Birds as Pollinators And other critters too!

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1 Birds as Pollinators And other critters too! Chuck Otte, Ag & Natural Resources Agent Geary County, K-State Research & Extension

2 To understand pollinators you must first understand plants. Plants can be broken down into three basic types: Self pollination Wind pollination Assisted pollination They can also be a combo of the above

3 Self pollination

4 Wind pollination

5 Assisted pollination

6 Which a plant is depends Genetic (self fertile or infertile?) Type of flower (monoecious, dioecious, perfect, staminate, pistillate..) Type of pollen Clumping or non-clumping And it s pretty easy to differentiate! Is the flower advertising?

7 Which do you think this is?

8 And these??

9 When one talks pollinators, it isn t just bees! Flies, beetles, butterflies and moths Bats Lemurs, and other primates And of course, birds!

10 The more extreme the bill development of a hummingbird The more likely it is that there is a specific plant that needs to be pollinated!

11 Violet Saberwing Bob Gress

12 Collared Inca

13 Sword-billed Hummingbird

14 White-tipped Sicklebill

15 There has to be a reward Sometimes that reward is nectar only, sometimes it s nectar AND pollen, sometimes it may be the flower itself!

16 There are cheaters! Slaty Flower-piercer

17 Birds of many species can move pollen Sometimes they are feeding on nectar, other times they are feeding on flower parts, or perhaps on insects that are also feeding in the flower. Bats, especially in the tropics, are critical pollinators.

18 Tui

19 Closer to home North of the tropics (i.e. continental US), birds are less critical for pollination, but still contribute some to pollination. Many of the plants we can use in our gardens to attract hummingbirds will attract many other pollinators as well. If you are allergic to bee stings proceed with great caution!!!!!!

20 What do hummingbirds want? Water/Nectar Food it s not just sugar water Cover Shelter from weather/predators Safe resting/roosting locations Nesting and brood rearing Nesting is limited to the eastern third to half of the state.

21 Hummingbird habits In the eastern US, (west of the central Great Plains) 99.99% of all hummingbirds will be the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. But always be on the lookout for that one in a thousand! Southwest Kansas has greater variety! has

22 Rufous Hummingbird

23 Anna s Hummingbird

24 Broad-tailed Hummingbird

25 Black-chinned Hummingbird

26 Ruby-throated Hummingbird Bob Gress

27 Hummingbird Season A brief but furious spring migration in late April and early May and then the residents settle into nesting mode. The real action starts in mid-summer and continues to early fall. Emphasize food and roosting plants, also those that will provide nesting habitat.

28 From Spring 2016 arrival dates

30 Hummingbird Season Starting in mid to late July, hummingbirds are through breeding and they start a postbreeding dispersal and a leisurely southbound migration. Species that breed in the Rocky Mountains will move east and south out onto the plains and beyond. Maximize food plants available at this time.

31 A Few Hummingbird Plants

32 Lady-in-Red Salvia Salvia coccinea

33 Traditional Red Salvia Salvia sp.

34 Agastache Agastache sp.

35 Trumpet Creeper Campsis radicans

36 Scarlet Runner Bean Phaseolus coccineus

37 Cardinal Climber Quamoclit sloteri

38 Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis

39 Beebalm Monarda didyma

40 Butterfly Bush Buddleia davidii

41 Hollyhock, Alcea rosea

42 Canna

43 Rose of Sharon Hibiscus syriacus

44 Other bird friendly plants Emphasize native adapted plants. Non-native alien invaders are becoming a real problem. Remember, we live in a prairie state! Many species are naturally aggressive and competitive when placed in an artificial environment. Sometimes it isn t the plant, but the bugs that are attracted to the plant! (web of life)

45 Eastern Red Cedar Juniperus virginiana Remember that some of the characteristics that make this species a good wildlife plant also make it despised by pasture managers!

47 Hackberry Celtis occidentalis Can be invasive in urban settings. Sort of short lived. Leaves attract small insects. Seeds very popular with birds. Away from house.

48 Flowering Crabapple Malus sp Choose one that bears a lot of fruit and retains it well. Leaf disease resistant. KSRE has a good bulletin that describes these characteristics.

