Niches and radiations: A case study on the Andean Sapphire-vented Puffleg (Eriocnemis luciani) and Coppery-naped Puffleg (E. sapphiropygia) (Aves, Trochilidae)

The interaction between ecology and evolution, particularly with regard to speciation processes, remains a main topic of scientific research. Andean hummingbirds have undergone a remarkable radiation, with many species exhibiting patchy distributions and, in some cases, taxonomic controversy. An example is the Sapphire-vented Puffleg (Eriocnemis luciani; ssp. baptistae, luciani, and meridae), which some authors merge with the Coppery-naped Puffleg (E. sapphiropygia; ssp. catharina and sapphiropygia). Each group is distributed either north or south from the Huancabamba Depression, the major biogeographical barrier within the tropical Andes. We investigated whether these subspecies share some niche characteristics despite their geographical separation and determined their meaning in the context of the speciation process of trochilids in the tropical Andes. For each subspecies, we performed geographical predictions and paired tests of niche conservatism in environmental space. Geographical...