Visitation patterns of birds and butterflies at a Helicteres isora Linn. (Sterculiaceae) clump

There have been very few studies on pollination by birds in India. In this study, animal species visiting a flowering clump of Helicteres isora, their feeding behaviour and visitation patterns are recorded. A total of 20 species (11 birds, 8 butterflies, and a mammal) were recorded during the observation period of 36 hours. Birds accounted for the majority of visits, followed by butterflies. Only four species (birds) were pollinators and these visited 45.5% of the total flowers visited by all species, 12 were 'thieves' and four were 'robbers'. Among the birds, Jungle Babblers (Turdoides striatus) visited the highest number of flowers and were the main pollinators. There was a clear temporal pattern in the visits with two visitation peaks: one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.