Black-capped Chickadees are a very common wintering avian species in my region. My research project is based on observing the feeding behaviours of this bird species. Key factors that may affect the bird’s behaviour include the importance of conserving their energy in the cold winter months for survival. Additionally, birds may adapt their behaviour to reduce their risk of predation from hawks, cats and coyotes. I hypothesize that Black-capped Chickadees will show a preference for the bird feeder closer to a protective area, as it reduces energy to obtain the feed and reduces the risk of predation. I measured this by setting up two bird feeders at different distances from a protective area. One father from a protective area and one closer. Visual observations of the Black-capped Chickadee feeding behaviour at each feeder have been recorded. Ecological processes this hypothesis may touch on are foraging efficiency, energy conservation, habitat selection and predation avoidance. However, there could be many more.
Keywords:
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Feeding behaviour
- Winter ecology
- Avian
- Habitat selection