Furthermore, yew fruits are a favorite food of birds, but the number of seeds which survive unscathed after being eaten is not very great either. The area and density of distribution achieved by the yews, which rely on animals to spread their seeds, is far less than that of cone-bearing trees such as the Taiwan fir (Abies kawakamii) whose seeds are distributed by the wind.
紅豆杉果實又是鳥類、松鼠的最愛，被啃食後，能完整保存、傳播出去的數量已經不多，依賴動物傳播的紅豆杉，可以拓展的領域與密度，遠遠不及其他球果植物如冷杉靠風力將種子飛散出去來的集中。