Posts Tagged ‘hummingbird’

Jun
27

Bee-lieve it or Not…

Posted by in Adaptations,Animal Info,Birds,Children's Zoo,Conservation,Endangered,Events,Featured,Insects,Mammals,Natural Encounters,Pollinators,Primates,Reptile House,Reptiles,Swap Shop,Tropical Bird House

Blue Faced Honeyeater Photo courtesy of: www.plantbiology.siu.edu

Honeyeaters are important pollinators of many Australian flowering plants.  All 170 species of honeyeaters have a unique adaptation:  a long tongue with a brush-like tip that they use to get nectar from flowers.  The tongue can be extended into the nectar about 10 times per second!

Honeyeaters aren’t the only birds that help pollinate.  Honeycreepers, sunbirds, Brush-tongued parrots, and hummingbirds are just a few of the birds all over the world who are pollinators.  There are 2,000 bird species globally that feed on nectar, the insects, and the spiders associated with nectar bearing flowers. 

For more Bee-lieve it or Not facts, come join the Houston Zoo in celebrating National Polinator Week on June 26th and 27th. We will have tables and chats from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. all about our favorite pollinators.  Bee sure to  record your pollinating adventures in a nature blog to share at the Swap Shop!

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Jun
19

National Pollinator Week!

Posted by in Adaptations,Animal Info,Children's Zoo,Conservation,Events,Featured,Insects,Mammals,Natural Encounters,Pollinators,Primates,Reptile House,Reptiles,Tropical Bird House

 

What is a reptile doing on a pollination page?  Well, normally we think of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds as the major pollinators of the world, but did you know….

- There are 37 different species of lizards known to pollinate plants

- The seed production of agave plants (where tequila comes from) drops to one-three thousandth of normal when bats are not around to cross pollinate them

- On the island of Madagascar, black and white ruffed lemurs are the main pollinators of Traveler’s trees or Traveler’s palm

Come join us on June 26th and 27th to learn more about the pollinators around the world.  Meet-the-Keeper chats will be throughout the zoo to answer any and all questions about the pollinators you can see right here at the Houston Zoo!  Stop by and check out the tables supporting conservation efforts and activities throughout the zoo.

For more information on pollinators go to: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/unusual.shtml

For more information on Day Geckos check out www.nbii.gov. Photo taken by Dennis Hansen

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