Electrostatic Charge on Flying Hummingbirds and Its Potential Role in Pollination |
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| Authors: | Marc Badger Victor Manuel Ortega-Jimenez Lisa von Rabenau Ashley Smiley Robert Dudley |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America.; 2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America.; 3. Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.; 4. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama.; University of Nebraska-Lincoln, UNITED STATES, |
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| Abstract: | ![]()
Electrostatic phenomena are known to enhance both wind- and insect-mediated pollination, but have not yet been described for nectar-feeding vertebrates. Here we demonstrate that wild Anna''s Hummingbirds (Calypte anna) can carry positive charges up to 800 pC while in flight (mean ± s.d.: 66 ± 129 pC). Triboelectric charging obtained by rubbing an isolated hummingbird wing against various plant structures generated charges up to 700 pC. A metal hummingbird model charged to 400 pC induced bending of floral stamens in four plants (Nicotiana, Hemerocallis, Penstemon, and Aloe spp.), and also attracted falling Lycopodium spores at distances of < 2 mm. Electrostatic forces may therefore influence pollen transfer onto nectar-feeding birds. |
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