This website was a project of the Rouge River Bird Observatory at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. RRBO's main research focus was the ecology of fall migrant birds in urban areas. Data have determined that several species of Catharus thrushes gain mass during their fall stopover on campus. A component of this research is examining the fall diet of birds at an urban site.
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| This fecal sample from an American Robin contained one Rhamnus cathartica seed, many seeds of Lonicera maackii, and one jewelry clasp! |
To do this, we collected fecal samples from the birds that we band or from seed traps, and identify and cataloged all the seeds we found. We initially compiled a book of photos of seeds from plants known to occur in the area, as well as a large reference series of seeds collected on campus and nearby.
Interest in this project from other researchers as well as land managers and homeowners interested in what birds are eating prompted us to create this online reference guide to fleshy, bird-dispersed fruits, especially
identification of seeds. It focuses on fall- and summer-fruiting
plant species found in southern Michigan, but since many of these
species are widespread in North America, it will be useful for a broader
region. Both native and non-native species are covered.
A portion of this research resulted in the following paper:
Craves, J. A. 2015. Birds that eat nonnative buckthorn fruit (Rhamnus cathartica and Frangula alnus, Rhamnaceae) in eastern North America. Natural Areas Journal 35:279-287.
Other published papers that used or cited this site:
Bonilla, N.O., and E.G. Pringle. 2015. Contagious seed dispersal and the spread of avian-dispersed
exotic plants. Biological Invasions 17:3409–3418.
Curtze, A.C., Carlo, T.A., and J. Wenzel. 2018. The effects of a tornado disturbance and a salvaged timber extraction on the seed-rain and recruitment community of an eastern temperate deciduous forest. Northeastern Naturalist 25(4):627-645.
Gallinat, A.S., R.B. Primack, and T.L. Lloyd-Evans. 2020. Can invasive species replace native species as a resource for birds under climate change? A case study on bird-fruit interactions. Biological Conservation, Volume 241: 108268 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108268>
Hohmann, M. G.,Wall, W.A., Just, M.G., and S. D. Huskins. 2023. Multiple intrinsic and extrinsic drivers influence the quantity and quality components of seed dispersal effectiveness in the rare shrub Lindera subcoriacea. PLoS ONE <https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283810>.
Notes on the species accounts
Invasive status is derived from listing in the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.
Fruit ripening dates and seed dispersal dates are primarily from The Woody Plant Seed Manual, Agricultural Handbook 727, USDA Forest Service, 2008.
Distribution status in Michigan is primarily from Michigan Flora Online, A. A. Reznicek, E. G. Voss, & B. S. Walters. February 2011. University of Michigan Herbarium.
