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Feeder Habituation Question
- To: List - Carolina Birds <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
- Subject: Feeder Habituation Question
- From: Anne Lurie <ALURIE@nc.rr.com>
- Date: Sun, 17 Mar 2002 19:10:02 -0500
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
I'm not sure this is exactly a question, or just an observation, but:
I always heard Rufuous-Sided Towhees in the "woodsy" strip separating a
corner of my acre lot from property behind me (some of which may still
be undeveloped for all I know), but I rarely saw them.
However, after the January snowfall, they joined the usual assorted
sparrows in foraging under my bird feeders and feeding on the seed that
I put out under my deck. As I recall, at one point, I saw 6 or 7 of
them at once, although an exact count was difficult because they were
the first birds to "scoot" under the deck when startled -- also, I was
never sure whether the Towhees foraging under the bushes on the other
side of my house were separate birds that had been there at the same
time, or if the birds simply worked their way around the house (although
I never saw them on either side of the house, just "in front" or "out
back.")
Now, 2 months later, I still see 1 or 2 nearly every day under my
feeders, mostly a male. (Even when I don't see them, I hear them
calling all day long.)
My question: Assuming that the "feeder" towhees are nesting nearby, are
they likely to bring their offspring to the feeder area? And, will the
offspring then become "habituated" to feeders? By "habituated" (surely
the wrong word), I do not mean to imply *dependence* in any way, rather
a willingness to venture out of the woods into a backyard.
Anne Lurie
Raleigh, NC
alurie@nc.rr.com