Now We’re Rolling

Another couple of days, another couple of birds. We’re starting to streamline our operation little by little.

Tuesday and Wednesday, we captured and studied another saw-billed hermit (this time a male…and almost 2 grams heavier than the female!) and a violet-capped woodnymph (a male, pictured right - one of the more common birds in Senhor Jonas’ yard).

 

Once again, the hermit was a champion respirometry data-giver, feeding for 24 seconds at a time, gulping down tenths of milliliters with each feeding (trust me, that’s a lot). But once again as well, the hermit absolutely refused to lift weights for us.

 

The woodnymph is is a medium-sized hummingbird, weighing in at 5-6 grams. The males are almost all an iridescent green save for the shiny violet cap that is the reason for their name. Aside from coloring, they look much like an overgrown ruby-throated or Anna’s hummingbird, possessing what I consider the typical hummingbird body plan. This male gave respectable respirometry data, feeding for several seconds at a time. He was a rather unwilling weight lifter, but was eventually persuaded to lift 3.5 grams while feeding. That’s 60% or so of his body weight. Pretty good.

 

 

I’m sure you’re wondering how we transport the hummingbirds 30-45 minutes to and from Senhor Jonas’ house and the research station. After all, the VW gol is not a big car and can’t hold hummingbird cages. And it doesn’t make sense to let the birds flitter around the car while we drive. Nor is it practical to hold them in our bare hands. The solution is simple: hummingbirds in a tube! Neatly tucked in a 30 or 60 ml syringe barrel, the hummingbird stays cozy, safe, and (with my help and another syringe full of delicious nectar) well-fed. It’s better than thrashing about injuring one’s wings!

 

 

A quick note: Tomorrow, I will apparently be interviewed by a Taubaté television station news program. Cecilia explains that a visiting researcher like me is a rare thing in Taubaté. The research permit approval process is a public one. When our permits were approved, an announcement was published listing Derrick’s name, my name, and our University of Toronto affiliation. Cecilia says the television station caught wind of this announcement and contacted her to set up the interview. I’ll let you all know how it goes.

 

On a side note: In the permit announcement, Derrick was also listed (prematurely) as “Dr.” Groom. He says if Brazil recognizes his title, so should we all. We’ll see if his thesis committee agrees!