The Impact of Delphinium nuttallianum and Ipomopsis aggregata Phenology on Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) Visitation Patterns

Abstract

Biological interactions reliant on synchronized phenology are being thrown into disarray with warming temperatures and an earlier onset of spring. Migrating Broad-tailed Hummingbirds (Selasphorus platycercus) in Gothic, Colorado tend to arrive and breed in alignment with wildflower flowering phenology, fostering important plant-pollinator interactions. Two wildflower species, Delphinium nuttallianum and Ipomopsis aggregata, form a large part of the hummingbirds’ diet and bloom in sync with arrival and breeding milestones. Since both hummingbirds and wildflowers benefit from a synchronized schedule, phenological mismatch would likely decrease hummingbird population persistence through food resource limitation. For this project, we investigated whether weekly changes in Broad-tailed Hummingbird wildflower visitation patterns correspond to changing wildflower phenology in 2022, an earlier-than-average snowmelt year, and 2023, a later-than-average snowmelt year. Due to climate change, years like 2022 with earlier snowmelt are expected to become more common. Using floral phenology transect data and hummingbird visitation data for D. nuttallianum and I. aggregata, we determined that Broad-tailed Hummingbirds adjust their foraging behavior to align with the phenology of their food sources, a behavior that may help prevent the phenological mismatches projected to occur with climate change.

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