Like A Bird!

It’s time to recognize another pollinator, The Birds!

We already  met the master pollinators, Bees. Read it to BeeLieve it.

The wee learned about those beautiful wings of hope, The Butterflies.  Read more about their butterfly kisses and how they help with pollination.

So… let me tell you ‘bout the birds, cause we already did the bees …

*** Did you know pollination by birds is called Ornithology

Birds may not be known for food pollination but they do play a part in pollination.
Our feathered friends pollinate many plant species. While insects tend to use their sense of smell to follow the nectar, birds generally have little or no sense of smell so they rely on their keen sense of sight; the sensitivity of the bird’s eye is greatest in the middle and red part of the spectrum.

bird loving plants or Ornithophilous , attract birds to them, attract birds using their colour..
Birds are attracted to brightly coloured flowers and the pollen on these flowers tends to be larger. These plants have flowers in hues of bright reds, yellows or orange with little or no scent. These flowers are open in the daytime and have a wider floral tube.

How exactly do birds pollinate? With their feathers of course, with their feathers.

Just like pollen sticks to the legs and body of smaller insects, pollen sticks to the feathers of the birds and this pollen travels with the birds from flower to flower.
While feeding on a flower a bird gets pollen on its forehead and throat, when it visits another flower of the same species, it transfers the pollen to that flower and fertilization occurs.

Flowers that attract birds

• Honeysuckle
• Verbenas
• Hibiscus
• Orchids
• Fuchsias
• Crocosmia Lucifer

The Humming bird is at the top of the bird pollination list. Weighing in at at little as 2.5 grams, the Humming bird can travel 600 miles at 25 miles per hour. They can attain flight bursts of up to 60 miles per hour with and amazing wing beat of 80 times per second. Humming birds are native only to the Americas and must eat several times their weight in nectar everyday.

Birds that pollinate flowers

• • Humming birds
  • Spider Hunters
  • Sun Birds
  • Honey Creepers
  • Honey Eaters

Say thank you to our pollinators by proving them with a supply of food that will keep them going and by extension keep our food supply going. 

So tell me, Who’s Your Dahlia? 
It’s About Bloomin’ Time!