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Pollination by birds is known as Ornithophily. Pollination is the process of transferring pollen grains from a male anther of a flower to its female stigma. Most flowering plants cannot pollinate alone and depend on other animals, such as birds. Plants that birds pollinate are fashioned to facilitate birds on the flowers, such as maintaining robust support to perch and having flowers with re-curved tube shapes. Such brightly coloured and nectar-rich plants facilitate the positioning of the birds on the flowers. Various small birds act as vital pollinators like sunbirds and hummingbirds.
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Key takeaways: Pollination by birds, Pollination, Birds, Flowers, Ornithophily
Pollinating Birds
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Ornithophily is referred to as the act of pollination by birds. Birds are among the most crucial pollination agents used by flowers adapted to pollination by various agencies. Ornithophilous flowers attract birds with brilliant colors and other prominent characteristics. When a bird visits a flower to suck the nectar, sticky pollen binds to its beak, feathers, and other body parts. The most common pollinators are hummingbirds, spiderhunters, sunbirds, honeycreepers, and honeyeaters.
An Ornithophilous flower
Process of Pollination by Birds
The process of pollination in birds occurs in the following stages:
- Birds strive for energy-rich nectar by visiting flowers of various plants.
- Most flowers that birds pollinate include nectars concealed deep within the flower.
- The pollen adheres to the head or neck and back of the birds when it attempts to acquire the nectar.
- Birds disseminate these pollen when visiting other plants.
Flowers Pollinating by birds
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The flowers pollinated by birds are intense and adjusted to permit them to remain near the flowers without the entanglement of their wings. The odorless and brightly coloured flowers attract the birds, while their shape is tubular and curved, enabling the sucking of nectar. During the process of nectar-sucking, the pollen is deposited on their beaks and neck and is transmitted to the next plant. Some examples of flowers pollinated by birds are -
- Hibiscus
- Fuchsias
- Verbenas
- Bee Balms
- Bromeliads
Things to Remember
- Ornithophily is the technique of pollination by birds. Many small birds serve as important pollinators, such as sunbirds and hummingbirds.
- Pollination is transferring pollen grains from a male anther of a flower to its female stigma.
- Plants can be self-pollinating by being able to fertilize themselves and cross-pollinating, where a vector or catalyst is required to transfer the pollen to another flower of the same species.
- Ornithophilous flowers are large and brilliantly coloured with a significant amount of adhesive nectar to attract birds to undertake pollination.
Sample Questions
Ques: What do you understand about Pollination? (2 marks)
Ans: Pollination is a biological method where the pollen grains are transmitted from an anther, the male component of a flower, to the stigma, the female part of a flower. There are two kinds of Pollination:
- Self-Pollination
- Cross-Pollination
Ques: What are pollen grains? Briefly explain Self-pollination and its advantages. (5 marks)
Answer: Pollen grains are the granular microspores called micro-gametophytes or male gametophytes develop within the anther.
Self-pollination is direct pollination, which emerges by the transfer of the pollen grains directly from the anther to the stigma of the same flower.
Given below are the advantages of self-pollination:
- Self-pollination assures the annulment of recessive traits in flowering plants.
- The purity of the race is regulated because of no diversity in the genes.
- Pollen grain waste is significantly low in comparison to cross-pollination.
- External aspects like wind, water, and other pollinating mechanisms are not self-pollinating.
- Self-pollination guarantees an increased success rate in pollination even when small amounts of pollen grains are produced.
Ques: Mention the plants which use Self-pollination. State the advantages of cross-pollination (5 marks)
Ans: Plants with smaller flowers employ self-pollination. Some instances of self-pollinating plants include: Peanuts, Wheat, Apricots, Rice and Tomatoes.
Given below are the advantages of cross pollination:
- All unisexual plants can propagate by cross-pollination.
- Recessive traits in the lineage are eradicated due to genetic recombination.
- The seeds developed by cross-pollination possess a high degree of vitality and exuberance.
- Cross-pollination helps to introduce new genes into a species line mainly by fertilization between genetically diverse gametes.
- Cross-pollination supports the resistance of the progeny to diseases and other environmental conditions.
Ques: What is Cross-pollination? Enlist plants that undergo Cross-pollination. (3 marks)
Answer: Cross-Pollination is the intricate pollination which allows transferring the pollen grains from the anther of one flower to the stigma of another flower.
Cross-pollination is predominantly witnessed in dark and bright coloured flowering plants, where insects such as butterflies and honey bees are enticed by their radiant coloured flowers. Some instances of plants with cross-pollination include apples, tulips, lavender, strawberries, beans, and dandelions.
Ques: Which flowers are Ornithophilous? Mention the key features of an Ornithophilous flower. (5 marks)
Answer: Ornithophily is the process of cross-pollination that emerges with the support of birds. Ornithophilous flowers are Bignonia, Bottlebrush, Butea, Bombax, Callistemon, Grevillea, Agave, amongst others.
Key features of an Ornithophilous flower include:
- Flowers with ornithophilous attributes are big and colorful.
- They create a substantial portion of sticky nectar.
- Pollen grains are adhesive.
- The flower develops floral components that are viscous and fleshy.
- Typically, flowers contain no odor.
- Some flowers may possess edible parts.
Question 8: What are the Pollinating agents? Mention agents for pollination. (3 marks)
Ans: Pollination in plants occurs with the help of various agencies involved to transfer the pollen grains from one flower to another. Such agents that facilitate the pollination in plants are known as pollinating agents.
Plants use both biotic and abiotic agents for pollination such as -
- Biotic agents – Animals, insects, butterflies, among others.
- Abiotic agents – Wind and water.
Ques: What are Lovebirds? (2 marks)
Ans: The nine species categorized as lovebirds belong to the genus Agapornis. Most lovebirds include a green body and diverse head feather colouration. Lovebirds are endemic to the forest, scrublands, and savannas of Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.
Ques: What are Sugarbirds? (2 marks)
Ans: Sugarbirds are a small genus, Promerops, and a family of passerine birds discovered exclusively in southern Africa. In structure and habits, they appear similar to giant, long-tailed sunbirds but maybe more closely related to Australian honeyeaters.
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