Scientists who spent nine years birdwatching in Wellington ecosanctuary Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne report that birds visit the flowers of kōtukutuku, our native tree fuchsia, 16.4 times an hour. That put it streaks ahead of any other plant in the forest, including tasty stalwarts kōwhai and harakeke.
Seven species of native birds, especially tūī, bellbirds and hihi, got stuck into fuchsia nectar. Each left with a pretty pat of blue pollen on the head. The resulting fruits, too, were gobbled by birds, stretching the fuchsia’s snackable content across almost eight months.
Tirth Vaishnav, who co-wrote a New Zealand Journal of Ecology paper about the data (with his colleague at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Kevin Burns) says the work shows the “funky” flowers are “absolutely one of the most important resources” at Zealandia. But he’s never noticed kōtukutuku outside of the ecosanctuary and another important Wellington reserve, Ōtari Wilton’s Bush—perhaps because possums, too, find it delicious. He advises any gardeners planting a cornucopia of fuchsia to also set a few traps.
