Protein requirements of three species of parrots with distinct dietary specializations

Abstract 10.1002/zoo.10086.abs Dietary protein deficiency is considered a major obstacle in the evolution of highly specialized nectarivorous and frugivorous birds. Proposed physiological mechanisms that enable such specialists to subsist on low-protein diets include minimized endogenous protein losses, which contribute to reduced protein requirements. I compared these traits among nectarivorous red lories (Eos bornea), frugivorous Pesquet’s […]