Research Manuscripts
Benefiting the hobby of backyard wild bird feeding.
Research Manuscripts
Effects of Bird-Feeding Activities on the Health of Wild Birds
From spring 2011 to spring 2014, WBFI and its members funded this study at Millikin University. The study was conducted by Dr. David Horn and Dr. Travis Wilcoxen. The study found that the individual health of birds improved with supplemental feeding. There were also some negative impacts found, including an increase in infectious diseases. The general conclusion noted in the manuscript is that, "...in general, birds that had access to supplemental food were in better physiological condition. Moreover, the negative effects ... may be mitigated by hobbyists engaging in safer bird-feeding practices."
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| Feeding Effects Manuscripts |
Project Wildbird (R)
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Launched in 2005 and completed in 2008, PROJECT WILDBIRD was the first comprehensive study of the feed and feeder preferences of the wild birds who use bird feeders. WBFI members and WBFI companies, along with the Kaytee Avian Foundation, strongly supported this study through contributions of cash and in-kind feed and equipment. By the time the study completed in 2008, over $1 million had been invested in this study by people and companies in the US and Canada.
Citizen scientists from the US and Canada participated. The result is 1 million lines of data. Below are the summary files from Dr. David Horn, Millikin University, following the conclusion of the research. Dr. Horn presented these files at the November 2009 WBFI Annual Meeting. WBFI members may use these files as needed, with appropriate credit to the WBFI Research Foundation, Dr. Horn and Millikin University. |
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The acceptance of the researcher's findings by his or her peers is demonstrated through the publication of the research results in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Dr. David Horn and the Foundation have this demonstration of acceptance for two manuscripts submitted by Dr. Horn to peer reviewed journals. The following 2 files are provided to WBFI members and may not be shared outside of the WBFI because the journal publishing the manuscripts sells the manuscripts.
From 2009 until 2015, the Foundation maintained a PROJECT WILDBIRD(R) database query tool for WBFI members and consumers. That tool has now been retired, along with the PROJECT WILDBIRD(R) website. |
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