FRUIT-EATING BIRDS

Frugivores are most diverse in the tropics where fruit is available year-round. Many polygynous birds are fruit eaters. Males of these species have bright colors to augment their courtship displays, so many brightly colored birds rely heavily on fruit for their diet. Not all of the photos here depict frugivores many omnivorous birds incorporate fruit into their diets.

American Robin

feeding on Amalanchier fruit

American Robin      Turdus migratorius

Canada; Quebec, Quebec City

Bay-headed Tanager

eating melostome fruit

Bay-headed Tanager      Tangara gyrola

Trinidad & Tobago, Asa Wright Nature Center

Black-collared Barbet

Black-collared Barbet      Lybius torquatus

Republic of South Africa, Pretoria

Black-sided Flowerpecker

dropping melastome berry

Black-sided Flowerpecker      Dicaeum celebicum

Malaysia, Borneo, Sabah, Malaysia, Sabah, Kinabalu Park, near HQ ca 1,600 m

Blaze-winged Parakeet

eating fruit

Blaze-winged Parakeet      Pyrrhura devillei

Brazil; Mato Groso do Sul, Bonito

Blue Cotinga

in Cecropia tree

Blue Cotinga      Cotinga nattererii

Panama, Gamboa, Canopy Tower Lodge, Panama Prov.

Blue Dacnis

eating melostome fruit

Blue Dacnis      Dacnis cayana

Costa Rica, La Selva

Blue-crowned Parakeet

eating fruit

Blue-crowned Parakeet      Aratinga acuticaudata

Brazil, Araras Lodge

Blue-naped Chlorophonia

eating melostome fruit

Blue-naped Chlorophonia      Chlorophonia cyanea

Peru, Manu National Park

Blue-necked Tanager

eating melostome fruit

Blue-necked Tanager      Tangara cyanicollis

Peru, Manu National Park

Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager

eating fruit

Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager      Anisognathus flavinuchus

Ecuador, Mindo

Bohemian Waxwing

eating fruit

Bohemian Waxwing      Bombycilla garrulus

Canada; Quebec, Ile d'Orléans

Brassy-breasted Tanager

eating melostome fruit

Brassy-breasted Tanager      Tangara desmaresti

Brazil, REGUA, Cachoeiras de Macacu

California Thrasher

eating fruit

California Thrasher      Toxostoma redivivum

USA; California, Malibu

Chestnut-eared Aracari

eating fruit

Chestnut-eared Aracari      Pteroglossus castanotis

Brazil, Araras Lodge

Chestnut-sided Warbler

eating melostome fruit

Chestnut-sided Warbler      Setophaga pensylvanica

Costa Rica, Heredia, La Selva

Collared Aracari

in Cecropia tree eating fruit

Collared Aracari      Pteroglossus torquatus

Panama, Gamboa, Canopy Tower Lodge, Panama Prov.

Comoro Blue-Pigeon

eating green fig

Comoro Blue-Pigeon      Alectroenas sganzini

Aldabra, Aldabra Islands

Cordilleran Flycatcher

eating fruit

Cordilleran Flycatcher      Empidonax occidentalis

Mexico; Hidalgo, Hidalgo

Crimson-rumped Toucanet

eating fruit

Crimson-rumped Toucanet      Aulacorhynchus haematopygus

Ecuador, Tandayapa Bird Lodge

Dodo

illustration: Dodo eating Tambalocoque fruit

Dodo      Raphus cucullatus

Fawn-breasted Tanager

eating fruit

Fawn-breasted Tanager      Pipraeidea melanonota

Flavescent Bulbul

eating raspberries - Rubus sp.

Flavescent Bulbul      Pycnonotus flavescens

Malaysia, Borneo, Sabah, Malaysia, Sabah, Kinabalu Park, Laban Rata 3,275 m.

Fulvous-vented Euphonia

Cecropia fruit in bill

Fulvous-vented Euphonia      Euphonia fulvicrissa

Panama, near Gamboa

Gila Woodpecker

feeding on cactus fruit

Gila Woodpecker      Melanerpes uropygialis

USA; Arizona, Tucson

Golden-headed Quetzal

feeding on palm fruit in flight

Golden-headed Quetzal      Pharomachrus auriceps

Ecuador, Mindo

Golden-naped Barbet

eating small red fruit

Golden-naped Barbet      Megalaima pulcherrima

Borneo, Malaysia, Sabah, Kinabalu Park

Hispaniolan Woodpecker

at nest cavity in palm with palm fruit

Hispaniolan Woodpecker      Melanerpes striatus

Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens

Horned Lark

Adult with insect and fruit (?) in beak

Horned Lark      Eremophila alpestris

Canada; Newfoundland, Cape Saint Mary's

Island Thrush

eating fruit - Rosaceae

Island Thrush      Turdus poliocephalus

Malaysia, Borneo, Sabah, Malaysia, Sabah, Kinabalu Park, Laban Rata 3,275 m.

