How to Do a Backyard Bird Feeder Science Fair Project

If you have a yard you can do a science fair project to see how many birds visit your birdfeeders. Of course, you have to do some advance planning and you have to make a hypothesis, a guess about which bird feeder and which kind of food will attract the most birds. Then you have to keep records, analyze the data, and create a display. This experiment can be fun for everyone who lives in your house.

Things You'll Need

• 3 Bird feeders
• 3 Different kinds of bird food
• 1 Bird observation chart
• 1 Science fair display board
• 1 Camera with film or digital
• Markers
• Glue
• Spiral notebook
• 3 Plastic baggies

Instructions

1. Prepare to do the experiment by setting out three bird feeders in the yard. Make sure you can see them all from a window inside the house since you will have to watch without startling the birds. Place the same amount of food in each feeder but make each feeder always contain the same kind of food for the whole time you are doing the science fair project. Number the feeders so that it will be easy to keep track of what happens. Perhaps feeder number one will contain sunflower seeds, feeder number two may contain thistle seeds, and feeder number three may contain a commercially mixed bird food preparation. Take pictures of the bird feeders for your display.

2. Predict which feeder will attract the most birds. Write down the prediction in your notebook. This is your hypothesis. You should write any observations in your notebook although you will also have an observation log to keep a count of all the birds who come to your yard.

3. Create a bird observation log using a spreadsheet or a chart. Label the columns on the top of the chart so that there is a split column for each of the three feeders. Each split column should have one side for morning observations and the other side for afternoon observations. With the column on the far left included, there will be seven columns on the chart. The rows are for the dates during the observation period--which should be at least one week long. You will use tally marks to show how many birds were at each feeder.

4. Analyze the data. On which day did you see the most birds? Which feeder attracted the most birds? Was your prediction (hypothesis) correct? Write a report about what you observed, thought, and recorded. Take some more pictures. Put some samples of the actual bird seed from each feeder in a baggie that you can attach to your display for the science fair.

5. Glue the pictures, sample food, your observation log and any other visual information on the display board. Make a pretty cover for the report. Label everything with neat captions and make sure that everything is spelled correctly. Try to win a ribbon or a prize.