大象传媒

All around the world, birds work on behalf of different plants. Hornbills do work on behalf of fig trees and in Northern Europe and America waxwings gorge themselves on autumn berries. Plants put the minimum possible flesh around their seeds - just enough to attract the birds to eat them. In the case of the waxwing, the fruit is digested quickly and the waxwing soon gets rid of the indigestible seed in its droppings. All over the world birds distribute seeds by eating fruit. In New Zealand kokakos are berry eaters and distribute the seeds of many of the plants of their native forests. In South America, the quetzal loves eating mini-avocadoes, but they are too big to swallow whole. So it eats the flesh and spits out the seeds, which helps the plant populate new territory.