Are the Sparrows Really Confused?

As the season changes, the birds also change as well. The white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) species is on its way for annual migration this autumn. You should observe to how the small black, white and grey birds behave during their spring or fall voyages. Scientists say that the birds are becoming a little confused, and the researchers do not know why. A team from the University of Wisconsin in Madison studied the effects of migratory versus non-migratory phases on a group of sparrows in a laboratory setting. During this lab, they were controlling the amount of light the birds were exposed to so that they can compare the four seasons. The birds’ task was to peck for their food. This is being done so that the researchers can see how well the birds could control their own behavior. It would not be good if the birds pecked a button. This means that how well the birds learned not to peck would tell us their ability to control their behavior. The result was that during the spring and autumn, the birds pecked more than they did during the summer and winter. The birds were also getting 60% less sleep during their migration, but researchers didn’t think that this is what caused them to be “impulsive.” They reached a conclusion that the birds are more hyperactive in the spring and autumn, but that changes in light conditions may affect its movement.

This article deals with season changes and how it affects the bird’s movement or migration. Like humans, sparrows have certain behaviors and techniques for getting their own food and shelter. Sparrows and humans can control the things that we do in every day life. Many studies had been performed to learn about sparrows and their migration stages. Sparrows tend to migrate more often in the spring and autumn than they do in the summer or winter because of temperature ranges. Sparrows migrate to other places in search of their own food, shelter, and an environment that would best fit them.

This topic is important for us to know because the sparrows’ migration can affect us in many different ways. It could mean both a positive or negative result for us as humans. If they fly away, farmers may be able to grow more crops and there will not be much “bird poop” anymore. As humans, we do some stuff that are related to the stuff that birds do. For example, we migrate in search of a better life. Also, we migrate to get to an environment that would be easy for us to live in, such as going from the North, where it is colder, to the South, where it is warmer.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/sparrows-pecking-out-of-order.html