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The latest observations were conducted on November 17th 2017 at 3:30pm under cloudy skies and a temperature of -8°C.
For the final project, I am planning to focus my attention on the black-billed magpie (Pica hudsonia) in a small area of Heritage park in Edmonton. This species prefers open areas with patches of trees and bushes such as the area I am studying. Black-billed magpies are known to be opportunistic omnivores who do not shy away from human presence.
I will observe the species’ distribution and surrounding environment amongst three different gradients of the area. The first gradient is by a parking lot where a man-made bird feeder is installed and regularly filled. The second gradient is at the entrance of the main hiking trail, where there are many patches of wild rose bushes. Finally, the third gradient is by the pond. The third gradient is the most open area, and it is where the garbage bins are located.
I plan on observing the distribution of the species in each gradient, its behavioural changes from one gradient to the other including nesting, feeding, food caching, etc. Also, I am interested in determining the influence of human presence on the black-billed magpie in the area. My hypothesis is that in this area in specific, human presence is a determining factor of the black-billed magpie’s nesting choice, and that it constitutes the main source of its feeding.
I will choose a fourth gradient within the area selected, a gradient which is not located near a parking lot, or trail, and which does not contain any feeder or any garbage bin. My prediction is that the black-billed magpie distribution in that gradient will be the lowest amongst all four.
One explanatory variable can be the frequency of human presence at each gradient, and response variables would be the black-billed magpie distribution in that gradient. The frequency of human presence is a continuous variable as it is strictly quantitative, e.g. the number of hikers passing by within an hour time frame at each gradient.
Hissan Zulfiqar
