Search results for "Piciformes"

The global distribution of frugivory in birds

2009

Aim  To examine patterns of avian frugivory across clades, geography and environments. Location  Global, including all six major biogeographical realms (Afrotropics, Australasia, Indo-Malaya, Nearctic, Neotropics and Palaearctic). Methods  First, we examine the taxonomic distribution of avian frugivory within orders and families. Second we evaluate, with traditional and spatial regression approaches, the geographical patterns of frugivore species richness and proportion. Third, we test the potential of contemporary climate (water–energy, productivity, seasonality), habitat heterogeneity (topography, habitat diversity) and biogeographical history (captured by realm membership) to explain geo…