Speciose opportunistic nectar-feeding avifauna in Cuba and its association to hummingbird island biogeography

Island organisms often have wider feeding niches than mainland organisms, and migratory birds breeding on continents often widen their niches when overwintering on islands. Cuba’s low hummingbird richness has puzzled ornithologists for decades. Here, we show that the Cuban hummingbird fauna is less rich than expected based on Cuba’s elevation, when compared to the rest of the West Indian islands. Thereafter, we report nectar-feeding behaviour by 26 non-Trochilidae bird species in Cuba, encompassing pigeons/doves, woodpeckers and passerines, and endemic, resident and migratory species. We discuss if Cuba’s speciose non-Trochilidae nectar-feeding avifauna may be associated with its depauperate hummingbird fauna.