Feeding and Habitat: A Bird’s
Tale
Presented by:
Sara Phillips
Tim Bankroff
Elliot Rossbach
Hypotheses
• Bird feeders located in more wooded environments will
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attract a more diverse group of bird species because the
woods have a larger carrying capacity and offer more
nesting sites.
The birds that nest during the winter months will learn
to use the feeders throughout our research and will
therefore be consuming the most birdseed.
During the winter months, species diversity will increase
due to the migratory tendencies of the species not native
to this region.
Greater amounts of seed will be eaten each week as the
colder weather approaches.
Purpose
• We hoped to familiarize ourselves with the bird populations
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present in Oxford, Ohio and their feeding habits.
We hoped to prove our hypotheses stating that a heavily
wooded environment will house more species of birds and
that human interaction actually does have an impact on
their presence.
If humans do, in fact, interfere with bird survival, we can
then determine what we as humans can do to provide for
healthy interactions with avian species.
The Grand Scheme of Things
So how does our project fit into the Big Picture? As cold weather
approaches, we hope to find that patterns of migration that hold
true to North America and the Midwest apply to our little
experiment in Oxford, Ohio. Migrants affect the ecosystems that
they visit on the way to their final destinations. Will migrant birds
visit our feeders? Consequently, will competition for sustenance
occur on a larger scale?
Deforestation takes a devastating toll on woodland species,
especially those that use trees and brush as nesting grounds and
places to feed. Although these species can adapt to sparse cover,
we hope to prove that such an endangered environment should be
valued more than it is currently appreciated.
Materials
• 12 1-gallon jugs
• 1 bag each of Millet, Black-oiled sunflower
seed, Thistle, and Commercial Mix
• String
• 12 plastic plates
Feed
Millet- a mixture of small seeds known to attract songbirds such as
cardinals and goldfinches.
Black-oil sunflower seeds- attract most birds known to winter in the
region; birds with smaller beaks are still able to crack the thin shells.
Thistle- small seeds known to attract sparrows, finches and grosbeaks.
Commercial Mix- a mix of black-oil sunflower seeds, millet, and
cracked corn kernels
* This picture not to scale!
Research Timeline
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Week 1- 10/27 to 11/1: We will construct 12 birdfeeders out of empty plastic gallon water jugs. We
will also purchase the previously mentioned varieties of birdseed at Wal-Mart so we can begin our
observations. Feeders will be placed in the feeding locations on Thursday, October 30.
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Week 2- 11/3 to 11/9: Observations begin on Monday, November 3. Using our data sheets we will log
what we see. At the conclusion of each week, we will weigh the remaining seed in each feeder, enter
the figures into our data sheet, and mark the level with a marker.
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Week 3- 11/10 to 11/16: We will present our research project on Tuesday, the 11th. Observations will
continue; however, class efforts will be expected during this week, beginning Monday. Each group will
be placed in a lottery to determine their day of participation. A group will be expected to visit each
location at a time compliant with their personal schedules. Three volunteers from the class will be
expected to make a morning observation, with or without the company of Sarah, Elliot, or Tim.
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Week 4- 11/17 to 11/23: Refer to instructions for Week 2.
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Week 5- 11/24 to 11/30: Refer to instructions for Week 2. Due to the unfortunate circumstance of the
Thanksgiving holiday, two of our days will be lost, thus leaving us with two days, Monday and
Tuesday; but we will substitute Sunday, December 1 for missed days.
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Week 6- 12/1 to 12/7: Observations end this week.
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Week 7- 12/8 to 12/14: Analysis begins and final presentation is given. Work begins on final webpage
design.
Map of Location of Bird Feeders
Former site of
Urban FeedersShriver Center
Feeders 1, 2, 3, 4, in
Western Woods
Feeders 5,6,7,8 in transition
zone near Western
Feeders 9,10,11,12 in
highly trafficked
zone— Peabody Hall
Birds We Expected to See
- Goldfinches
- Hairy Woodpeckers
- Purple finches
- Downy Woodpeckers
- House Sparrows
- Black-capped Chickadees
- Cardinals
- Carolina Chickadees
- Evening Grosbeaks
- Mourning Doves
Results
Birds We Actually Saw
Carolina Chickadees
House Sparrows
White-Breasted Nuthatches
Blue Jays
Northern Cardinals
Dark-Eyed Juncos
Gold Finches
Tufted Titmice
Data
Location
Transition
Transition
Transition
Transition
Woods
Woods
Woods
Woods
Urban
Urban
Urban
Urban
Seed Type
Sunflower
Millet
Commercial Mix
Thistle
Sunflower
Millet
Commercial Mix
Thistle
Sunflower
Millet
Commercial Mix
Thistle
Total Number of Birds
Total Number of Species
20
18
1
4
46
0
0
2
35
0
0
0
4
5
1
2
4
0
0
1
3
0
0
0
Conclusion
There was not a significant difference in the number of birds that visited
our feeders from one location to another. Failed to reject the null
hypothesis.
There was also not a significant difference in the number of species that
visited our feeders in each location. Failed to reject the null
hypothesis.
There was a significant difference in the seed preference among the
number of birds that visited our feeders. Rejected the null hypothesis.
There was a significant difference in the seed preference among the
number of species that visited our feeders. Rejected the null
hypothesis.
Sources of Error
Number of observations taken
Time of day during which the observations were taken
The disappearance of the Urban feeders
Birds returning for “seconds”
Questions To Ponder
-Do birds prefer one time of day to another when feeding?
-- Could this also be relevant to the changes in temperature?
-Does wind speed affect feeding habits?
- -- Are blustery days hazardous to the depletion of
necessary fat stores?
- Does the presence of a replenishable food
source affect the migration of a native species?
Further Investigation?
-Take more observations
- Observe throughout the winter and spring in order to compare seasonal
bird activity
- Use statistical analysis to compare bird activity at different times of day