Ornithophily

Ornithophily is a form of plant pollination driven by birds, especially nectar-feeding species such as hummingbirds in the Americas and sunbirds in Africa and Asia. The term derives from Greek roots meaning “bird-loving.” Flowers that are adapted for bird pollination often exhibit a set of shared traits that help guide and reward avian visitors.

Typical floral traits include bright colors, particularly red, orange, or pink, and tubular or flask-shaped corollas that accommodate a bird’s beak. Flowers tend to be sturdy and long-lasting to withstand repeated visits, and they usually offer copious, energy-rich nectar with high sugar content. Unlike many insect-pollinated flowers, ornithophilous blooms are often less scented, relying more on visual cues because birds have a limited sense of floral scent compared with insects. Nectar is frequently positioned at the mouth of the tube so that when a bird probes the flower, pollen is deposited on or collected by the bird’s head and beak, promoting transfer to subsequent flowers.

Bird-pollinated plants are common in tropical regions and throughout various biogeographic zones, with notable examples including Fuchsia and many Salvia species in the Americas, as well as Protea, Banksia, and related taxa in the Southern Hemisphere. The interactions are typically highly species-specific, reflecting coevolution between certain birds and flower forms.

Ecologically, ornithophily contributes to plant reproductive success in environments where birds are abundant and reliable nectar sources. It stands alongside other pollination syndromes, such as entomophily (insect pollination) and chiropterophily (bat pollination), as a framework for understanding how floral traits align with pollinator behavior.