Rainie

= This is my bird feeder! =

How will birds react to having their reflection facing them while they are eating?
For my experiment, I am going to see how birds react to having a mirror facing them while they are feeding. I understand that some types of birds (for example, cardinals) are very territorial. In cases that I have heard, some birds are likely to attack windows, because they believe that their reflections is actually another bird. To test this hypothesis, I am going to set up two feeders, fairly close together, but far enough apart that it would be a deliberate choice to go to one feeder or the other. On one feeder, I will station mirrors at various intervals around the feeder, so that in various locations, a bird is facing a mirror. On the other feeder, I will place no mirrors. I will weigh the feed at the end of each day, to see which has more food eaten out of it. Over the course of my experiment, I will refill the feeders each day with food, to the same amount, in identical feeders.

I will begin my experiment on October 31. On the 30, I will put out both feeders, and I will take my first measurement around 8:00 PM on the 31. For two days, I will leave the bird feeders mirror-less, and take measurements. This way, after my experiment, I will have a point of comparison for the second data collection, which includes the mirrors. After two days (on November 1, after checking my data from that day), I will station mirrors around one of the feeders. I will let the birds adjust to the conditions for one day (taking no measurements). On the evening of November 3, I will begin collecting data again, this time with the mirrors. The entire duration of my experiment will span over seven days, with six days of active measurements.

I will attach a fairly large hand mirror with a combination of packing tape and wire, so that it will not obstruct the reflective part of the mirror. I will attach it to the rim around the feeders. I will not fill the feeders all the way, so that the birds can see the mirrors through the feeder. On the other feeder, I will place another mirror, with the reflective part obstructed and hidden from sight completely by cardboard, so the same amount of space on the rim of the feeder is taken up, by an almost identical object.

Despite the fact that not all birds are territorial, I would still imagine that most birds would prefer the feeder without mirrors. Some species commonly found in this area that are notoriously territorial include Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Carolina Wrens. Though some birds may not dislike the presence of mirrors for territorial purposes, I would imagine that some birds may be frightened or bothered by the reflection of sunlight on the mirrors, or just of the mirrors in general. All of this is part of my experiment. For more information, scroll down and see Reasons Birds May Dislike the Presence of a Mirror.

Most birds are more aggressive during nesting season, which is in the summer.

** __Materials__: **

 * Two similar bird feeders with rims around them
 * Safflower Seed
 * 2 Hand Mirrors
 * Clear packing tape (to attach the mirrors)
 * Wire (to attach the mirrors)
 * Cardboard (to cover the reflective part of the second mirror)
 * a Spring Scale (to measure how much food has been eaten)


 * Note: Birdfeeders are identical in design; however, one is yellow, and one is gold, due to when they were purchased. For this reason, I am setting the feeders out two days prior to putting the mirrors on, and taking measurements, so that I will have data to base my comparisons on.**

** __Information on Each Bird Feeder__: **

 * Both Feeders: ** The feeders are hung from the same structure, and therefore hang at almost exactly the same height. Both are located next to wind-chimes, and they hang about eight feet apart.




 * Gold Bird Feeder:** The gold feeder was purchased several years ago. It weighs 500 grams without the mirror, and 950 grams with the mirror on it. It has the functional mirror on it.


 * Yellow Bird Feeder:** The yellow feeder was purchased several weeks ago. It weighs 600 grams without the mirror on it, and 1050 grams with the mirror on it. This feeder has the mirror with cardboard over it on it.




 * Note: The feeders are almost identical in design and size, and have similar colors, but they are NOT identical products.**

__Procedure__:

 * Weigh bird feeders so that their weight can be subtracted from my measurements later on.
 * Set out two bird feeders, without mirrors in locations where they are far enough apart so that it is a deliberate choice to go to one feeder or the other, but close enough together so that they are the same environment. Take measurements of how much seed is eaten for two days : At the end of each day, around ten o'clock, I will weigh the remaining bird seed in each feeder, and see which has more feed eaten out of it. See __Data Collection Methods__ for more information.
 * After two days, prepare bird feeders: On one, place mirrors at intervals such that from some places, a bird will be facing a mirror when feeding. **Note: Make sure not to place mirrors directly across from each other, so that it is possible for the birds to be facing the mirror.**
 * Place both feeders outside in the same locations. At the end of each day, around eight o'clock, I will weigh the remaining bird seed in each feeder, and see which has more feed eaten out of it.
 * I will repeat this procedure with the mirrors, for four days. At the end of the duration of my experiment, I will compile my data, and analyze it, then use it to conclude whether it supports my hypothesis or not.

