Functional ecology of Neotropical frugivorous birds

The mutualistic interactions between frugivorous birds and their food plants are a staple of Neotropical ecosystems. Here, we review the major concepts and principles that govern interactions between Neotropical birds and plants. Morphological traits of birds such as beak size, morphology, and gut physiology interact with fruit traits such as the size of seeds and fruits, and the nutritional and chemical properties of fruit pulp to determine the identity of the dominant community-wide frugivory interactions that take place throughout Neotropical ecosystems. We discuss tradeoffs that occur between fruit handling capacity and seed dispersal efficiency of birds, as well as tradeoffs between the digestion of complex vs. simple nutrient classes, and the overall dietary composition and foraging strategies of birds and the implications to community processes. We also comment on the importance of Neotropical avian frugivores in shaping dynamics of forest regeneration and on the conservation status of the major families of Neotropical frugivores and conclude by identifying promising venues for future research in the field of frugivory and seed dispersal.