AN ANALYSIS OF BLACKBIRD FLOCK FEEDING BEHAVIOR

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Abstract
Field and sweet corn crop sites were examined for damage caused by red-winged blackbirds in southwestern Ontario during the summer of 1964 and the results have been interpreted in view of bird activity. Three transects were made to assess field corn damage and these data showed high corn damage near marsh roosts with sporadic damage and reduced levels away from the roosts. Information from two sweet corn fields indicated that birds did not feed randomly within each field. Data from the field corn samples supported this observation and a logarithmic relationship between the number of ears damaged and the amount of food consumed was established. Thus it is suggested that once a flock of birds established a feeding site there was a tendency toward faithfulness to this feeding area as long as the flock remained in the locality.

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