Assignment:
You need a 10 page paper with bibliography on birds eating seeds from a bird feeder with High protein and another feeder with 3% less protein. This paper has to make sense as if the birds were being observed for 1 month. Half way through, the feeders needed to be swapped.
Experimental Set-Up
BIO 4060, Section 11 students will continue to study Optimal foraging Theory. They will set up two birdfeeders, both will be about 4 or 5 feet from a wood line. The feeders will be separated by at least 40 feet and, if possible, more than that. Students will shop at Feed and Seed stores for sunflower seeds. They need to buy two types of sunflower seeds one with the highest amount of Crude Protein and the other with the lowest amount of Crude Protein possible. The Crude Protein difference must be at least 3% or more and if you cannot find this difference please contact Dr. Rauch before continuing.
Students will put the Higher Crude Protein seeds in one feeder (now called the High Protein Feeder) and the lower Crude Protein seeds in the other feeder (now called the Low Crude Protein Feeder). Students will collect data on which species of birds visit each feeder and how long (in seconds) the visit lasts. A template of the graph expected in the Final Report is posted on Canvas.
Readings:
Biological Research - BIO 4060
By Dr. Thomas J. Rauch