Sunbird pollination
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| Common name | Sunbird; Aloe |
| Scientific name | Nectariniidae; Liliaceae |
| Source | Dan L. Perlman |
| Ecological interactions | Mutualism |
| Mutualism | Pollination |
| Selection and adaptations | Selection |
| Selection | Convergence; Morphology |
| Organisms | Animals |
| Animals | Birds |
| Date | August 01, 2003 |
| Location | Tarangire National Park,Tanzania,Africa |
Sunbird pollinating an aloe flower, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. Sunbirds are small birds that mostly take nectar from long, tubular flowers while carrying pollen from one flower to another--much like hummingbirds. The two groups are not closely related, however. The main ecological difference between these convergent groups is that hummingbirds can hover and sunbirds cannot. Sunbirds live only in the Old World while hummingbirds live only in the New World.
