What makes the Grey-headed Flying-fox important to protect?
Flying-foxes are important pollinators of the eucalypt forests and woodlands of eastern and northern Australia. Their main food source is the protein-rich pollen produced by Eucalyptus flowers. Eucalyptus trees need pollen from other trees of their species (out-crossing) to produce fertile seed, and the largely nomadic flying-foxes are very good at providing this transport service. While feeding on nectar and pollen in flowers, pollen grains stick to the fur of the flying-foxes. Some pollen is eaten during grooming, but some is carried on the fur to other flowers to fertilise the ovules which then develop into seeds. This pollen may be carried for very long distances (up to 100 km in one night) and across cleared land, which provides an essential genetic link between fragmented patches of native vegetation. Other pollinators, such as birds, bees (including native stingless bees), moths, butterflies, wasps, flies, beetles, other small mammals such as gliders and the wind, operate over m
