Michele's+bird+project

= **Michele's Bird Experiment** =

Do birds notice spiciness?
**Intro** : I'm not going to lie and say that I chose this project for some special reason or another. I really didn't have a reason for doing this particular experiment. I had to come up with some project to do, and at the time I found the whole Wikispaces business super confusing, along with all the independent and dependent variable stuff, so I just chose the first project that popped into my mind. I figured that since I already had birdseed and bird feeders at home, it wouldn't be too complicated.

**Question** : Will hot sauce mixed in with birdseed affect how much of it they eat?

**Hypothesis** : I do not think that hot sauce will affect how much birdseed the birds eat because I don't think that they can taste spiciness as much as mammals can.

**Materials** : -bird feeders (2) -**Song of America Premier Wild Birdseed** (birdseed) -cup measurer -large bowl -**Hot Sauce Salsa Picante de Chile Habanero El Yucateco** (hot sauce)

**procedure** : -buy hot sauce from the store -buy birdseed -get 2 bird feeders -put 3 cups of birdseed into the first -put 3 cups of birdseed into a large bowl -add 2 tbsps of cayenne pepper sauce and mix it thoroughly so that it is evenly distributed throughout the birdseed -put the birdseed with cayenne pepper sauce in the second bird feeder -hang both bird feeders outside in a somewhat open area -at that time the next day, bring both bird feeders inside -measure how much bird seed is left in each bird feeder and record the information (refill one or both if it is necessary only) -bring the bird feeders outside and put them where they were before -repeat the last 3 steps the next day -the day after that, repeat the same 3 steps again, but change the birdseed around so that the birdseed that was in the second feeder is in the first and vice versa -before putting the cayenne pepper-less birdseed into the feeder that had the cayenne pepper birdseed in it, rinse it out -once the birdseeds are in the opposite feeders, bring the feeders back outside and put them where the other was before -for the next 3 days, repeat the same 3 steps that were being repeated before.

//Notes: I have to take the feeders in every night at 6:30 because if I don't the other animals will eat from them.The reason that I switched the feeders after 3 days is because my bird feeders are not identical.//

independent- Seed with/without cayenne pepper sauce control- feeder placement, amount of time that the feeders are left outside, birdseed brand
 * Variables :** dependent- How much seed the birds eat

**Research** : I looked up how birds react to cayenne pepper sauce, and some sites said that they couldn't taste it, others said that it irritated their mouths, and others said that they loved it, although those sites were mostly people trying to sell "squirrel away," a type of birdseed for people who apparently don't have enough money for squirrel-proof bird feeders but do have enough money for overpriced birdseed that claims to keep squirrels away.

**Day 1** : The birds ate nothing!!!! (zip, nada, zero). My mom says that it takes the birds awhile to find the feeders so I think they will be here tomorrow.

**Day 2** : The birds ate pretty much one cup from each. There was an immeasurably small amount more eaten from the one without hot sauce.

**Day 3** : The birds ate more of the seed with hot sauce, but just a bit. When I brought them in at night I had to switch the seed in the feeders.

**Da****y 4** : Today I changed the seed so that the seed with/ without hot sauce is in the opposite bird feeder that it was in before (See not above) Now the squirrels are eating the kind without, because as it turns out, squirrels do not like spicy things. Now the the non-spicy birdseed is in the bird feeder that is more accessible to squirrels, they are actually eating it! The nerve of them! So now I have completely inaccurate results. yaay!

**Day 5** : The same is true as yesterday.

**Day 6** : The numbers both leapt up today. I'm not sure why, the weather doesn't seem to have changed at all.
 * Type of Seed || Day1 || Day2 || Day3 || Day4 || Day5 || Day6 || Totals ||
 * Cups Eaten With Hot Pepper || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1/4 || 1/4 || 3/4 || 3 1/4 ||
 * Cups Eaten Without Hot Pepper || 0 || 1 || 3/4 || 1 1/4 || 1 || 2 || 5 ||



**Conclusion** : It seems that my hypothesis was not supported. It looked like the birds preferred the seed without hot sauce. However, my results are not completely accurate. I watched the feeders sometimes and squirrels would visit them, but only the one without hot pepper. I have a feeling that birds actually ate about the same amount from each, because that was the case before I switched the feeders (see day 4 above). If I were to do this experiment again, I would use feeders that were not accessible to squirrels, and I would have three feeders, one with no hot sauce, one with 1 tbsp of hot sauce and one with 2 tbsp of hot sauce so that there is more evidence as to whether the results are simply coincidental or there is a real pattern. Doing this experiment made me wonder what birds can taste, and what flavors do they enjoy? I guess I'll never find out because there is not chance in the infernal regions that I am ever doing this again.

**Bibliography** : http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1857/are-birds-immune-to-hot-pepper-enabling-them-to-eat-vast-amounts-and-spread-the-seeds http://community.birdsandblooms.com/forums/t/340092.aspx http://www.gardeners.com/Outwitting-Squirrels/squirrelslp,default,pg.html http://www.squirrelproof.ca/faq.html //note: I often did not actually click on a website during a google search, but simply read over the preview of the writing that the links have beneath them.//