** __Control Variables__: **

 * **Crows are attracted to shiny things, and may steal the mirrors**. To make sure that this doesn't affect my experiment, //I will keep several extra mirrors on hand//, and periodically check to make sure that none are missing. If one disappears, I will replace it. I will also //make sure that they are secured well//.
 * From my own personal experience, **squirrels are a large nuisance in backyards where bird feeders are concerned**. To preserve my project, I am going to //fill the feeders with safflower seed//, since squirrels are not as fond of them, and //mix it with a small amount of chili powder//, since squirrels don't like chili powder, supposedly.
 * So that **birds are not used to one feeder or the other, or will not just ignore both feeders** for the other ones in my yard, I will //put both feeders in locations in which they do not currently reside, and remove all other feeders from my front yard// for the course of the experiment.
 * The **weather may affect the experiment**, for example if it rains for all four days of measurement with no mirrors, and the weather is perfect the other days. Since I have no way of controlling the weather, //in my data collection log, I will make note of the weather.//
 * The mirror is fairly large, and **takes up a lot of space on the rim of the feeder**, which is where the birds land. To avoid this causing a problem with my data, I will //put an identical mirror in shape in size, with the reflective surface covered by cardboard//, on the other feeder, so that there is the same amount of space on the rim for the birds to land.


 * Phrases in **bold** are problems, and phrases in //italics// are solutions.

__Territorial Behavior in Some Local Birds__:
Though none of these behaviors would necessarily result in their attacking a mirror, it is useful to know what kinds of behavior birds engage in.
 * Blue Jays are commonly found in the area, and they engage in behavioral traits such as screaming at predators in the area. This demonstrates territorial behavior. This call is often aggressive towards humans, if they are near their nests. This also applies to owls.
 * Northern Cardinals are territorial, and mark out their territory with song. They are notorious for attacking windows.
 * Bluebirds are territorial, though they do not eat safflower seed, and therefore will probably not be a contender of my experiment.
 * Yellow Warblers will make hissing calls when defending territory.
 * Tufted Timice defend their territory yearround as a pair.
 * Carolina Wrens reside in one area yearround, and defend it.
 * House Wrens are known to destroy other House Wren's eggs, by puncturing them, and sabotage their nests, if they are in their same territory.
 * Eastern Kingbirds aggressively defend their territory.
 * Northern Mockingbirds sometimes spread their wings while hunting, though it is disputed among ornithologists whether this is a territorial action, or if it actually effects their prey.

For more information on these birds, visit the following pages: Blue Jays: [] Northern Cardinals: [] Bluebirds: [] Yellow Warblers: [] Tufted Titmice: [] Carolina Wrens: [] House Wrens: [] Eastern Kingbirds: [] Northern Mockingbirds: []

Why do birds attack their reflections?
I got the inspiration for my experiment from the stories that I've heard about birds attacking (or just generally running into) windows. I believed that part of this was a natural territorial instinct, in that they would attack the reflection in belief that it was another bird in their territory. I first did research on some of the territorial behavior in local birds, like Northern Cardinals (see Territorial Behavior in Local Birds), and then researched why birds attack their reflections.

In many cases, birds fly into windows by accident; it doesn't have much to do with their reflection, only that they mistake the window for a continuation of the outdoors. Glass is invisible to birds. The two fatal reasons that birds attack windows are that they don't recognize the glass as a solid obstacle, or that they fly into lit windows during the night, as the lights confuse their navigational patterns, which often rely on the stars (thus stating that a bird attacking a mirror is not likely to result in mortality). The third reason that birds attack windows, which is **far less likely to have fatal results** is that birds attack their reflections in that they see it as another bird posing a threat. Northern Cardinals and American Robins are two local birds that are notorious for doing this. This behavior is especially prevalent during nesting season, which occurs during spring and early summer. For more information, visit [], which is where much of the previous information came from.

