We recorded observations on the relationships between Puya raimondii and the associated bird community in a dry grassland habitat in the high Andean plateau (altiplano or puna) of southeast Peru. From field evidence, we hypothesize that P. raimondii benefits from its association with birds through enhanced nutrient supply. Both bird droppings and dead birds trapped in the foliage of the plants represent a potential nutrient supplement. While the roots probably provide the principal uptake mechanism, the unique adaptations of other bromeliads respecting water and nutrient accumulation suggest that puyas may also have at least marginal capability for foliar absorption of water and mineral resources. The ecology of P. raimondii may illustrate the general conditions that favoured the independent evolution of specialized adaptations for xerophytism and epiphytism in other bromeliad taxa.