Between October 1987 and September 1989, the British Ornithologists' U
nion Colombia Expedition recorded 16 species of hummingbird at Matamat
a in the Amacayacu National Park, Amazonas, Colombia, Most of these sp
ecies were resident breeders at the study site although two appeared t
o be local migrants. Six species of hermit hummingbirds (subfamily Pha
ethornithinae) occurred at Matamata; although very similar in general
morphology and behaviour, they showed different preferences for habita
t, food plants and foraging technique, Hermits were predominant in the
forest, but in areas of secondary vegetation and along riverine borde
rs,''typical'' hummingbirds (subfamily Trochilinae) wore more common.
The study site consisted of terra firme and varzea forest and an area
of riverine secondary vegetation and contained around 60 species of fl
owering plants visited by hummingbirds. In contrast with most groups o
f organisms, hummingbirds and hummingbird-pollinated plants had simila
r species diversity in primary forest and secondary habitats, The over
all abundance of hummingbirds and flowers was significantly higher in
areas of riverine secondary growth. The hummingbird community at Matam
ata is remarkably species rich when compared with study sites elsewher
e in North and South America, However, random null model comparisons a
mong Amazonian hummingbird communities reveal that they share many cha
racteristics in their structure and show a high degree of species over
lap.