Hummingbird (Aves: Trochilidae) Diversity in Arid Zones

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Arid and semiarid regions cover a large part of the Mexican territory and are characterized by high temperatures and low precipitation. Several species of hummingbirds, including endemic species such as the Beautiful Hummingbird (Calothorax pulcher) and the Dusky Hummingbird (Phaeoptila sordida), inhabit these areas. Using citizen data from the GBIF, we estimated the taxonomic richness and abundance of hummingbirds in the Mexican arid zones. We created a grid with cells of 0.5° latitude by 0.5° longitude covering arid and semiarid areas. Subsequently, we calculated the richness and abundance for each grid. Additionally, we used the Jaccard dissimilarity index to estimate the hummingbird species turnover between adjacent cells along the grid. Finally, we estimated the degree of association between hummingbirds and arid and semiarid areas. To achieve this goal, we calculated the geographic area that each hummingbird species occupies within Mexico and subsequently calculated the proportion of this area that is found within the arid zones of the country. We found 22 species in arid and semiarid zones, with most records corresponding to the Broad-billed hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris), while the Beautiful Hummingbird (Calothorax pulcher) was less abundant. The arid and semiarid zones of Mexico have a high species richness of resident and migratory hummingbirds that increases from north to south. The areas with the highest species richness were Guanajuato, Querétaro, Hidalgo, and Puebla. However, no information on hummingbird records was available for 25.9% of the cells. Within the arid and semiarid regions of the country, there is a great turnover of hummingbird species, which reflects the complexity and ecological heterogeneity of these regions. Finally, the degree of association between the hummingbird species and the arid zones presented a great amplitude. This association gradient includes species with total dependence and species that sporadically use these areas. These results highlight the biological relevance of these regions for the conservation of resident and migratory hummingbirds. However, some areas, particularly in northern Mexico, lack records. In these areas, it is important to implement strategies to promote research and citizen science focused on filling these knowledge gaps.