49 Eastern Redbud Cercis canadensis Native but choose location carefully. Small tree, good for close to house. Good cover plant, attracts late season insects.

50 Rough-leaved Dogwood Cornus drummondii Great shrub - late summer food source for migrants! Likes to run. Plant where there s room for it to expand.

51 Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia Native vine good food source give it space.

52 Should be planting more of: Serviceberry/June Berry (Amelanchier arborea) Red-twig dogwood (Cornus sericea) American Holly (Ilex opaca) Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) Buffalo-berry (Shepherdia argentea)

53 In larger plantings with lots of space

54 Bur Oak Quercus macrocarpa Large, slow to moderate growth rate, tree. Good mast crop tree (acorns). Native and strong!

55 Red Oak Quercus rubra Good mast crop tree, faster growing than Bur Oak. Native to eastern Kansas. More pyramidal than Bur Still quite strong

56 Sycamore/London Plane Platanus occidentalis/ P. x acerifolia BIG tree. Exfoliating bark can be messy. Moderate strength wood. Needs deep soils. Not for dry locations. Keep away from house. Small insects love leaves.

57 Cottonwood Populus deltoides Grows big, fast, fairly weak wood. Along with sycamore, preferred nest tree of Baltimore Oriole. Deep soils Needs space

58 Orioles! Orioles will be attracted to nectar (and jelly and some of the same plants) just like hummingbirds will. Arrive the last week of April and will often feed vigorously until about the time the young fledge and they may stick around or not. Mockingbirds, catbirds and thrashers, too!

60 Remember some basics Masses (large plantings) look better and are more likely to attract hummingbirds. Use the right plant in the right place (sun/shade/wind/soil). Over-care the annuals, under-care the perennials.

61 Feeder-scaping You don t need red dye in the water. Some recent evidence shows that the dyes may be detrimental. (BWD May/June 2010) The red dye concentration exceeds the recommended daily limit of red dye #40 for humans (.12 mg/kg vs.007 mg/kg) Just a small amount of red ON the feeder is all you need!

62 Feeder-scaping You CAN T have too many feeders (unless you re going broke buying sugar!) You don t have to fill them completely full! 4 parts water, 1 part sugar NO HONEY OR ARTIFICIAL SWEETNERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

63 Feeder-scaping One 8 ounce feeder will fulfill the daily energy needs of 40 to 60 hummingbirds. More feeders will allow them to feed more easily with less stress. Avoid dyed commercial mixes and go with water and sugar (which is preferred over the dyed commercial mixes). Change nectar and clean every 2 3 days.

64 Feeder-scaping - summary Hummingbird appropriate plant material along with multiple feeders will greatly enhance your opportunity to attract hummingbirds. Get feeders out by April 15 th, prepare to gear up around August 1 st. Leave feeders up into early winter and look for the hummingbird that arrives late in the fall. (Probably not a Ruby-throat.)

66 Feeder Issues Ants Moats Bees Get rid of dripping feeders No yellow Straws

67 Myths Hummingbirds migrate on backs of other birds. Finch feeders should not be near hummingbird feeders as the finches will kill the hummingbirds.

68 Hummer Threats Predation not much of a threat. Cats, small raptors, shrikes, Baltimore Oriole, Eastern Kingbird, praying mantises, dragonflies, frogs, large spider webs. Accidents. Spiny or hooked plants, window collisions, cars, radio towers. Because of small size, hard to find mortalities.

69 Recommneded Reference Hummingbirds of North America Peterson Field Guide Series, Sheri Williamson Remember - it s all about having fun!

70 Additional Interests? ksbirds.org The Internet KSBIRD-L BirdChat

Chuck Otte Geary County Extension Office otte2@cox.

72 Chuck Otte Geary County Extension Office htm

Migration- A migration is a long distance movement of animals, especially seasonal movement between wintering and breeding grounds.

Migration- A migration is a long distance movement of animals, especially seasonal movement between wintering and breeding grounds. Many types of animals migrate including birds, mammals, fish and some