1. A comparison of foraging behavior of tufted titmice and chickadees By Fred Singer

2. Hypotheses Tufted titmice spend longer at the feeder than chickadees. Tufted titmice open up seeds more quickly than chickadees. Tufted titmice fly to branches to locations nearer the feeder when they are processing their seeds.

3. Tufted titmouse

4. Black-capped chickadee

5. Methods Research in Radford University alumni gardens Feeders with colored perches Focal animal sampling

6. Methods continued Time at feeder measured with stopwatch Determination of time to open seeds Problems and solutions Measurement of distance birds fly Problems and solutions

7. Results 23 observations of tufted titmice 11 observations of chickadees 77 minutes of observations

8. Mean time at feeder

9. Seed Handling Time

10. Distance to feeding perch

11. Conclusions Chickadees and Tufted titmice spend ca. equal time at a feeder Chickadees handle seeds more quickly than titmice Chickadees fly similar distances after grabbing a seed

12. Problems and issues Birds would fly away after grabbing seeds Small sample size It was difficult to keep birds in view, and to decide when they were done handling a seed

13. Ideas for future studies Use sunflower seeds of somewhat different sizes to see if each bird species has a preferred size range See if behavior changes when other birds are around

14. Grading Criteria 1 point - Title/names of researchers 2 points - Clear statement of question/hypotheses 4 points - Methods are clearly stated and appropriate for answering question 6 points - Results are clear and corrects including statistical analyses 4 points - Conclusions are valid, point out problems, and identify ideas for further exploration 4 points - Quality of organization and layout 3 points - Artistic appeal 4 points - Presentation is polished with all researchers participating