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher

eating berry

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher      Ptilogonys caudatus

Panama, Chiriqui, Los Quetzales

Masked Flowerpiercer

eating fruit

Masked Flowerpiercer      Diglossa cyanea

Ecuador, Quito, Jardin Botanico

Monk Parakeet

eating cactus fruit

Monk Parakeet      Myiopsitta monachus

Bolivia, Cochabamba, Omereque, Red-fronted Macaw Reserve

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

eating melostome fruit

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker      Dicaeum trigonostigma

Borneo, Malaysia, Sabah, Danum Valley

Oriental Pied Hornbill

feeding on palm fruit

Oriental Pied Hornbill      Anthracoceros albirostris

Malaysia, Desaru, Johor

Palawan Hornbill

eating fig

Palawan Hornbill      Anthracoceros marchei

Philippines, Puerto Princessa Subterranean River National Park, Palawan

Palm-nut Vulture

eating palm fruit

Palm-nut Vulture      Gypohierax angolensis

Kenya, Samburu National Reserve

Palmchat

near nest with palm fruit

Palmchat      Dulus dominicus

Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens

Pine Grosbeak

feeding on crab apple fruit

Pine Grosbeak      Pinicola enucleator

USA; New York, Sullivan County

Pine Grosbeak

feeding on crab apple fruit

Pine Grosbeak      Pinicola enucleator

USA; New York, Sullivan County

Red-headed Barbet

mouth full of banana

Red-headed Barbet      Eubucco bourcierii

Colombia, Tatamá National Park

Resplendent Quetzal

eating bambito fruit

Resplendent Quetzal      Pharomachrus mocinno

Panama, Chiriqui, Los Quetzales

Rhinoceros Hornbill

eating fruits of fig Ficus stupenda

Rhinoceros Hornbill      Buceros rhinoceros

Indonesia, Borneo, Kalimantan, Gunung Palung National Park

Rose-ringed Parakeet

female eating fruit

Rose-ringed Parakeet      Psittacula krameri

Netherlands, Zoetermeer

Scaly-breasted Bulbul

eating fig

Scaly-breasted Bulbul      Pycnonotus squamatus

Scarlet Tanager

eating melostome fruit

Scarlet Tanager      Piranga olivacea

Costa Rica, Heredia, La Selva

Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager

eating fruit

Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager      Anisognathus igniventris

Peru, Manu National Park

Spangle-cheeked Tanager

eating fruit

Spangle-cheeked Tanager      Tangara dowii

Costa Rica, Savegre Lodge

Spot-billed Toucanet

eating palm fruit

Spot-billed Toucanet      Selenidera maculirostris

Brazil, Atlantic Rainforest

Spot-billed Toucanet

eating palm fruit

Spot-billed Toucanet      Selenidera maculirostris

Brazil, Atlantic Rainforest

Spotted Towhee

eating Amalanchier fruit

Spotted Towhee      Pipilo maculatus

Canada; British Columbia, Penticton

Streak-eared Bulbul

Streak-eared Bulbul      Pycnonotus blanfordi

Thailand, Huai Kha Kaeng

Thick-billed Green-Pigeon

fruit in bill

Thick-billed Green-Pigeon      Treron curvirostra

Philippines, Puerto Princessa Subterranean River National Park, Palawan

Toucan Barbet

eating fruit

Toucan Barbet      Semnornis ramphastinus

Tropical Boubou

eating fruit

Tropical Boubou      Laniarius aethiopicus

Kenya, Mountain Lodge

Varied Thrush

eating fruit

Varied Thrush      Ixoreus naevius

USA; Washington, King Co.

Von Der Decken's Hornbill

eating fruit

Von Der Decken's Hornbill      Tockus deckeni

Kenya, Samburu National Reserve

White-crowned Pigeon

eating palm fruit

White-crowned Pigeon      Patagioenas leucocephala

USA; Florida, Pig Pine Key

White-throated Sparrow

Feeding on Cornus fruit

White-throated Sparrow      Zonotrichia albicollis

USA; Illinois, Chicago, Montrose Beach

Wrentit

eating red fruit

Wrentit      Chamaea fasciata

USA; California, Los Angeles Co

Yellow-billed Cotinga

eating melostome fruit

Yellow-billed Cotinga      Carpodectes antoniae

Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker

eating fig

Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker      Prionochilus xanthopygius

Indonesia, Gunung Palung National Park, west Kalimantan, Borneo

Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker

eating berry

Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker      Prionochilus xanthopygius

Borneo, Malaysia, Sabah, Crocker Range NP, Mendolong

Yellow-winged Cacique

Adult foraging on fruit from the Guamuchil tree

Yellow-winged Cacique      Cacicus melanicterus

Mexico; Colima, Colima City. Rio de Colima