Two That Feed the Hummingbirds

Explanation: We explored these wonderful flowering plants in a previous EPOW episode, noting their value to some of the local hummingbirds, here in Puyehue National Park in Chile, South America.

Here, though is a tip of the ecological hat to nature's way of co-evolving life forms for mutual benefit.

These plants evolved their "sympetalous corollas" as long tubes, to do two things: one, to protect the precious nectar from invaders and adverse conditions, but also two, to specifically accommodate the use by hummingbirds ... who, themselves evolved their extended, thin bills and thread-like tongue to dip into such flowering structures for their nectar foods, without damaging the flowering structure itself. Further, the hummingbirds serve as key pollinators for the plants, transferring pollen from plant to plant as they continue their nectar search.

But chilco (the local common name for the plant on the left in the above photo set) is struggling, as it occurs in higher elevations where hummingbirds are far less common, and its nectar is often robbed by other bird species that can cause damage by piercing the flower. Thus, this plant is adjusting to become more self-pollinating in such environments.

So, hail and cheers to the amazing methods of nature, here shown how these two plants feed the hummingbirds and strive to survive!

Information:
Magrach, A., L. Santamaria, and A.R. Larrinaga. 2012. Differential effects of anthropogenic edges and gaps on the reproduction of a forest-dwelling plant: The role of plant reproductive effort and nectar robbing by bumblebees. Austral Ecology 37(5):600-609.
Traveset, A., M.F. Willson, and C. Sabag. 2002. Effect of nectar-robbing birds on fruit set of Fuchsia magellanica in Tierra Del Fuego: a disrupted mutualism. Functional Ecology 12(3):459-464.

EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week