Knox

=Bird question:= Do birds prefer a feeder that is placed at a higher or lower spot in a tree?

Procedure: 1. Make bird feeders with plastic bottles or containers. 2. Purchase bird seed and fill feeders with a pound of seed in each. 3. Hang feeders in two different spots in a tree (one lower and one higher). 4. Wait for 3-5 days and at the end of each day weigh the feeders to see how much bird seed was consumed. 5. Which ever feeder weighed the least at the end of each day is the one that was visited the most often.

Hypothesis: I think that birds will prefer the higher feeder because according to research, local birds often prefer a nest that is higher up in a tree. So, naturally I believe that they will be attracted to the higher one.

Dependent variables: How much bird seed is congested.

Independent variables: Height of the two feeders, weather, amount of bird seed in each feeder.

Materials: Two bottles or containers for bird feeders, a tree with branches at varrying heights and bird seed.

Discussion: My Experiment started off very well with the construction of the feeders. It quickly turned south after the maintenece workers at my apartment complex took down the feeders within an hour after I had hung them. This was quite unfortunate but I managed to build new ones and hang them in a more hidden area that was less accessable to maintenence workers. After The first couple days of my experiment, my feeders proved successful! I would often come home from school to find two or three birds perched on my orange juice container bird feeders.

Results: feeder || Conclusion: After day 1 of my experiment, hardly any birds had visited my feeders. However, The lower feeder did weigh slightly less than it had before and the higher one weighed the same. Day 2 of my experiment was much different from day 1. The lower feeder weighed less once again but substanchily less than before which means a large amount of birds had visited the feeder. The higher feeder weighed slightly less but no more than an ounce or two. On day 3 the results were completly different. The higher feeder had lst the most weight and the lower one hadnt lost any at all. Day 4 the results agreed with the rusults of day 1 and 2 where the lower feeder had lost the most seed. Ater 4 days of observing and weighing, my final conclusion is that birds prefer the lower feeder despite my hypothesis that suggested the higher feeder would be visited more often.
 * || Day1 || Day2 || Day3 || Day4 ||
 * Most visited || Lower feeder || Lower feeder || Higher feeder || Lower



The most common bird I observed visiting my feeder was the Turdus migratoris or the American Robin. I would have 2-3 American Robins feeding on both of the feeders at one time. They greatly outnumbered any other bird stopping by for a snack.

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