
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


Hummingbirds such as this Buff-tailed Sicklebill specialize in nectar feeding. But other species of birds, less specialized to nectar, also visit flowers for a taste of the sweet stuff. The flowers they visit likely have a more open shape, with nectar more accessible to a non-specialist’s bill. The sugar they sample is probably different from what hummingbirds prefer. As flowering plants and birds co-evolved, each to benefit from the other, it seems likely that plants evolved the type of sugar best suited to the pollinators on hand. It's a win-win for all concerned. Learn more at BirdNote.org.
By BirdNote4.8
12101,210 ratings
Hummingbirds such as this Buff-tailed Sicklebill specialize in nectar feeding. But other species of birds, less specialized to nectar, also visit flowers for a taste of the sweet stuff. The flowers they visit likely have a more open shape, with nectar more accessible to a non-specialist’s bill. The sugar they sample is probably different from what hummingbirds prefer. As flowering plants and birds co-evolved, each to benefit from the other, it seems likely that plants evolved the type of sugar best suited to the pollinators on hand. It's a win-win for all concerned. Learn more at BirdNote.org.

43,957 Listeners

38,499 Listeners

6,748 Listeners

38,676 Listeners

1,482 Listeners

6,360 Listeners

655 Listeners

1,244 Listeners

24,318 Listeners

416 Listeners

3,366 Listeners

872 Listeners

103 Listeners

1,221 Listeners

1,706 Listeners

171 Listeners

41 Listeners

160 Listeners

14 Listeners