Sunbirds are colourful pollinators of many plants.
They are generally small in size, and have long curved beaks.
Flowers pollinated by sunbirds are often red or orange, have long tubular flowers, with lots of sugary nectar. Giant lobelias that grow on the high mountains of East Africa are pollinated by sunbirds, as are Aloes and Red-hot Poker Trees.
Many of the plants pollinated by sunbirds have adapted to particular sunbirds, having a tubular shape, and size to correspond to the sunbird’s beak. Other organisms cannot pollinate these flowers. Sunbirds also feed on insects that visit flowers.
Many of the plants pollinated by sunbirds have adapted to particular sunbirds
at nest–note the pollen coating her throat indicating she has been visiting flowering aloes.