Howler monkeys are among the most studied primates in the Neotropics, however, behavioral studies
including estimation of food availability in Andean forests are scarce. During 12 months we studied
habitat use, behavior, and feeding ecology of two groups of red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) in
an isolated fragment in the Colombian Andes. We used a combination of focal animal and instantaneous
sampling. We estimated fruit production (FP) using phenology transects, and calculated young leaf
abundance by observing marked trees. The home range area used by each group was 10.5 and 16.7 ha
and daily distances traveled were 4317228 and 4587259 m, respectively. We found that both groups
spent most of their time resting (62–64%). Resting time did not increase with leaf consumption as
expected using a strategy of energy minimization. We did not find a relationship between daily
distances traveled and leaf consumption. However, howlers consumed fruits according to their
availability, and the production of young leaves did not predict feeding time on this resource. Overall,
our results are similar to those found on other forest types. We found that despite limited FP in Andean
forests, this did not lead to a higher intake of leaves, longer resting periods, or shorter traveling
distances for red howlers.