Katherine

= = ** Will birds prefer an expensive brand of bird seed better than a cheaper bird seed? **

** Introduction **

 * I got identical bird feeders with four perches on each side and filled them up to the top different birdseed. I filled feeder #1 with a sunflower seed blend and feeder #2 with the organic bird food with berries, nuts, and seeds.

** Hypothesis **

 * My hypothesis is that the birds will like the organic brand of birdseed that has mixed fruit, seeds, and some nuts instead of the bird seed with sunflowerseed and safflowers in it. Although, and do some futher research I found out that birds in the Fall and Winter prefer a more sunflower baised blend of food.

** Variables **

 * **Independent:** The birdseed
 * **Dependent:** The birds eating choses
 * ** Control: ** Same bird feeder and same birdseed

** Procedure **

 * 1) I bought two identical bird feeders and two different bird seeds.
 * 2) I filled my both of the bird feeders with an equal amount of the different bird seeds.
 * 3) Then hung them outside about 6ft apart.
 * 4) Watch at 5:15-5:45 to see how many birds came to each of the feeders.

Materials

 * Two identical bird feeders with staggered perches on the side.
 * Two different bird seeds made for birds in North Carolina.

**__Monday__**
Feeder 2 Feeder 2 Feeder 1 Feeder 1 Feeder 2 Feeder 1 Feeder 1 || Cardinal Cardinal Blue Jay Black&White warbler Hairy Wood pecker Blue jay House Finch House Finch ||
 * = **Feeder** ||= **Bird** ||
 * Feeder 2

**__Tuesday (Rainy)__**
Feeder 1 Feeder 1 Feeder 1 Feeder 1 || Brown Wood pecker Cardinal Cardinal White Breasted Nuthach Black&White warbler ||
 * = **Feeder** ||= **Bird** ||
 * Feeder 1

**__Wednesday__**
Feeder 1 Feeder 1 Feeder 1 Feeder 2 Feeder 1 Feeder 2 Feeder 1 || Cardinal Cardinal Mourning Dove Mourning Dove Tufted Titmouse Cardinal Cardinal Purple Finch ||
 * = **Feeder** ||= **Bird** ||
 * Feeder 1

__Thursday__
Halloween

**__Friday__**
Feeder 1 Feeder 2 Feeder 1 Feeder 2 Feeder 2 Feeder 1 Feeder 1 || Cardinal Cardinal House Sparrow Purple Finch Cardinal Cardinal Rose Breasted Grosbeak House Finch ||
 * = **Feeder** ||= **Bird** ||
 * Feeder 1

How many birds came to each feeder on each day of the week

**Results**
By doing this experiment I had learned to that the birds do actually prefer the cheaper sunflower seed blend of bird seed over the more expensive bird seed because the feeder with the expensive bird seed is half full and the cheaper bird seed is empty. If I did this experiment again I would have put out one bird seed first and then the second the next week and measure how much was eaten.

**Bibliography**

 * http://dpughphoto.com/birds.htm
 * http://www.birds-of-north-america.net/attracting-birds.html