Unrelated plants pollinated by similar animals tend to show convergent evolution of floral traits. Floral syndromes have been used successfully to develop hypotheses about pollination systems but can be misleading when plants have unusual floral morphology or mechanisms of pollen transfer. A case in point is Erica halicacaba, a local endemic shrub on the Cape Peninsula of South Africa. Its short-tubed greenish-yellowish flowers with a narrow aperture have been considered to be insect pollinated. However, field observations, selective exclusion experiments and analysis of pollen loads all indicate that its primary pollinator is the Orange-breasted Sunbird (Anthobaphes violacea).