The importance of winter-flowering Aloe ferox for specialist and generalist nectar-feeding birds

摘要: The abundance of consumers and the availability resources are often linked, birds known to track food at a variety spatial temporal scales. This study describes seasonal influx nectar-feeding during flowering in 51-ha stand Aloe ferox Eastern Cape, South Africa, over 5 years (2008–09 2011–13). Bimonthly point counts were conducted before (April–May), (June–July) after (August) flowering, which occurs austral winter. increased significantly each year, whereas monthly abundances non-nectarivores unrelated flowering. Models fitted bird count-data revealed significant interaction between feeding guild (nectarivorous versus non-nectarivorous species) percentage A. study, confirming that these guilds responded differently events. Malachite Sunbirds (Nectarina famosa), specialist nectarivores, consistently despite low sugar concentrations nectar. arrival en masse number species (16) observed on nectar, suggest this plant is an important source nutrition for time when other likely be scarce.