Butterfly Bonanza At Panama Fruit Feeders

Butterflies have taken over the Panama Fruit Feeder Cam lately, offering a chance to shine a spotlight on some non-avian fliers. Watch above to see a dazzling clip of a butterfly chasing a White-vented Plumeleteer around the platform feeder in Panama. Stay until the end to see a slow-motion replay of the events.

This encounter caught many viewers by surprise! While it’s not clear exactly what led to this interaction, butterflies and hummingbirds often compete for the same food sources, and there’s research to suggest both hummingbirds and various insect species will display interspecific territorial behavior while foraging.

Check out more recent highlights of tropical butterflies from the cam below.