Extreme elevational migration spurred cryptic speciation in giant hummingbirds

In this study, we sought to test how the giant hummingbird (genus Patagona) is apparently able to maintain such an extraordinarily broad environmental niche. To elucidate the role of migration in niche breadth expansion, we used satellite transmitters and geolocators to track giant hummingbirds from sea level breeding areas in Chile. To test for evidence of performance trade-offs, we collected respiratory trait data from >175 individuals across the elevational range. To test for local adaptation and/or lineage divergence, we analyzed genomic sequences from 101 individuals across the geographic range.