The assemblage of birds foraging in native west Indian pine (Pinus occidentalis) forests of the Dominican republic during the nonbreeding season

We studied avian resource use in a native West Indian pine (Pinus occidenta lis) forest in the Cordillera Central of the Dominican Republic during the nonbreeding season. The forest is characterized by a fairly open pine canop y and a dense mixed-broadleaf and pine understory. We used a principal comp onents analysis of 23 foraging characters for 23 bird species, including fo raging height, the proportional use of 5 different foraging methods, 3 hori zontal positions and foliage densities, and 11 foraging substrates. Five pr incipal components accounted for 74 percent of the total variance of the as semblage variables and resulted in the delineation of at least 5 foraging g uilds. 78 percent of bird species had mean foraging heights of 5.0-10.0 m, corresponding to the region of overlap of pine and broadleaf vegetation. As a result, the diversity of foraging substrates and maneuvers used by birds , rather than foraging height, appears to be the primary means by which bir ds that exploit this habitat separate ecologically. Migrant wood warblers ( Parulinae) are probably able to integrate into the community because of lit tle diet overlap between residents and migrants, and the fairly specialized nature of their largely insectivorous foraging habits. Avian foraging in t his habitat may reflect the effects of frequent disturbance such as hurrica nes.