Flax head and sparrow

Dawn at Wanaka a couple of months ago — the flowering harakeke (New Zealand flax, Phormium tenax) attracted a variety of birds, partly for the rich flow of nectar but also, as for this sparrow, simply as a vantage point. The long, tubular flowers mean only a few birds can access the nectar well (tui, for example, have beaks that fit the flowers very well, and also have tongues specially adapted for extracting nectar); sparrows, with their short, stout beaks, can only take what might trickle down from a bent-over flower.

All content © 2010 Pete McGregor