Sandy+Ahlheim

Sandy Ahlheim St. Charles, MO
 * Introduction**: Last year I put a bird feeder outside my classroom window and it gave the children an opportunity to watch the birds throughout the school year. My Fifth graders, armed with binocular and field guides, would always get excited when a bird would visit the feeder. Throughout the year as I would shop at a variety of different stores to purchase birdseed. I was surprised by the large number of products available to purchase in regard to birds and bird feeders. I wondered if the birds were partial to a particular type of seed or would they eat any seed available in the feeder. On one trip to a bird specialty store my daughter and her friends were questioning the same thing. This was the “ah ha” moment in regard to my inquiry question.

I chose to watch an established bird feeder in my yard, near bushes and with a bird bath nearby. I decided to change the seed selection in order to find out if different seed selections would have an effect on the number and species of birds attracted to the feeder. When I began researching birds and their attraction to seed I found a variety of lists. It is easy to find lists of bird species and their favorite seed preference. I found little written on what happens when the seed is changed and if the number and species of birds attracted to the feeder would be affected.


 * Question:** Will changing the type of birdseed affect the number and species of birds attracted to a birdfeeder?

‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ Materials needed: -bird feeder -camera -field guide to Missouri Birds -tally sheet -wild bird seed -safflower seed -black oil sunflower seeds
 * ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍Hypothesis**: If you change the type of birdseed at a feeder, then the number and species of birds visiting the feeder will also change.
 * Methods and Materials:**

‍‍‍‍ ‍‍ **(grain, sunflower seeds, millet)**  ||  **Safflower Seed**  ||  **Black Oil Sunflower Seeds**  || I made daily observation of the bird feeder from 7:30-8:30 a.m. and periodically throughout the day in order to compile a list of birds that visited the feeder throughout the day. I used a Missouri Birds field guide, Cornell e-birds, and iBird application to aid in species recognition. The weather was consistently sunny and hot throughout the investigation and did not play a factor in the birds feeding preference.
 * Methods:**
 * 1) I will begin by setting up a platform bird feeder in a location with access to sun, bushes, and water. The location I chose is in my yard outside a window that can be used to watch, and record the bird activitiesfrom 7:30-8:30 a.m., and throughout the day.
 * 2) Place one type of seed (wild mix, black oil sunflower, and safflower) in the feeder for 3 days.
 * 3) Observe the variety of bird species that visit the feeder in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
 * Results and Analysis‍‍**
 * **Wild Bird Seed Mix**
 * American Goldfinch ||  House Finch  ||  American Goldfinch  ||
 * Brown-Headed Cowbird ||   ||  Brown-headed Cowbird  ||
 * House Finch ||   ||  Common Grackle  ||
 * House Sparrow ||   ||  House Sparrow  ||
 * Mourning Dove ||   ||  Mourning Dove  ||
 * Northern Cardinal ||   ||  Northern Cardinal  ||
 * Purple Finch ||   ||   ||

The birds began visiting the feeder minutes after filled with the wild birdseed. House Sparrows and House Finches were the first to arrive at the feeder. The following three days brought a variety of area birds to the feeder I cleaned the feeder and replaced it with safflower seeds, which looks like a white sunflower seed. The package says that it is a favorite of cardinals, doves, and songbirds. I was hoping to attract the Northern Cardinal. The only bird I observed visiting the feeder was a House Finch. While the feeder remained full, the ground, which was covered with discarded wild birdseed, had a variety of visitors. On day 3, I covered the ground with a tarp to encourage the birds to eat from the feeder, with no luck. A male Northern Cardinal even nudged my tarp out of the way so he could look for seed from the ground. The level of safflower seeds remained constant. The birds took about thirty minutes to notice the change in seed from the safflower to the sunflower seeds. The sparrows and finches were the first visit the feeder. In less than an hour, the feeder was emptied of all the sunflower seeds. Throughout the 3 days there was constant stream of birds visiting the feeder. Many times there would be 4 birds at the feeder and several on the ground eating the seed.
 * Day 1-3 Wild birdseed (**Mix of grain products, millet, and sunflower seeds)
 * Day 4-6 Safflower**
 * Day 7-9 Black oiled sunflower seeds**


 * **Observation Day/Type of Seed** ||  **Number of birds observed at the feeder**  ||
 * Day 1 Wild Birdseed ||  9  ||
 * Day 2 Wild Birdseed ||  10  ||
 * Day 3 Wild Birdseed ||  13  ||
 * Day 4 Safflower Seed ||  3  ||
 * Day 5 Safflower Seed ||  1  ||
 * Day 6 Safflower Seed ||  0  ||
 * Day 7 Black-oiled Sunflower Seed ||  14  ||
 * Day 8 Black-oiled Sunflower Seed ||  11  ||
 * Day 9 Black-oiled Sunflower Seed ||  13  ||

The greatest variety of birds visited the feeder when wild bird seed was available, but the largest number of actual birds visited with the presence of sunflower seeds. The birds did not visit the feeder when the safflower seeds were available. At the end of the nine observation days I retested the safflower seed investigation. I refilled the feeder with safflower seeds and had the same result, no birds eating from the feeder. After two days I refilled the feeder with wild birdseed and the area birds returned.

I discovered that the type of food available in the feeder did have an effect on the number of species attracted to the feeder. I discovered that the birds in my area consumed the sunflower seed and/or wild birdseed. The birds did not eat the safflower seeds even though it was available for consumption from the identical feeder and location. Having witnessed, that the birds in my area have a particular palate when it comes to seed consumption, I wonder if I mixed sunflower seeds with the safflower seeds if the birds would be more partial to the safflower seed.
 * Discussion and Conclusion**

Te kiela, S. (2001) // Birds of Missouri //. Cambridge, Minnesota: Adventure Publications "EBird News and Features." //â// //  EBird //. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2012. IBird." //Pro//. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2012. . "What to Feed Birds." //What to Feed Birds//. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2012. [].
 * Reference**

"Seasonal List of the Standard Birds of Missouri." //Missouri////'s Fish, Forests and Wildlife//. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2012. .