Winter

Birds carry seeds

The seeds of winter seeders are an important source of food for many of the birds that winter on Ruissalo, such as European goldfinches, redpolls, greenfinches and Eurasian bullfinches. While feeding on the seeds, the birds also break up the plants’ dried up blossoms, releasing some of the seeds to the winds. Some winter seeders also utilise mammals in spreading their seeds. For example, the burs of the woolly burdock are quick to stick to the fluffy winter coats of animals passing by, allowing the seeds to hitch a ride to a new habitat.