Birds are gardeners too!

Date:

May 27, 2014

Source:

Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum

Summary:

Scientists have described the oldest known fossil of a pollinating bird. The well-preserved stomach contents contained pollen from various flowering plants. This indicates that the relationship between birds and flowers dates back at least 47 million years. The fossil comes from the well-known fossil site “Messel Pit.”

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140527214938.htm

Relationship Between Plants and Birds

Birds perform an essential service to plants by carrying seeds away from the parent plant to other locations.  Seed dispersal over a wide area is vital, because seedlings that germinate below their parent are usually doomed as a result of competition with each other and the parent for sufficient light and water.

Unlike rodents, such as squirrels and mice, which destroy seeds by chewing them with sharp teeth, birds swallow plant seeds intact.  Seed germination is improved by the scarification (scratching of the seed coat) that takes place as the seed passes through the gizzard before being deposited in nitrogenous fertilizer, far from parent and sibling plants.

Attractive Fruits

Because birds are important to plants, the plants have developed fruits that are attractive and conspicuous to birds.  For example, the fruits of bird-distributed plants typically have single, hard seed that are no more than three-fifths of an inch in diameter, the largest size that a seed-eating bird can swallow.  Most bird-distributing fruits are bright red, a color that is attractive to birds.  In contrast, orange, yellow, and green fruits generally signal unripe fruits with immature seeds.  Some plants that rely on certain birds for seed dispersal appear to disregard the red color rule by having fruits that are blue, black, or white.  Virginia creeper, poison ivy, and wild grapes all depend upon birds to distribute their blue or white fruits.  In these plants, enzymes prematurely break down the green chlorophyll in the leaves, which allows underlying yellow, red, and orange to show through.

 Flowers can also attract a greater variety of birds, especially shy species that may be unwilling to come out in the open to visit feeders. Depending on the types of flowers selected, they can continue producing seeds for years with minimal pruning or maintenance required, and even a few flowers can be beneficial to backyard birds.

Seed-Bearing Flowers That Attract Birds

There are dozens of flowers that produce seeds to tempt birds. The most popular seed-bearing flowers for backyard birds include:

• Asters
• Black-eyed Susan's
• Coneflowers
• Coreopsis
• Cornflowers
• Cosmos
• Daisies
• Evening primroses
• Goldenrods
• Hibiscus
• Marigolds
• Moss roses
• Sedum
• Sunflowers
• Violets
• Zinnias

Tips for Attracting Birds With Seed-Bearing Flowers

When choosing which flowers to use to attract seed-eating birds, consider:

• Climate: Choose flowers that can thrive in the local climate, taking into account water and sunlight levels.
• Growth Height: Opt for flowers of different mature heights for a multi-layered, thick garden that will attract many birds.
• Native Plants: Native flowers are often best because they're well adapted to local conditions and birds will recognize them as a food source more easily.
• Seeding Time: Choosing flowers that go to seed at different times will ensure an ongoing source of available seeds for birds in any season.

To attract the most birds with seed-bearing flowers, allow the blooms to grow with as little interference as possible. Avoid deadheading, since it is the dried heads that birds will pilfer for seeds. Similarly, avoid spraying the flowers with insecticides – once birds learn about the flowers, they'll happily feed on insects as well.
Flowers can be a great seed source to attract and feed birds on a beautiful budget. By choosing the best seed-bearing flowers, backyard birders can add plants to their yard that are both visually attractive and can tempt hungry birds without the need to fill feeders.