Research on resource partitioning in plant–pollinator mutualistic systems is mainly concentrated at the levels of species and communities, whereas differences between males and females are typically ignored. Nevertheless, pollinators often show large sexual differences in behaviour and morphology, which may lead to sex‐specific patterns of resource use with the potential to differentially affect plant reproduction and diversification. We investigated variation in behavioural and morphological traits between sexes of hummingbird species as potential mechanisms underlying sex‐specific flower resource use in ecological communities. To do so, we compiled a dataset of plant–hummingbird interactions based on pollen loads for 31 hummingbird species from 13 localities across the Americas, complemented by data on territorial behaviour (territorial or non‐territorial) and morphological traits (bill length, bill curvature, wing length and body mass). We assessed the extent of intersexual differences in niche breadth and niche overlap in floral resource use across hummingbird species. Then, we tested whether floral niche breadth and overlap between sexes are associated with sexual dimorphism in behavioural or morphological traits of hummingbird species while accounting for evolutionary relatedness among the species. We found striking differences in patterns of floral resource use between sex. Females had a broader floral niche breadth and were more dissimilar in the plant species visited with respect to males of the same species, resulting in a high level of resource partitioning between sexes. We found that both territoriality and morphological traits were related to sex‐specific resource use by hummingbird species. Notably, niche overlap between sexes was greater for territorial than non‐territorial species, and moreover, niche overlap was negatively associated with sexual dimorphism in bill curvature across hummingbird species. These results reveal the importance of behavioural and morphological traits of hummingbird species in sex‐specific resource use and that resource partitioning by sex is likely to be an important mechanism to reduce intersexual competition in hummingbirds. These findings highlight the need for better understanding the putative role of intersexual variation in shaping patterns of interactions and plant reproduction in ecological communities.

The use of artificial nectar feeders has increased in the past decades. Feeders represent extra food resource at a low cost that can cause an increment of hummingbird populations in urban and rural areas. Assuming that migrant hummingbirds have had contact with feeders in breeding areas, we propose that when feeders are held for the first time in an area, migrant hummingbirds will be visiting the novel resource faster than the resident species. Second, assuming that the finding of new resources is correlated with habitat structure, hummingbirds will visit earlier the feeders in places with less environmental complexity as a rural area. This study was done at the southern coast of the Mexican state of Jalisco in a rural area and in a protected natural area. Three twin feeders were placed in each area and visitation was recorded in periods of 50 minutes during morning and afternoon. We found that (a) migrant hummingbird began visiting the feeders in less time than residents at all the feeders, (b) once migrants used the feeder's residents began visiting, and (c) in the rural site visitation occurred earlier than in the natural forest. These findings support that hummingbirds learn to use novel food sources and remember used resources recognizing them at the landscape level, and that residents never exposed to an artificial food source learn to use them faster in more open areas and after migrants used them.

The Short-crested Coquette (Lophornis brachylophus) is an endangered species endemic to Mexico. Currently, its distribution area is estimated at 53 km². Little to no information exists on its natural history, abundance, and distribution. The purpose of the present study is to describe its food resources, behavior, and interactions with plants and other hummingbirds in addition to its abundance and distribution along an altitudinal gradient. We found that the Short-crested Coquette is sparsely distributed and ranges from tropical sub-deciduous forest to cloud forest. It can also occupy cultivated lands and forests with shade coffee plantations. It moves along an altitudinal gradient following the blooming of its floral resources, similar to other hummingbird species in the study region. It is a generalist, subordinate species that shares its distribution with 14 other hummingbird species. It interacts with some of these hummingbirds and plants in a nested network of interactions with low levels of connectance, visiting 8 of the 23 plant species commonly used by hummingbirds in the area. More in-depth studies on its reproduction and interaction with different plants and important crops in the area are required. The results of the present study can be used to propose programs for the management, conservation, or recovery of the habitats inhabited by the Short-crested Coquette and other hummingbirds. Coquette du Guerrero (Lophornis brachylophus), espèce endémique et en voie de disparition : ressources florales et interactionsRÉSUMÉ. La Coquette du Guerrero (Lophornis brachylophus) est une espèce en voie de disparition, endémique du Mexique. Son aire de répartition actuelle est évaluée à 53 km². On n'en connait peu, voire pas du tout, sur ses traits comportementaux, son abondance et sa répartition. L'objectif de la présente étude était de décrire ses ressources alimentaires, son comportement et ses interactions avec les plantes et les autres colibris, ainsi que son abondance et sa répartition le long d'un gradient altitudinal. Nous avons constaté que la répartition de la Coquette du Guerrero est clairsemée et s'étend de la forêt tropicale sub-décidue à la forêt brumeuse. La coquette fréquente également les terres cultivées et les forêts comportant des plantations de café d'ombre. Elle se déplace le long d'un gradient altitudinal en suivant la floraison de ses ressources florales, comme le font les autres espèces de colibris de la région d'étude. Il s'agit d'une espèce généraliste et subordonnée, qui partage sa répartition avec 14 autres espèces de colibris. Elle interagit avec certains de ces colibris et plantes dans un réseau imbriqué d'interactions à faibles niveaux de connectivité, visitant 8 des 23 espèces végétales communément utilisées par les colibris dans la région. Il serait nécessaire de mener des études plus approfondies sur sa reproduction et ses interactions avec différentes plantes et cultures importantes dans la région. Nos résultats peuvent servir à proposer des programmes de gestion, de conservation o...

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