Bataceae |
fruit |
|
Bidens reptans |
Asteracea |
nectar |
|
Bursera simaruba |
Burseraceae |
fruit |
|
Calliandra surinamensis |
Mimosacea |
nectar |
|
Canavalia nitida |
Leguminosae |
nectar |
|
Chioccoca alba |
Rubiaceae |
fruit |
|
Chromolaena odorata |
Compositae |
|
|
Cissampelos pareira |
Menispermaceae |
|
|
Clethra cubensis |
Clethraceae |
nectar |
|
Clidemia hirta |
Melastomataceae |
fruit |
|
Coccoloba diversifolia |
Polygonaceae |
flower buds |
|
Colubrina elliptica |
Rhamnaceae |
fruit |
|
Conocarpus erectus |
Combretaceae |
fruit |
|
Consolea macracantha |
Cactaceae |
fruit |
|
Crotalaria retusa |
Leguminosae |
|
|
Cyrilla racemiflora |
Cyrillaceae |
|
|
Cytharexylum caudatum |
Verbenaceae |
|
|
Dendropanax arboreus |
Araliaceae |
nectar |
|
Emilia sonchiflora |
Compositae |
|
|
Erithalis fruticosa |
Rubiaceae |
fruit |
|
Eucalyptus spp. |
Myrtaceae |
|
|
Eugenia foetida |
Myrtaceae |
fruit |
|
Ficus laevigata |
Moraceae |
fruit |
|
Hedyosmum nutans |
Chloranthaceae |
|
|
Heliotropium curassavicum |
Boraginaceae |
fruit |
|
Hibiscus elatus |
Malvacea |
|
|
Ilex macfadyenii |
Aquifoliaceae |
|
|
Jacquiniella globosa |
Orchidaceae |
|
|
Jatropha glaucovirens |
Euphorbiaceae |
flower buds |
|
Lantana camara |
Verbenaceae |
nectar |
|
Lantana involucrata |
Verbenaceae |
fruit |
|
Lasiasis divaricata |
Poaceae |
seed |
|
Lithaene pauciflora |
Poaceae |
|
|
Matayba dominguensis |
Sapindaceae |
|
|
Metopium toxiferum |
Anacardiaceae |
fruit |
|
Myrica punctata |
Myricaceae |
nectar |
|
Myrsine coriacea |
Primulaceae |
|
|
Palicourea alpina |
Rubiaceae |
nectar |
|
Palicourea erocea |
Rubiaceae |
|
|
Panicum glutinosum |
Poaceae |
|
|
Passiflora cuprea |
Passifloraceae |
flower nectar |
|
Passiflora sexflora |
Passifloraceae |
|
|
Phillanthus spp. |
Euphorbiaceae |
fruit |
|
Phorandendron randiae |
Loranthaceae |
fruit |
|
Phytolaca icosandra |
Poaceae |
|
|
Pinus caribaea |
Pinaceae |
|
|
Pithecellobium unguis-cati |
Mimosaceae |
fruit |
|
Pilosocereus brooksianus |
Cactaceae |
fruit, seed |
|
Pluchea carolinensis |
Asteraceae |
seed |
|
Psidium guajava |
Myrtaceae |
|
|
Psychotria pubescens |
Rubiaceae |
nectar |
|
Russelia equisetiformis |
Plantaginaceae |
nectar |
|
Satureja viminea |
Lamiaceae |
nectar |
|
Senna atomaria |
Leguminosae |
flower buds |
|
Setaria geniculata |
Poaceae |
|
|
Solanum antillarum |
Solanaceae |
|
|
Suriana maritima |
Simaroubaceae |
seed |
|
Syzygium jambos |
Myrtaceae |
nectar |
|
Teramnus uncinatus |
Leguminosae |
nectar |
|
Tournefortia voluvilis |
Boraginaceae |
fruit |
|
Trema lamarckiana |
Cannabaceae |
|
|
Triumfetta semitriloba |
Malvaceae |
nectar |
|
Varronia globosa |
Boraginaceae |
|
|
Vernonia angusticeps |
Boraginaceae |
|
|
Vernonia menthifolia |
Boraginaceae |
|
|
Waltheria indica |
Malvaceae |
flower |
Bradley (1995) reports that subspecies taylori feeds on hard seeds, e.g. buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus), thatch palm (Coccothrinax proctorii) and casuarina (Allocasuarina acuaria).
Foraging Behavior
