Bird fruit preferences match the frequency of fruit colours in tropical Asia

作者：Duan, Qiong; Goodale, Eben; Quan, Rui-chang^*

来源：Scientific Reports, 2014, 4(1): 5627.

DOI：10.1038/srep05627

• SILVEREYES ZOSTEROPS-LATERALIS
• REDWINGS TURDUS-ILIACUS
• FLESHY FRUITS
• FRUGIVOROUS BIRDS
• SEED DISPERSAL
• RAIN-FOREST
• SW CHINA
• FOOD
• XISHUANGBANNA
• SELECTION

While many factors explain the colour of fleshy fruits, it is thought that black and red fruits are common in part because frugivorous birds prefer these colours. We examined this still controversial hypothesis at a tropical Asian field site, using artificial fruits, fresh fruits, four wild-caught resident frugivorous bird species, and hand-raised naive birds from three of the same species. We demonstrate that all birds favored red artificial fruits more than yellow, blue, black and green, although the artificial black colour was found subsequently to be similar to the artificial blue colour in its spectral reflectance. Wild-caught birds preferred both black and red fleshy natural fruits, whereas hand-raised naive birds preferred black to red natural fleshy fruits and to those of other colours. All birds avoided artificial and naturally ripe green fruits. The inter-individual variation in colour choice was low and the preferences were constant over time, supporting the hypothesis that bird colour preferences are a contributing factor driving fruit colour evolution in tropical Asia.

• 出版日期2014-7-17
• 单位中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园