Plants that catch birds to turn into fertilizer

Scientists have discovered two new species of plants on a Caribbean island that have the ability to trap and kill inexperienced birds.

The fruit of the bird-catching plant can stick to birds' feathers and kill them. Video: BBC.

The idyllic islands of the Caribbean are not only a paradise for beachgoers, but also for many birds looking for shelter and breeding grounds, according to IFL Science. However, some of these islands are home to a “bird-catching plant” that traps and kills inexperienced birds, turning their decomposing bodies into fertilizer.

Marcos A. Caraballo-Ortiz, a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, and Jorge C. Trejo-Torres, a plant expert at the Institute for Regional Conservation in Florida, USA, discovered two new species of bird-catching plants, scientifically named Pisonia horneae and Pisonia roqueae, in the forests of the island of Puerto Rico. Their descriptions were published in the journal Phytokeys on September 26.

The fruit of the birdcatcher contains a sticky substance and is covered with numerous tiny hooks. Photo: Jorge C. Trejo-Torres.

The bird tree belongs to a genus of plants called Pisonia. The fruit of the tree is sticky and covered with numerous small hooks. Usually they stick to the backs of birds and are carried to other islands. But sometimes the tree becomes an enemy to the animals that help them transport the seeds.

When the fruit falls to the ground, the sticky sap attracts insects and traps the animal. This attracts birds looking for an easy meal. However, the birds themselves are trapped by the combination of sticky sap and hooks. The birds are unable to fly and starve to death at the base of the tree, becoming fertilizer for the soil.

At the base of the bird-catching tree, small bones of victims are often scattered on the ground. Sometimes bird carcasses are hung from the branches like in a horror story.

"So far, we have not seen birds trapped by the sticky fruits of the two newly discovered species, but future studies will explore this possibility," said Marcus A. Caraballo-Ortiz, lead author of the study.

According to VNE