“Been wanting to document this feeding that I have seen a number of times… feeding by the Grey-breasted Spiderhunter (Arachnothera modesta modesta) on the nectar of Wild Banana (Musa ornata) (above).
“The bird will probe every flower rapidly, often not putting the beak fully in but, I suspect, using the long tongue to get to the nectar (above).
Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
15th November 2014
Location: Kledang-Sayong Forest Reserve, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Habitat: Fringe of the forest reserve/primary jungle
Leong Tzi Ming
Neat documentation!
The powdery bits on its beak look like pollen.
Would this bird then qualify as an effective pollinator of this banana flower?
🙂
YC
Yes, it is pollen. And this spiderhunter is one of the pollinators.
Amar-Singh HSS (Dato Dr)
Their beaks almost always smeared with pollen.
Leong Tzi Ming
It’s amazing how the bird’s beak fits perfectly into the flower, just like a sword sliding into its respective sheath.
🙂