__Reasons that Birds May Dislike the Presence of a Mirror__:

 * Many Birds are territorial, so my initial motive for birds disliking mirrors was in belief that they would think that the mirror was another bird, in their territory.
 * In the same regard, it could go the other way. A slightly less territorial bird might avoid the feeder because they thought that the territory was already marked by another bird (which was actually their reflection).
 * Birds may simply be afraid of the mirrors. The way that they throw the sunlight, or just their general appearance may cause a bird to avoid them, especially since there is another feeder very nearby without a mirror.

__Data Collection Methods__:
On each page, of my Data Collection, I have room for the following information:
 * Weather (description of cloud cover, temperature)
 * Time (when the measurements were taken)
 * Amount Remaining in Each Feeder (how much each feeder weighs when the measurements are taken)
 * Amount Eaten in Each Feeder (the difference between the Amount Remaining the day before and the Amount Remaining that day)

__Results__:
After the first two days of my experiment, I could conclude with fair certainty that the feeders were pretty much equally used by birds (this is to say, one was not preferred by birds before my independent variable was introduced). Though I was not in possession of a scale at the very beginning of my experiment, I put in a very close to equal amount of feed in each feeder (measured by height). After two days, once the weight difference of the feeders themselves had been factored in, about the same amount of feed had been eaten.

On November 2, I put the mirrors on my feeders, and set them out for the birds. The following tables show my results in a numerical fashion.

(with mirror): Initial Weight of Feeder (with Bird Seed): 1750 g ||~  ||~   ||~   ||~   ||~   ||~   ||
 * ~ Gold Bird Feeder
 * || Day 1 || Day 2 || Day 3 || Day 4 || Day 5 || Day 6 ||
 * Time || 10:30 P.M. || 10:00 P.M. || N/A || 9:40 P.M. || 10:15 P.M. || 9:40 P.M. ||
 * Weather || Cool, fairly sunny || Cold, drizzly || N/A || Cold, sunny || Cold, clear sky || Warm, clear ||
 * Amount Remaining || 1750 g || 1700 g || N/A || 1600 g || 1500 g || 1475 g ||
 * Amount Eaten || 0 g || 50 g || N/A || 100 g || 100 g || 25 g ||

(without mirror) Initial Weight of Feeder (with Bird Seed): 1650 g ||~  ||~   ||~   ||~   ||~   ||~   ||
 * ~ Yellow Bird Feeder
 * || Day 1 || Day 2 || Day 3 || Day 4 || Day 5 || Day 6 ||
 * Time || 10:30 P.M. || 10:00 P.M. || N/A || 9:40 P.M. || 10:15 P.M. || 9:40 P.M. ||
 * Weather || Cool, fairly sunny || Cold, drizzly || N/A || Cold, sunny || Cold, clear sky || Warm, clear ||
 * Amount Remaining || 1650 g || 1650 g || N/A || 1600 g || 1425 g || 1400 g ||
 * Amount Eaten || 0 g || 0 g || N/A || 50 g || 175 g || 25 g ||


 * Please note that the weather refers to the weather of the day, not necessarily the weather at the given time during which I collected data.**




 * Please note that on day 3, no measurements were taken. Ignore this day; the value was not really 0; there was no data to put there.**

**Day by Day Analysis of my Data and Results:**

 * Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011 - Day 1:**

This is the day that I put the feeders out with my mirrors for the first time. The feeders were placed outside in their respective places at 10:30 P.M. The only measurements taken this day were those verifying that the feeders were generally equally used by birds prior to the introduction of my independent variable.


 * Thursday, November 3rd, 2011 - Day 2:**

Though in my initial plan, I had not intended to take measurements this day, I had a slight mix-up, and took measurements this day, instead of the following day. Nov. 3rd was the first day after the introduction of my independent variable. At 10:00 P.M., the birds had eaten 50 grams out of the feeder **with** mirrors, but none out of the feeder **without** mirrors. Though this contradicts my hypothesis, I did theorize that the birds would gradually switch to using the other feeder, so these data cannot in and of itself deny or support my hypothesis.


 * Friday, November 4th, 2011 - Day 3:**

No measurements were taken this day, as a result of my mixing up which days measurements were to be taken.


