Why do Costa's Hummingbirds consume small arthropods alongside nectar?
Answer
To obtain necessary protein and nutrients for feather growth and egg production
While nectar provides the immediate, high volume of calories required to fuel their extremely high metabolic rate, it inherently lacks the essential building blocks needed for long-term physiological processes. Arthropods, such as gnats, spiders, and aphids, must be gleaned or caught to supply vital protein and nutrients necessary for tissue maintenance, feather development, and reproductive output, which includes the production of eggs by nesting females.
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