At 02:19 PM 3/6/97 -0800, you wrote:
>Dear Tweeters,
> we are doing a school project about hummingbirds. We're showing
>younger kids how their beaks function and their foraging habits. As we
>give the kids information, we were wondering about the relationship
>between hummingbirds and flower's nectar. (Mutualism) We
>are wondering how the hummingbirds benefit the flowers by taking nectar.
>
Hi guys!

Like other pollinators, when hummingbirds sip the nectar, the flower's
pollen sticks to the feathers on their heads and around their beaks. When
they travel to the next flower, that pollen is transferred to the new flower
and pollination occurs.

Also, hummingbirds do not feed on nectar alone. Although it is the mainstay
of their diet, they will take (especially during breeding season) various
small insects that they catch while flying, or near the flower upon which
they are feeding. If you watch closely, you'll see them chasing insects
(usually in the evening).

Happy birding,

Peggi
Ben & Peggi Rodgers
Aptos, CA (near Santa Cruz)
USA
woodduck at cruzio.com


"A bird does not sing because it has an answer,
It sings because it has a song"