Bird Feeder Project at the Smithsonian.
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The Build-It-Yourself Bird Feeder project was selected for an exhibit titled, "Playful Inventions" opening at the Smithsonian Museum in July 2002 and then traveling to six museums around the country.

Mission:
To study birds.

Background:
Birds are an important part of our history.

  • They have inspired humans to build flying machines.
  • They symbolize freedom.
  • They are an important source of food.
Objectives:
We want to know ...
  • What kind of food do they prefer?
  • Do they like the Bird or Mozart?
  • Who's the fattest pigeon in town?
  • Do they have favorite colors?
  • What time of day do they get hungry?
Procedure:
We will build a Bird Behavior Station. We will detect when a bird lands and trigger a camera to take a picture. We will vary conditions such as food, music, and color to find out what makes a bird happy.

See the bird feeder in action.
Overview Video
Amy explains the bird controller
Amy explains the camera controller

Construction Tips and Pictures
Program Control
Lab Book Entries
Photo Results
Project Team


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Build-It-Yourself, 426 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138 Tel: (617) 547-9705 Email