Birds and bees, and why they re so important Jun 25, 2021

Birds and bees, and why they re so important

As Pollinator Week kicks off today, we"re in Colombia witnessing what appears to be a faceoff between two pollinators. On one side, you have the bee, which takes the title as the best-known pollinator. But birds—like this lovely empress brilliant hummingbird—are excellent pollinators as well. And so are bats, beetles, and other critters that can also move pollen from plant to plant to aid pollination, giving us fruits, seeds, and the next generation of plants. So shall we call this a draw, fellas?

© Jiri Hrebicek/Alamy

palette

Today in History

Jun 25, 2018Tracking ships on the Day of the Seafarer
Jun 25, 2019Sutherland Falls in Fiordland National Park
Jun 25, 2020Hoisting a flag for seafarers
Jun 25, 2022Brown bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Jun 25, 2023Al-Khazneh in Petra, Jordan
Jun 25, 2024Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Jun 25, 2025Glastonbury Festival begins

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 29, 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
Aug 28, 2021Relationship status: It s complicated
Aug 28, 2023Dubrovnik, Croatia
Jan 29, 2019A winter’s holiday ends
Dec 13, 2021Old Town Quito
Oct 14, 2022Río Arazas in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain
May 16, 2023American Wetlands Month
Nov 24, 2018The tortoise and the finch
May 10, 2021An ancient sailing tradition takes to the water
Apr 30, 2021The Spirit of Harlem by Louis Delsarte
Jan 11, 2018Bow Bridge in Central Park, New York City
Sep 5, 2020Beaver achievers
Dec 16, 2018Holidays in the Venetian Lagoon
Jun 16, 2023World Sea Turtle Day
Feb 5, 2022Monarch butterflies in Angangueo, Mexico
Mar 5, 2025Khao Sok National Park in Thailand
May 29, 2025Miravet, Catalonia, Spain
Jun 18, 2019From garden to table?
Jul 6, 2020Welcome to the Ring of Fire
Nov 29, 2025Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands
Nov 7, 2019Paris is photo-ready this week
Apr 11, 2025Tulips, Netherlands
Mar 8, 2024International Womens Day
Mar 20, 2024National Cherry Blossom Festival
Dec 9, 2018There’s treasure in them thar hills
Jun 2, 2023Gemsbok in Namibian sand dunes
Apr 8, 2018It’s Draw a Bird Day
May 1, 2019Purple flowers and Golden Week
Dec 3, 2019It’s Giving Tuesday
Mar 9, 2023Waimea Canyon and Waipoo Falls, Kauai, Hawaii