Diet and Foraging

Rivoli's Hummingbird is nectarivorous, feeding on nectar from plant species such as Passiflora membranacea, Tillandsia vicentina, and Cirsium subcoriaceum at the Huitepec Ecological Reserve in highlands of Chiapas (Partida 2011). P. membranacea was the most important species in Huitepec Reserve during June for the community of hummingbirds. This plant was visited by four species of hummingbirds. Rivoli's Hummingbirds had to compete with individuals of their own species for the nectar of this flower, as well as with species such as Amethyst-throated Hummingbird (Lampornis amethystinus) and Garnet-throated Hummingbird (Lamprolaima rhami) and, occasionally, with White-eared Hummingbird (Hylocharis leucotis). Other nectar sources for Rivoli's Hummingbird include species such as Agave americana, A. parrayi, Bomarea costaricensis, Centropon talamanensis, Erythrina corallodendrum, Fuchsia splendens, and Lobelia laxifolia (Schuchmann 1999). Rivoli's Hummingbirds also feed on arthropods, as do most if not all species of hummingbirds (Remsen et al. 1986); arthropods noted in the diet species of Hymenoptera, Homoptera, Diptera and Araneae (Powers et al. 2010).

At one site in southern Mexico, Rivoli's Hummingbird established territories and defended the use of nectar in flower patches, and its abundance was correlated with the phenology of P. membranacea (Partida-Lara et al. 2012).

Rivoli's Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) primarily captures small arthropods in flight (Powers et al. 2010), with prey taken both from the air and from foliage (Powers 2013).