| cloning and functional characterization of an uncoupling protein homolog in hummingbirds. | the cdna of an uncoupling protein (ucp) homolog has been cloned from the swallow-tailed hummingbird, eupetomena macroura. the hummingbird uncoupling protein (hmucp) cdna was amplified from pectoral muscle (flight muscle) using rt-pcr and primers for conserved domains of various known ucp homologs. the rapid amplification of cdna ends (race) method was used to complete the cloning of the 5' and 3' ends of the open reading frame. the hmucp coding region contains 915 nucleotides, and the deduced pr ... | 2001 | 11285367 |
| superoxide activates a gdp-sensitive proton conductance in skeletal muscle mitochondria from king penguin (aptenodytes patagonicus). | we present the partial nucleotide sequence of the avian uncoupling protein (avucp) gene from king penguin (aptenodytes patagonicus), showing that the protein is 88-92% identical to chicken (gallus gallus), turkey (meleagris gallopavo), and hummingbird (eupetomena macroura). we show that superoxide activates the proton conductance of mitochondria isolated from king penguin skeletal muscle. gdp abolishes the superoxide-activated proton conductance, indicating that it is mediated via avucp. in the ... | 2003 | 14651968 |
| serratia marcescens infection in a swallow-tailed hummingbird. | a swallow-tailed hummingbird (eupetomena macroura) was presented with a history of prostration and inability to fly. after a 2-day hospitalization, the bird died and necropsy findings included diffuse hyperemia of the small intestine serosal and mucosal surfaces and the presence of a small quantity of clear ascitic fluid in the coelomic cavity. intestinal contents and cardiac blood were collected for microbiologic exams yielding pure cultures of a pigmented strain of serratia marcescens. this st ... | 2007 | 17347399 |
| analysis of the feeding habits of the swallow-tailed hummingbird, eupetomena macroura (gmelin, 1788), in an urban park in southeastern brazil. | the aim of this work was to observe and describe the feeding habits and available food resources of the swallow-tailed hummingbird, eupetomena macroura. the study was carried out in a municipal park located in the city of taubaté, in the state of são paulo. the observations took place between december 2003 and october 2004, recording the following variables: 1) the plant species visited for feeding and territorial defense; 2) the kinds of food resources; and 3) the kinds of flight to procure and ... | 2008 | 18660974 |
| plant-hummingbird interactions and temporal nectar availability in a restinga from brazil. | hummingbirds are the most important and specialized group of pollinating birds in the neotropics and their interactions with plants are key components to many communities. in the present study we identified the assemblage of plants visited by hummingbirds and investigated the temporal availability of floral resources in an area of restinga, sandy plain coastal vegetation associated with the atlantic forest, in southeastern brazil. we recorded flower and nectar features, flowering phenology and i ... | 2015 | 26628024 |
| birds as potential pollinators of the spathodea nilotica (bignoniaceae) in the urban environment. | birds play crucial role on the pollination of many plants. however, little is known about the interactions between nectarivorous neotropical birds and exotic angiosperms. s. nilotica is an exotic african plant widely used in brazilian urban landscaping. however, it has been poorly studied in relation to its interactions with neotropical birds. in this way, we studied the feeding nectar strategies and the interspecific antagonistic behaviours among nectarivorous neotropical birds to verify the bi ... | 2013 | 24789388 |
| the hummingbird community and their floral resources in an urban forest remnant in brazil. | the temporal and spatial resource use among hummingbirds was studied over 13 months in an urban forest remnant (prosa state park: psp) in campo grande, mato grosso do sul, brazil. hummingbird visitation was recorded at three ornithophilous and eleven non-ornithophilous species. flower density was roughly constant during the study period, with the density of non-ornithophilous flowers being higher than that of ornithophilous ones. mean values of nectar volume and concentration were similar betwee ... | 2011 | 21881784 |
| secretory trichomes, a substitutive floral nectar source in lundia a. dc. (bignoniaceae), a genus lacking a functional disc. | this is the first report of corolla-borne secretory trichomes that substitute in role for a non-functional disc in a species of the neotropical genus lundia a. dc. (bignoniaceae). the floral biology and flowering phenology of lundia cordata were investigated at two remnants of tropical rainforest in northeastern brazil. this species is a typically omithophilous liana, with reddish, tubular, scentless flowers. the flowers are resupinate, protandrous and last for 2 d. there is a vestigial non-func ... | 2002 | 12197514 |
| flowers visited by hummingbirds in the open habitats of the southeastern brazilian mountaintops: species composition and seasonality. | the hummingbird-visited plant community located on the open-habitat mountaintop of the espinhaço range was studied for two years (from august 2007 to july 2009) in serra do cipó national park, southeastern brazil (19° 15' s and 43° 31' w). the floral characteristics and flowering period of the hummingbird-visited plants was monthly recorded along trails located in three vegetation types: (1) typical campos rupestres (tcr), (2) open fields (opf), and (3) capões de mata (cam). hummingbird visitati ... | 2014 | 25296216 |
| the community of hummingbirds (aves: trochilidae) and the assemblage of flowers in a caatinga vegetation. | we studied hummingbirds and their food plants in an area of caatinga vegetation. we specifically examined their seasonal use of this habitat, migratory and non-migratory status, their foraging strategies and community roles the study was conducted in an area of arboreal-shrub caatinga, located in the serra do pará, municipality of santa cruz do capibaribe, state of pernambuco in northeastern brazil. field work was undertaken during 12 expeditions on a monthly basis between june, 2007 and may, 20 ... | 2012 | 22437384 |
| nectar secretion dynamic links pollinator behavior to consequences for plant reproductive success in the ornithophilous mistletoe psittacanthus robustus. | the mistletoe psittacanthus robustus was studied as a model to link flower phenology and nectar secretion strategy to pollinator behaviour and the reproductive consequences for the plant. the bright-coloured flowers presented diurnal anthesis, opened asynchronously throughout the rainy season and produced copious dilute nectar as the main reward for pollinators. most nectar was secreted just after flower opening, with little sugar replenishment after experimental removals. during the second day ... | 2014 | 24641568 |
| nesting behavior of the swallow-tailed hummingbird, eupetomena macroura (trochilidae, aves). | an august or winter nestling of eupetomena macroura was fed only every 40-50 min for at least 24 days in the nest, with fewer feedings at midday. as in other hummingbirds, it was brooded only the first week or two, and left alone even on cool nights after 12 days, probably due to the small nest size. the female attacked birds of many non-nectarivore species near the nest, in part probably to avoid predation. botfly parasitism was extremely high, as in some other forest-edge birds. | 2000 | 11241965 |
| hummingbird (aves: trochilidae) assemblage using resources from the exotic african tuliptree, spathodea campanulata (bignoniaceae) in a neotropical altered environment, southeastern brazil. | the non-native african tuliptree, spathodea campanulata (p. beauv), is widely distributed in altered neotropical environments, where hummingbirds are important pollinators. we investigated the assemblage of hummingbirds which fed on its nectar and described their behavior, to understand possible influences of the exotic tree on the territorial behavior in an altered environment in southeastern brazil. seven species fed on flower resources, mainly eupetomena macroura (gmelin, 1788), amazilia lact ... | 2020 | 32130287 |