Dispersal of fern spores by Galápagos finches

Fern sporangia may provide an important source of energy for bird species, which in turn can act as potential dispersers of viable spores. This study reports the first case of fern spore dispersal by land birds. We document the consumption of fern sporangia and evaluate the potential spore dispersal by Galapagos finches on Santa Cruz Island. Overall, 18% of the 34 sampled individuals of three finch species, the Vegetarian Finch (Platyspiza crassirostris), the Small Ground Finch (Geospiza fuliginosa) and the Medium Ground Finch (Geospiza fortis), were found to disperse viable spores of two native ferns, Asplenium auritum and Asplenium feei.