Overview

Hummingbirds, and the balletic ways in which they feed on flowers, are familiar to most people. But they belong to just one of at least 74 bird families that are known, or suspected, to be pollinators. Relationships between plants and birds first emerged at least 50 million years ago and over time have influenced the evolution of both groups. This groundbreaking book is the first to deal with pollinating birds in all their diversity, involving almost 1,390 avian species interacting with tens of thousands of different plants. It rescues them from being novelties of natural history and explores these interactions in all their evolutionary and ecological significance. Pollinating birds have intricate lives that are often highly dependent on flowers, and the plants themselves are at the whim of birds for their reproduction. This makes them important players within many ecosystems, including tropical rainforests, dry grasslands, temperate woodlands, coastal mangroves and oceanic islands. Bird–flower relationships are threatened by disease, habitat destruction and climate change. Some of the birds are already extinct. Yet there are optimistic stories to be told about conservation and restoration projects that reveal the commitment of people to preserving these vital ecological connections. In addition, as a source of cultural inspiration with a history stretching back millennia, pollinating birds and their flowers are part of the ongoing relationship between humanity and the rest of nature.

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9781784274511

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Reviews

This is a fine example of a book which is pitched to increase the public understanding of ecology and evolution, and succeeds. -- Mark Avery, author and environmental campaigner An important contribution to avian lore... I’ve little to add to the fulsome praise of other reviewers. Except that the writers style is surprisingly down to earth and chatty...having trudged through treacle with some academic works that in itself is a recommendation. -- Bo Beolens * fatbirder.com * delightful... [Birds and Flowers] fills a unique niche, focusing on interactions between two of the most loved groups of organisms and doing so in a highly engaging yet highly informative way. -- Diane R Campbell * Journal of Pollination Ecology * ...intriguing, educational, and likely to make you look at some bird families in a different light. -- John Miles * birdwatching.co.uk *

This is a fine example of a book which is pitched to increase the public understanding of ecology and evolution, and succeeds. -- Mark Avery, author and environmental campaigner An important contribution to avian lore... I’ve little to add to the fulsome praise of other reviewers. Except that the writers style is surprisingly down to earth and chatty...having trudged through treacle with some academic works that in itself is a recommendation. -- Bo Beolens * fatbirder.com * delightful... [Birds and Flowers] fills a unique niche, focusing on interactions between two of the most loved groups of organisms and doing so in a highly engaging yet highly informative way. -- Diane R Campbell * Journal of Pollination Ecology * ...intriguing, educational, and likely to make you look at some bird families in a different light. -- John Miles * birdwatching.co.uk * A detailed treatment on the subject of bird pollination.  -- Ian Paulsen * The Birdbooker Report *

This is a fine example of a book which is pitched to increase the public understanding of ecology and evolution, and succeeds. -- Mark Avery, author and environmental campaigner

Author Information

Scientist and author Jeff Ollerton is a leading expert in the field of biodiversity, as well as a passionate natural historian and educator. His influential research on understanding and conserving plant–pollinator interactions has been widely used by national and international agencies to support conservation efforts.

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