Birds and bees, and why they re so important Jun 25, 2021

Birds and bees, and why they re so important

As Pollinator Week kicks off today, we"re in Colombia witnessing what appears to be a faceoff between two pollinators. On one side, you have the bee, which takes the title as the best-known pollinator. But birds—like this lovely empress brilliant hummingbird—are excellent pollinators as well. And so are bats, beetles, and other critters that can also move pollen from plant to plant to aid pollination, giving us fruits, seeds, and the next generation of plants. So shall we call this a draw, fellas?

© Jiri Hrebicek/Alamy

palette

Today in History

Jun 25, 2018Tracking ships on the Day of the Seafarer
Jun 25, 2019Sutherland Falls in Fiordland National Park
Jun 25, 2020Hoisting a flag for seafarers
Jun 25, 2022Brown bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Jun 25, 2023Al-Khazneh in Petra, Jordan
Jun 25, 2024Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Jun 25, 2025Glastonbury Festival begins

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr 23, 2018National Park Week: Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii
Oct 9, 2018A history of Vinland
Sep 5, 2018Salmon migration in full swing
Jan 9, 2018Great Fountain Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Feb 12, 2024Darwin Day
Apr 5, 2020The frog prince?
Dec 15, 2020A bridge that rocks
Sep 18, 2023Fall Astronomy Week
Oct 14, 2021Happy birthday, Saguaro National Park
Aug 23, 2022Menton, France
Dec 19, 2020Four Sisters, thousands of trees
Oct 2, 2022Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Mar 4, 2021The most wonderful day of the year. Period.
Mar 28, 2021Cherry blossoms spring to life
Dec 14, 2018Time to count some birds
Apr 7, 2022Málaga, Spain
Mar 18, 2024Elephant Rock, Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
Jun 6, 2020The long and wiggling path
Dec 25, 2019Merry and bright
Jul 8, 2018Travel Sunday: Flamenco in Granada, Andalusia, Spain
Feb 1, 2023Black History Month
Jan 11, 2023Umschreibung by Olafur Eliasson in Munich
Sep 9, 2024Iguazu Falls at the border of Argentina and Brazil
Dec 31, 2021New Year s Eve
Sep 24, 2019With leaves this tasty, who cares about a view?
Feb 1, 2020Mapping courage in the Seventh Ward
Mar 23, 2025World Meteorological Day
Dec 7, 2019Remembering the Arizona
Sep 7, 2025Gdańsk on the banks of the Motława, Poland
Dec 3, 2024Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India