Gardening birds: when the birds cultivate the garden for beauty

    Gardening birds: when the birds cultivate the garden for beauty

    They cultivate plants and flowers for ornamentation, with the aim of conquering their females: not only men do it, but also other animal species. Research published in Current Biology, by researchers from the Universities of Exeter (UK), Postdam (Germany), Deakin and Queensland (Australia), reveals that bower birds from New Guinea and Australia are capable of appreciate the beauty of plants and literally cultivate them, with the aim of attracting females.



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    They grow plants and flowers for ornamentation, with the aim of conquer their females: not only men do it, but other animal species as well. Research published in Current Biology, by researchers at University of Exeter (United Kingdom), Potsdam (Germany), Deakin and Queensland (Australia), reveals that the gardening birds, the bower birds, coming from New Guinea and Australia, they are able to appreciate the beauty of plants and literally cultivate them, with the aim of attracting females.



    Originating from Australia and Papua New Guinea, the gardening birds are already known for their unique behavior from suitors, which sees them engaged in the construction of unique pergolas made with dry branches and rich in decorations in bright colors. But the team of researchers, observing them in the Tauton National Park of the state of Queensland, Australia, observed that a higher number of plants appeared around the pergolas than elsewhere. Solanum ellipticum, better known as the potato bush, species with bright purple flowers and green fruits. The birds were growing them.

    I fruits collected by males, in fact, not only are they used as colored decorations around their home to create sets for their females, but, once dried, they are discarded and placed near their splendid nest. This involves the germination of seeds in the ground around the arbor, promptly freed from weeds and other seeds by the birds to facilitate their growth. Thus, since male bowerbirds can keep a pergola in the same spot for more than ten years, they can conveniently provide the elements to decorate the pergola.

    What's more: Researchers have found that this bowerbird behavior can even lead to a change in the appearance of "cultivated" fruits, which are slightly lighter green than those found on other plants. The researchers then carried out tests on the choices of the males, discovering that it is they who prefer this color over that of other fruits. "Until now, humans - explained principal investigator Joah Madden - they were the only known species to cultivate plants designed for other uses than food ". Sure, bowerbirds do not intentionally cultivate these plants, but "the accumulation of chosen objects - concludes http://news.discovery.com/animals/bird-gardens-120423.html Madden- close to the dwelling point is undoubtedly the way each cultivation begins. It would be really interesting to understand how this mutually beneficial relationship between bowerbirds and these plants will develop in the future".



     

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