Birds love fully covered canopies?!
Find out why on pg. 5
“Chirp, chirp!” states Robin
Secretary Birds are in! Find out the secret to how they slay on pg. 23
By: Madeline Napuli
Robin’s Nesting Advice
How land ecology plays a role in nesting
Land ecology is the study of interactions between ecological processes and spatial patterns present in the environment !
In the case of tree-dwelling birds, land ecology is how they interact with the trees in their environment when choosing to spend their time. How much foliage is present will influence the tree-dwelling birds to decide where they may nest and spend most of their time.
Birds That Are Participating in the “High vs. Low Amounts of Foliage Trend”
Tons of birds have been flocking to this latest trend! Where they spend most of their time to decide what sort of canopy is most suitable to nest at! This includes Robins (Turdus migratorius), Blue Jays (Cyanocitta), Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura), Common Grackles (Qucristataiscalus quiscula), Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), and House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus).
Hypothesis to why birds love lots of foliage coverage: There will be a difference in the amount birds present between high densely foliage trees and low densely foliage trees because foliage acts as a protectant from dangerous elements in the environment.
How to observe the trend in real time
LET’S WATCH
What you need to do:
• Obtain binoculars
• Obtain a densiometer
• Stand 70 ft away from tree you choose to observe
• Take notes on how many birds appear on the tree
• Calculate foliage percentage
• Repeat this for total of five 30-minute sessions (at Holmes Lake and Pioneers Park)
RESULTS ARE IN…
Tree-dwelling birds LOVE highly dense foliage!
WHATDOESTHISMEAN…?
Birds find highly covered trees to be a better suitable home due to the canopy acting a protectant from harsh weather and predators! Interactions between a tree’s canopy and birds nesting habits display how land ecology works. This study can be used in determining what types of trees can be used if trying to bring in more bird biodiversity to an area.
