Avifauna associated to a home garden in Valladolid, Yucatan, Mexico

Resumen

Objective: To identify the birds associated to a home garden in Valladolid, Yucatan, Mexico, and to understand which ones use cultivated plants as food.
Methodology: As part of the project “Fauna associated to cultivated plants in the south-southeast region of Mexico”, 36 field visits were carried out, for six hours per day (6:00-10:00 and 16:00-18:00 hrs.), in the period from March 2022 to April 2023, in a home garden in Valladolid, Yucatan. The birds were watched with binoculars, photographed with digital cameras, and identified with field guides.
Results: A total of 67 bird species were observed, which belonged to 14 orders and 28 families. Of the species, 14 are migratory, three endemic, and four subject to special protection in Mexico. In addition, 21 bird species were found feeding off 22 species of cultivated plants. The most frequently used plant resource by the birds were fruits (16), followed by nectar (5) and tender leaves (1). The most consumed plants species by the birds were Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen, Carica papaya L. and Spondias purpurea L., which were used by three bird species each. The bird that consumed more cultivated plants was the Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes
aurifrons Wagler) that fed off five species.
Limitations on study: It was not possible to identify two birds at the species level: Contopus sp. and Myiarchus sp.
Conclusions: This study contributes to the knowledge of birds associated to home  gardens and constitutes the basis for future studies on bird-plant trophic interactions in Mexico.