Posted by Ellen Corrie on August 22, 2007

Q: I'm not sure if this is more of a plant or bird/insect question. When hummingbirds, bees, etc. move from blossom to blossom and then to another plant is there at least for the moment no nectar left? I've watched what I'm fairly sure is the same hummingbird leave and return repeatedly to the same plant throughout the day, seeming to get nectar everytime. If plants keep a constant supply of nectar why do birds, etc. move on? If the nectar "runs out" how quickly is it replenished?

Are there any books with good information on nectar which would be good for a non-scientist?

Thanks

State: Georgia

A: Excellent questions! For the most part, when a bird or insect sips nectar from a flower, the amount left depends on the kind of flower and the size of the organisms taking the nectar. At times, most nectar is probably taken from an individual flower and at other times, only a small portion is removed. Flowers that provide nectar as an inducement for pollinators to come, produce a rather constant supply that gets removed by visitors but is replenished in time. Since hummingbirds are rather large (by comparison), they can remove most of the nectar and then need to go to another flower for more. I can't begin to tell you how quickly the nectar is replenished as it would depend on the species and probably environmental conditions like dry or moist soil.

I don't know of any books that deal with nectar in flowers, I'm afraid. Hope this helps a wee bit. Thanks for asking.

John Wiessinger ( August 25, 2007)