Red (Common) Crossbill

In zoology, a granivore is an animal which selectively eats the nutrient-rich seeds produced by plants, including those of gymnosperms. Most true granivores are insects or birds or mammals. The former group includes many different kinds of true bugs, ants, and beetles, but also a few types of moths and even some parasitic wasps. The latter group includes many different finches and numerous other related groups such as the Hawaiian honeycreepers. Granivory is especially prevalent in desert habitats, as seeds are persistent. Download high resolution version (750x714, 81 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (750x714, 81 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Zoology is the biological discipline which involves the study of animals. ... A ripe red jalapeno cut open to show the seeds For other uses, see Seed (disambiguation). ... Coast Douglas-fir cone This article lacks an appropriate Taxobox You can help Wikipedia by adding one. ... Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrates that are taxonomically referred to as the class Insecta. ... Orders Many - see section below. ... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... The term true bug refers to the insects of the order Hemiptera and in particular to those of the suborder Heteroptera. ... Subfamilies Aenictinae Aenictogitoninae Aneuretinae Apomyrminae Cerapachyinae Dolichoderinae Dorylinae Ecitoninae Formicinae Leptanillinae Leptanilloidinae Myrmeciinae Myrmicinae Nothomyrmeciinae Ponerinae Pseudomyrmecinae Diagram of a worker ant (Pachycondyla verenae). ... Suborders Adephaga Archostemata Myxophaga Polyphaga See subgroups of the order Coleoptera Wikispecies has information related to: Coleoptera Beetles are the most diverse group of insects. ... A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly. ... The term parasitic wasp refers to a large, artificial assemblage of Hymenopteran superfamilies which are primarily parasitoids of other animals, mostly other arthropods. ... Genera Many, see text Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, the many species of which are found chiefly in the northern hemisphere, but also to a limited extent in Africa and South America. ... Genera Telespiza Psittirostra (extinct?) Dysmorodrepanis (extinct) Loxioides Rhodacanthis (extinct) Chloridops (extinct) Orthiospiza (extinct) Xestospiza (extinct) Pseudonestor Hemignathus Magumma (disputed) Akialoa (disputed; extinct) Heterorhynchus (disputed) Oreomystis Paroreomyza Vangulifer (extinct) Aidemedia (extinct) Loxops Ciridops (extinct) Vestiaria Drepanis (extinct) Palmeria Himatione Melamprosops (extinct?) Hawaiian honeycreepers are small passerine birds endemic to Hawaii. ...

Insects

Harvester ants, weevils (Curculionidae), bruchid beetles (Bruchidae), moths, wasps and others feed on seeds.

Yucca moths and fig wasps feed on seeds and pollinate the plant in tightly co-evolved relationships. Genera Parategeticula Tegeticula Prodoxus The Prodoxidae is a family of moths commonly known as the yucca moths. ... Subfamilies Agaoninae Epichrysomallinae Otitesellinae Sycoecinae Sycophaginae Sycoryctinae Fig wasps are wasps of the family Agaonidae which pollinate figs or are otherwise associated with figs. ...

Birds

Many of the typical backyard feeder birds eat a lot of seeds, but are not strict granivores; they eat a lot of insects too. Species that feed primarily on seeds as adults will often rear their young on insects instead. More strict granivores such as Goldfinches feed their young regurgitated seeds. Species Many, see text The genus Carduelis is a large group of birds in the finch family Fringillidae. ...

Acorn woodpeckers form large granaries, but take a lot of insects too. Clark's nutcracker and the Pinyon Jay, similarly require pine seeds but supplement them with other items. Crossbills are also highly reliant on conifer seeds. Binomial name Melanerpes formicivorus (Swainson,, 1827) The Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) is a medium-sized woodpecker. ... Binomial name Nucifraga columbiana (Wilson, 1811) The Clarks Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), is a large passerine bird, in the family Corvidae. ... Binomial name Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus Wied, 1841 The Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) is a jay between the North American Blue Jay and the Eurasian Jay in size. ... Species Loxia pytyopsittacus Loxia scotia Loxia curvirostra Loxia leucoptera Loxia megaplaga The crossbills are birds in the finch family Fringillidae. ...

References

• Elphick, C, JB Dunning, Jr. and DA Sibley.(eds.) 2001. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
• Brown, J. H., Reichman, O. J. and Davidson, D. W. 1979. Granivory in desert ecosystems. – Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 10: 201–227.
• MacMahon, J. A., Mull, J. F. and Crist, T. O. 2000. Harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.): their community and ecosystem influences. – Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 31: 265–291.

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