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Tropical Forest Canopies: Ecology and Management pp 193–202Cite as

Behaviour and ecology of birds in tropical rain forest canopies

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Part of the book series: Forestry Sciences ((FOSC,volume 69))

Abstract

The canopy of rain forests exhibits several distinct features that determine avian adaptations. Light intensity and colour, wind, and temperature are the most important components of the physical environment. Tree architecture poses many challenges for the evolution of avian morphological features, and resource availability varies greatly. The canopy is easily accessible for birds that are equipped to travel over considerable distances. Given these conditions, high behavioural flexibility, and adaptations in behaviour and morphology related to a nomadic lifestyle, should prevail among canopy birds. The easy access for certain groups of birds also has consequences for the historical processes that shape canopy bird communities. Birds may contribute greatly to forest dynamics and composition, mainly due to their role as seed dispersers. We elaborate on these points with behavioural, morphological, and ecological data collected at our Neotropical study site in southern Venezuela (Surumoni Canopy Crane Project). We discuss how behaviour and morphological features reflect the ecological demands in the canopy. We contrast the specific behavioural and ecological characteristics of canopy birds with those of species found in the other tiers of the rain forest. It is pointed out that much of our knowledge is biased towards the Neotropics, and that better knowledge of the larger canopy species is needed for conservation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Konrad Lorenz-Institute for Comparative Ethology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Savoyenstraße 1A, A-1160, Vienna, Austria

    H. Winkler & M. Preleuthner

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  1. H. Winkler
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  2. M. Preleuthner
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology Biozentrum, University of Wuerzburg, Germany

    K. Eduard Linsenmair

  2. Green College, Oxford University, Oxford, UK

    A. J. Davis

  3. Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology Biozentrum, Wuerzburg, Germany

    B. Fiala

  4. St. Anne’s College and Department of Zoology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK

    M. R. Speight

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Winkler, H., Preleuthner, M. (2001). Behaviour and ecology of birds in tropical rain forest canopies. In: Linsenmair, K.E., Davis, A.J., Fiala, B., Speight, M.R. (eds) Tropical Forest Canopies: Ecology and Management. Forestry Sciences, vol 69. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3606-0_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3606-0_15

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