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12 April 2019 Seasonality and Prevalence of Pollen Collected from Hawaiian Nectarivorous Birds
Kathryn N. van Dyk, Kristina L. Paxton, Patrick J. Hart, Eben H. Paxton
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Hawaiian nectarivorous forest birds play a vital ecological role as pollinators in Hawaiian ecosystems. However, little is known about what nectar resources are utilized by Hawai‘i's nectarivorous birds, how seasonality influences nectar availability, and how nectar preference differs by bird species. We sampled pollen from the heads of ‘i‘iwi (Drepanis coccinea), ‘apapane (Himatione sanguinea), Hawai‘i ‘amakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens), and the non-native Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicas) captured at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge on Hawai‘i Island. ‘Ōhi‘a (Metrosideros polymorpha) was the most prevalent pollen species, observed throughout the sampling period while other pollen species were more seasonal in occurrence. Consistent with the peak flowering phenology of the plant species, pollen from koa (Acacia koa), māmane (Sophora chrysophylla), and gorse (Ulex europaeus) plant speciesweremore commonly sampled frombirds in the winter months, while ‘ōhelo (Vaccinium reticulatum), ‘ākala (Rubus hawaiensis), and blackberry (Rubus argutus)were more prevalent during the spring months.We also found an association between bird species and pollen resources, with ‘i‘iwi and Hawai‘i ‘amakihi having a higher diversity of pollen than ‘apapane and Japanese white-eye, which primarily had just ‘ōhi‘a. These results demonstrate that ‘ōhi‘a is likely the most important nectar resource for Hawai‘i's nectar feeding birds, but seasonally abundant nectar may be important for some species.

Kathryn N. van Dyk, Kristina L. Paxton, Patrick J. Hart, and Eben H. Paxton "Seasonality and Prevalence of Pollen Collected from Hawaiian Nectarivorous Birds," Pacific Science 73(2), 187-197, (12 April 2019). https://doi.org/10.2984/73.2.1
Accepted: 17 October 2018; Published: 12 April 2019
KEYWORDS
‘Ōhi‘a
Hakalau Forest
Hawai‘i forest birds
nectar
Ohia
pollination
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