Most people are familiar with hummingbirds and the balletic ways in which they feed on flowers. But did you know that these kinds of relationships first evolved at least 50 million years ago? And that nowadays at least 64 families of birds include species that act as pollinators, for tens of thousands of different plants? Not only of great ecological significance, such interactions have been the inspiration for art and literature, for stories about gods and warriors, and for branding guitars and even cheese. This is the first book that deals with bird pollination in all of its diversity. It looks beyond the iconic hummingbirds, sunbirds and honeyeaters, to assess the real breadth and significance of avian involvement with flowers. 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 crucial players within many ecosystems, but these relationships are threatened by disease, habitat destruction and climate change. Yet there are also optimistic stories to be told about conservation and restoration projects that reveal the commitment of scientists, conservationists and the public to preserving these ecologically vital connections. This groundbreaking study reclaims birds as pollinators. It rescues them from being mere novelties of (especially Neotropical) natural history, and explores their interaction with flowers in all its significance. These associations carry huge importance in the world’s ecosystems, and are the drivers and objects of evolution. In addition, as a source of cultural inspiration, with a history stretching back millennia, they are part of the ongoing relationship between humanity and the rest of nature.

A unique and personal insight into the ecology and evolution of pollinators, their relationships with flowers, and their conservation in a rapidly changing world. The pollination of flowers by insects, birds and other animals is a fundamentally important ecological function that supports both the natural world and human society. Without pollinators to facilitate the sexual reproduction of plants, the world would be a biologically poorer place in which to live, there would be an impact on food security, and human health would suffer. Written by one of the world's leading pollination ecologists, this book provides an introduction to what pollinators are, how their interactions with flowers have evolved, and the fundamental ecology of these relationships. It explores the pollination of wild and agricultural plants in a variety of habitats and contexts, including urban, rural and agricultural environments. The author also provides practical advice on how individuals and organisations can study, and support, pollinators. As well as covering the natural history of pollinators and flowers, the author discusses their cultural importance, and the ways in which pollinator conservation has been portrayed from a political perspective. The book draws on field work experiences in South America, Africa, Australia, the Canary Islands and the UK. For over 30 years the author has spent his career researching how plants and pollinators evolve relationships, how these interactions function ecologically, their importance for society, and how we can conserve them in a rapidly changing world. This book offers a unique and personal insight into the science of pollinators and pollination, aimed at anyone who is interested in understanding these fascinating and crucial ecological interactions.

Just as flowering plants depend on their pollinators, many birds, insects, and bats rely on plants for energy and nutrients. This plant-pollinator relationship is essential to the survival of natural and agricultural ecosystems. "Plant-Pollinator Interactions" portrays the intimate relationships of pollination over time and space and reveals patterns of interactions from individual to community levels, showing how these patterns change at different spatial and temporal scales.
Nickolas M. Waser and Jeff Ollerton bring together experts from around the world to offer a comprehensive analysis of pollination, including the history of thinking about specialization and generalization and a comparison of pollination to other mutualisms. An overview of current thinking and of future research priorities, "Plant-Pollinator Interactions "covers an important theme in evolutionary ecology with far-reaching applications in conservation and agriculture. This book will find an eager audience in specialists studying pollination and other mutualisms, as well as with biologists who are interested in ecological, evolutionary, and behavioral aspects of the specialization and generalization of species.