Feeding time Area study probes what birds want

DECATUR - Millikin University asked 1,500 citizen scientists inNorth America to watch the birdie.

It was all for a three-year study to learn what kinds of seedsand what types of bird feeders the winged creatures prefer.

Led by principle investigator David Horn, an ornithologist andassociate professor of biology at Decatur's Millikin University, thefield-study phase of Project Wildbird was wrapped up last winter.Horn will speak on the findings at 7 p.m. Thursday in room C101 ofthe Center for Natural Sciences at Illinois Wesleyan University.

Data is still being tabulated. But, the initial conclusions are:-Of the 10 seeds tested, birds liked five kinds best: black oilsunflower; fine and medium sunflower chips (also known as hulledsunflower); nyjer (formerly known as thistle); and white prosomillet.

"If you see a seed mix and they have a lot of red Milo or evencracked corn, those are two seed types that aren't very attractiveto birds," Horn said. "They will have a lot of wasted seed that goesunused."- Different seed types attract different kinds of birds. Forexample, white proso millet attracts native sparrows and mourningdoves. Small finches, including goldfinches, prefer nyjer orsunflower chips. Larger species, like cardinals and woodpeckers,like black oil sunflower seeds.- If you're one of many people whothink birds only need to be fed in winter, think again. ProjectWildbird revealed the number of birds visiting feeders is about thesame from season to season. What changes are the kinds of birds thatappear at different times of the year. - Tube feeders and platformfeeders have more visitors than hopper feeders. Tube feeders attractsmaller birds while platform feeders are best for larger birds.Whether birds use hopper feeders depends on whether the perches aredesigned to accommodate birds easily.

Among hobbies, bird feeding is second only to gardening in theUnited States. More than 55 million Americans over the age of 16feed wild birds.

For comparison, that's more people than hunt and fish combined.People who feed birds spend more than $3.8 billion on seed, feedersand other accessories.- Still, feeding wild birds is one of the mostunderstudied wildlife management issues in the United States.-

According to Project Wildbird, 174 individuals from-38 states and3 provinces in Canada made more than 20,000, 45-minute observationsof bird feeders from 2005-2008. -They observed 106 species andnearly 1.3 million bird visits.

The 10 most common species visiting feeders were: Americangoldfinch, black-capped chickadee, brown-headed cowbird, commongrackle, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northerncardinal, pine siskin and purple finch.-

Project Wildbird and other studies have concluded birds are notdependent on bird feeders, which supply 10 to 20 percent of a bird'sdaily energy needs, Horn said. But studies show birds with access tofeeders lay more eggs and fledge more young. In addition, survivalincreases if birds have access to feeders during harsh winterweather, he said.

"Bird feeding is for people who love wild birds, people who likehaving some of nature's most beautiful sights and sounds rightoutside their window. At the same time, there are benefits to thewild bird population as well," Horn said.

The non-profit Wild Bird Feeding Industry Research Foundationfunded Project Wildbird with a $3 million grant to MillikinUniversity. What resulted was probably the single largest study onthe topic ever done in the United States, Horn said.

The army of citizen scientists was enlisted from the Internet,newspaper advertisements and referrals by Audubon chapters. Afterscreening to be certain they knew a house finch from a housesparrow, each received four feeders, four poles, squirrel bafflesand a free supply of 10 kinds of seeds. Each station was given aspecific schedule that included instructions on what kind of seed touse on what days.

Each participant agreed to make regular 45-minute observations atpeak times of feeding activity, record what they saw and forward theinformation to Millikin.

In addition to providing insight about bird feeding, ProjectWildbird underscored the need for a comprehensive clearinghouse ofinformation on the topic. As a result, the National Bird-FeedingSociety, an organization formed in the late 1980s, was reactivated.Horn became director and the Web site www.birdfeeding.org waslaunched. Visit for more information on what seeds to offer, whatkinds of feeders to use and other suggestions to make your feedersmore bird friendly.

---------------------------------------------

Learn more

David Horn, associate professor of biology at Millikin Universityand director of the National Bird-Feeding Society, will speak onBird Seed and Feeder Preferences of Wild Birds in the United Statesand Canada at 7 p.m. Thursday in room C101 of the Center for NaturalSciences at Illinois Wesleyan University.

---------------------------------------------------

Feeding tips

1. Provide birds with a large amount of space for feeding.

2. Keep the birds' feeding area clean of both seed hulls andbird droppings.

3. Purchase feeders that do not have sharp points or edges thatcan cause bleeding or scratches on birds and facilitate thetransmission of disease.

4. Regularly clean your feeders.

5. Store food appropriately and ensure that fresh seed is inyour feeder.