Subject: Bird Dispersal of cherries
Date: Apr 26 00:37:03 1996
From: Brian Oakley - boakley at u.washington.edu


Hello - I have a question related to some research I'm doing:
Does anyone know to what extent birds consume and disperse
bitter cherries (Prunus emarginata)? From a brief conversation with
Gordon Orians, I understand that robins, cedar waxwings, and maybe other
thrushes are the most likely candidates. I'm wondering if these birds
would consume the endocarp ("pit") as well as the fleshy pericarp and if
so, how far might they take it? Partial answers, hot tips,
relevant papers, or just pure conjecture are appreciated. Thanks,
-Brian Oakley