2021. It’s time to feed some birds!
December 13, 2021
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This figure shows the experiment setup using the five different feeders containing the seeds.
House Sparrows prefer corn over all other four feed types that were offered to them. Their choices ranged from sunflower seeds with and without the husk, millet, and safflower. Their diet can range from seeds, drains, discarded foods, and even insects. However, they prefer certain types of seeds over others when offered to them no matter the location the seeds were placed in. #picky eaters #wildlife #everybodyeats
By Abdul Hassan
House Sparrows are able to prosper in novel environments due to their flexible diets. In our experiment, a field study was conducted to determine their seed preference. We placed the feeders one foot away from one another, each one containing a different type of seed. Then, we stayed on the other side of the study site to collect the samples. We counted how many birds ate the seeds from each of the feeders. To determine what seed House Sparrows prefer, we changed the order of the feeders by shifting them to the left to see whether the order of the feeders affected what seed they prefer. This was a method used for this experiment because the birds were mostly coming for the right side of the feeders.
The House Sparrows were able to feed from all five feeders regardless of preference, which shows their flexibility in diet. They ate some of the seeds more than others, but overall they visited all of the feeders. This puts them at an advantage to many native species. Research like this is important because we can link how House Sparrows tend to be good at invading. Like many other species, House Sparrows are not native to the United States, and their populations keep on growing because they are successful invasive species. Invasive species are species that are introduced to new environments and dominate that region. Unlike other species, not all exotic species are considered harmful, non native species like the House Sparrows can have neutral effects on other species.