Background and Aims:

Amazilia luciae, known as the Honduran Emerald Hummingbird, is endemic to Honduras and is threatened by habitat loss due to anthropogenic activities. The objectives of this research were to contribute to the knowledge of the plant species that make up the annual floral resource of A. luciae in the tropical dry forest (TDF) of the Agalta Valley, Honduras, and evaluate the richness of those species with the types and coverage of sampling.

Methods:

Field notes were used from systematic bird surveys conducted during a one-year study across 35 sites within TDF in Agalta Valley, Honduras. Two bird survey types were used, point counts and area. A list of plant species visited by A. luciae was compiled during avian surveys, complemented by incidental records. Then, data were evaluated via rarefaction curves, to estimate the species richness of plants visited by A. luciae and the sampling effort coverage. The relative frequencies were calculated for the plants visited during September-December 2014, March-April 2015, and June-July 2015. Botanical samples were collected and examined at the Herbarium TEFH. Finally, an evaluation was made to determine if A. luciae used floral resources of plant species considered of importance to the conservation of TDF.

Key results:

Twenty-six plant species were recorded, of which eight presented the highest frequency of visits by A. luciae: Opuntia hondurensis was the most visited throughout the year, followed by Salvia coccinea, Combretum fruticosum, Aechmea bracteata, Bromelia plumieri, Tillandsia fasciculata, T. balbisiana and Pilosocereus leucocephalus.

Conclusions:

We contributed to the knowledge of the natural history of A. luciae, determining the plant species used as a floral resource in the TDF of the Agalta Valley. This work establishes a basis for studies on the ecological interaction of A. luciae in this ecosystem.

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