Two new food items in the diet of the Aztec Thrush (Ridgwayia pinicola) and first evidence of florivory

Abstract

The Aztec Thrush (Ridgwayia pinicola) is an understudied species. Many aspects of its basic biology are unknown, including its food and foraging preferences. Here, we describe observations of Aztec Thrush consuming fruits of the tree Ilex brandegeeana and flowers of the bromeliad Tillandsia bourgaei in the pine-oak forest of the highlands of Jalisco in western Mexico. These observations provide information about the diet of this species and its possible ecological role in regenerating and structuring processes of this forest.