Hummdinger | Framed & Mounted Print

Approximately 2,000 bird species assist with the pollination of different plants, especially in tropical areas where birds are more abundant, and in extreme deserts and high altitude regions where insects are scarce. These include honeycreepers, honeyeaters, orioles, parrots, spiderhunters, sugarbirds, sunbirds, white-eyes, and hummingbirds, which service thousands of plant species across the Americas. At high elevations, especially in tropical cloud forests, hummingbirds are more effective pollinators than bees because they are less hindered by humid conditions and low temperatures. But hummingbird pollination is also widely reported in temperate zones where bees predominate. In North America alone, scientists have documented 70 plant lineages which have switched from bee to hummingbird pollination by evolving elaborate traits to attract hummingbirds. This is why it is extremely important to conserve the native biodiversity of an ecosystem. If a hummingbird loses the plant it has co-evolved with, it can no longer survive and vice-versa. Support bird-assisted pollination by protecting bird habitats through various conservation programs, choosing native plants for landscaping, eliminating the use of insecticides, and supporting bird-friendly agricultural practices.