User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
I have been observing backyard birds in my observation area including robins, blue jays and cardinals. I’ve noticed that the distribution of birds in the backyard is inconsistent on certain days. On some days there are many birds that can be heard singing in the trees, there is a lot of activity and they can be seen throughout the backyard grazing/foraging. There does appear to be more activity on days when the weather is warmer. On cool/rainy days bird activity is less.
I hypothesize that bird activity is busier on days when the temperatures are between 10-15 degrees celcius. Bird activity will be decreased when temperatures are above or below this temperature gradient.
The response variable in this study is bird activity/presence in the backyard. This variable is classified as categorical. One potential explanatory variable is temperature. Another potential explanatory variable is rain. Both of these variables are classified as continuous.
O’Connor, R. and Hicks, R. (1980). The Influence of Weather Conditions on the Detection of Birds During Common Birds Census Fieldwork. Bird Study. 27:3, pp. 137-151, doi: 10.1080/00063658009476672. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00063658009476672
