I know only about the hummingbirds of western North America. Someone else will have to talk about the eastern ones and the eastern lilies. I haven't noticed hummingbirds being particularly drawn to lilies, but since there are plenty of orange and reddish lilies around here, I suppose they are. From occasional observation I would guess the main pollinators of our lilies are bumblebees. Western American hummingbirds are migratory in the northern part of their range but at least one species will overwinter here in Portland, Oregon, especially if people put out feeders. At my former home in the Cascade foothills, I noted that the only usual species, the Rufous Hummingbird, arrived synchronously with the flowering of the native shrub Ribes sanguineum (flowering currant). As Paige mentioned, the only native plants offering nectar earlier may be mahonias (Berberis spp.). Our hummers seem to feed more on the flowers of shrubs than of low-growing plants, though in fall they will feed on penstemons and zauschneria (Epilobium spp.). Near the ground they are vulnerable to predators, especially domestic cats. Their favorite bulbs here are Fritillaria recurva and Dichelostemma ida-maia; I think they are the only pollinator of the latter. They also go crazy for Crocosmia and Kniphofia. Many South American plants have evolved for hummingbird pollination; they flock around the Eccremocarpus scaber (red form) that grows on my bulb house walls. Everyone enjoys them, especially in spring when they perform their aerial displays, but I wish people wouldn't put up so many feeders -- nectar and the small insects they get while feeding on flowers are much better for them, and when they congregate around feeders they can pass around diseases and also be caught by lurking cats. Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA At 01:25 PM 3/3/2013, you wrote: >It would be a great help if anyone on PBS could advise me on any of >the following please. > >(1) what the temperature regimen is, if known, that initiates >pollinating activity amongst the Nth. Am. Humming Bird species in >relation to the genus Lilium ?; >(2) do all Humming Bird species function seasonally or selectively >as pollinators of native lilies or in conjungtion with other flowering plants?; >(3) are there particular Humming Bird species which pollinate >lilies, or do they all do so?; >(3) have any lily species been noted as preferentially visited, or >do they take what they need any old place ?; >(5) are all, or any Humming Bird species migratory ? > >I apologise for my total dumb ignorance about your fascinating wee >birdies but I am working on the chapter on pollination + pollen >dispersal at present and >have become painfully aware how little information is available on >this side of our beautiful Blue Planet. > >Sadly there are no Palaearctic Humming Bird species although we have >several remarkable day time / evening flying analogs, which are for example >the Humming Bird Hawkmoths - in the genus Macroglossum >(Macroglossum stellatarum) and also the Narrowborder Bee Hawkmoth - >in the genus >Hemaris (Hemaris tityus). > >Many thanks + fingers crossed, Iain >_______________________________________________ >pbs mailing list >pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > >--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Text inserted by Panda GP 2013: > > This message has NOT been classified as spam. If it is unsolicited > mail (spam), click on the following link to reclassify it: > http://localhost/Panda/… >---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------