Gustavo Canas-Valle discovered a colony of Chimborazo hillstars nesting and roosting together in a cave in Ecuador's High Andes. This surprising behavior challenges the idea that hummingbirds are solely territorial, as they typically are aggressive towards each other over resources. His findings, published in Ornithology, suggest that harsh environmental conditions may have driven these birds to live communally, as they struggle to find nectar, water, and shelter at high altitudes. The discovery prompts new questions regarding the influence of environmental pressures on social structures in birds.
Mr. Canas-Valle observed that the hummingbirds were nesting and roosting together in a cave, a behavior not typically seen among these highly territorial birds.
This discovery raises fascinating questions about the role environmental factors play in group living and the evolution of social traits among hummingbirds.
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