 * Saturday, November 5th, 2011 - Day 4:**

By Saturday, I would really have expected to start seeing some real change in the data, to at least see that the birds were using the two feeders equally, if not that they seemed to prefer the feeder without mirrors. Instead, I continually saw that the birds seemed to prefer the feeder with mirrors. This day, they ate 100 grams out of the feeder with mirrors, which was 50 grams more than the birds ate out of the feeder without mirrors. This surprised me a lot. There were only two days remaining in my experiment by this point, so I was not terribly optimistic that I would see a real change in the results by the finale of my experiment.


 * Sunday, November 6th, 2011 - Day 5:**

This is the day where my experiment showed me the results that I had been waiting for. The birds ate 100 grams out of the feeder with mirrors again, but they ate 175 grams out of the feeder without mirrors, which was more than three times what they had eaten in the last three days combined. It was also the most drastic range that had been collected previously. According to a credible source who was out by the feeders around midday, lots birds were landing on the feeder without mirrors, and eating from it, while he was standing about four feet way, but not on the gold feeder, which was about the same distance away.


 * Monday, November 7th, 2011 - Day 6:**

This day was the finale of my experiment. I was hopeful to see a continuation of the previous day's results, so that my data would clearly support my hypothesis. Unfortunately, this was not exactly the case. The birds ate 25 grams out of each feeder this day, drawing...what conclusion???

**Conclusion:**
In my hypothesis, I stated my belief that the birds would gradually switch to using the feeder without mirrors more and more, over the course of my experiment. For the first four days, as you can see from my data stated previously, the birds definitely seemed to prefer the feeder with mirrors. On day five, the birds ate almost twice as much out of the feeder without mirrors as the feeder with mirrors, which, as I said, was a delayed reaction to the introduction of my independent variable. On the sixth and final day of my experiment, the same amount of birdseed was eaten out of each feeder, which drew a frustratingly open close to my experiment.

From the time section of my charts, you can see the measurements were taken about every twenty-four hours. The range of times were from 9:40 to 10:30 P.M. (a range of 50 minutes). You can also see, from the weather section of my charts, that for Day 1 it was cool, and Day 2-Day 5 (exempting Day 3, due to the fact that no measurements were taken that day), it was cold, with varying degrees of cloud cover. On Day 6, it was warm. On Day 1, there was a small amount of cloud cover, and on Day 2 it was drizzly outside, but for the remainder of the experiment, it was, for the most part, clear. The weather of each days seems to follow no specific pattern that can be directly related to the data. Day 5, which was the day that showed noticeable difference from the previously collected data, had the same weather as Day 4, and while it was warm on Day 6, I see no evidence from the previous days that this would have had any bearing on the situation.

I would deem the results of my experiment fairly inconclusive. In fact, exempting the data from Day 5, I would actually state the complete opposite. Day 6 was a frustrating ending to my experiment, as it contradicted my hypothesis. If my experiment had gone in accordance with my hypothesis, then Day 6 would have shown data similar to Day 5. It is mostly due to the data collection from these two days that I would deny my hypothesis. My new theory is that the birds (or at least most birds) do not care about the mirrors, and the fluctuation over the days was a natural occurrence, not caused by preferential treatment of one feeder or another by the birds.

It occurred to me over the course of my experiment that since probably more than half of the birds that would even be using my feeder did not engage in territorial behavior that would be likely to lead the to being wary of a mirror, the sample of birds that I was dealing with could potentially mess up my data, because most of the birds didn't care. It may have been helpful to do a more specific study of one bird in particular (possibly a Northern Cardinal), and to record their specific behavior regarding the two feeders, instead of directing towards a generic sample of all backyard birds. A longer duration of my experiment most likely would have been beneficial as well, as it would have given more certainty that the results were not just a random distribution affected by another variable, possibly one that I was not even aware of. On a larger scale, this experiment may have had more conclusive evidence to either support or deny my hypothesis.

As a final statement, I would say that the birds did not seem to be affected one way or another by the presence of the mirror. I would attribute the slight fluctuation in the amount eaten daily to random sample, and therefore, conclude from my experiment that my hypothesis was neither supported, nor denied by the data collected.

http://cfsbirds-2011.wikispaces.com/Rainiehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mockingbird