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The Species Richness Of Birds Visiting A Yard Is Influenced By The Feeders/Seeds Present, David Joseph Horn

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Although seed preferences of species that visit bird feeders have been well documented, we know little about feeder/seed combinations most appropriate for attracting highest species richness or increasing abundance of individual species. I studied how the species composition of birds visiting a feeding station was influenced by addition of feeders filled with mixed seed, thistle, and suet in a yard that previously contained only a feeder with sunflower seeds. Addition of a seed mixture consisting of hulled sunflower, hulled peanuts, hulled millet, and hulled "tree" nuts in an elevated platform feeder increased species richness and total number of birds visiting …