Biology · Level 2 · Intermediate
Effects of supplementary feeding on interspecific dominance hierarchies in garden birds
Francis ML, Plummer KE, Lythgoe BA, et al. (2018). PLOS ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0202152 · CC BY 4.0
Step 1 of 2Read the paper
When many bird species share a garden feeder, who gets the best food? Over 29 winter days the researchers watched ten small bird species at three paired feeders, one with easy-to-eat sunflower hearts and one with whole seeds. They recorded who displaced whom to build a pecking order, then tested whether body mass predicts rank and whether rank affects food choice and feeding behaviour.
How to read it
- The last paragraph of the Introduction lists three hypotheses; keep them in mind as you read each Results section.
- Table 1 gives each species’ body mass and dominance rank. Remember that rank 1 is the MOST dominant.
- Figures 1–3 reverse the rank axis so that "up" or "right" means more dominant; read the captions first.
- In Statistical analyses, notice why site was treated as a random factor and why a phylogenetic model was added.
Step 2 of 2Take the test
15 questions · about 40 minutes including reading · pick an answer to see straight away if it’s right. Nothing is saved.
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Paper: Francis ML, Plummer KE, Lythgoe BA, et al., PLOS ONE (2018), licensed CC BY 4.0. Summary and questions are Research Nest’s own; read the original for the full study.