Frequently Asked Questions

Are we counting birds near the feeder, but not on the feeder?

Yes. If the birds are visible you should count them. If the birds are behind leaves that are behind more leaves, then don't count them.

I can't tell what species the bird is!

Give it your best guess as to what species you think it is! If some of the species identifications are wrong, that's okay. We'll work with the best data we can get. You can also use the two filters we created (Size, Color #1, Color #2) to help narrow down the options.

What is a displacement?

A displacement is when one bird ("the source") actively takes over the perch or food of another bird ("the target"), either by chasing off or flying at the target. A displacement is considered successful when the source is able to dislodge the target. Some clips will have one displacement while others will have many.

What if there are multiple individuals?

More than two individuals can be at the feeder, but the displacement event we are interested in is only between two individuals. It can be hard to interpret what is going on and how group numbers are influencing a displacement for interactions with more than two individuals. Also, keep in mind we aren't interested in what can be considered "accidental" displacements in which a bird flies to the feeder suddenly, scaring off all of the birds that were there. Only note obvious displacements that are between two individuals.

What if the species involved in a displacement are the same?

That counts. We want to record displacements that happen between individuals of different species as well as the same species.

What if I see other types of interactions?

Displacements are one of many interactions you may notice at the feeders. If you want to record other things you see besides displacements, click "Done & Talk" to comment on the clip using one of the project's official keywords.

What if the video clip starts or stops "mid-displacement"?

Don't record the displacement if it starts mid-displacement. It might not be a displacement at all and instead another type of aggressive interaction.
Record the displacement if it stops mid-displacement, though! We can still document that a displacement happened, but we won't know the finer details of success since we can't know how the displacement would have played out. This clip is an example of a clip that starts "mid-displacement."

Who's that in the video?

The staff from the Canopy Lodge, where the feeder is located. They restock the feeder about every two hours with food and fruit each day.

When and where are these video clips from?

We cut these video clips from recorded footage from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Panama Fruit Feeder cam. The camera is located on the grounds of the Canopy Lodge in El Valle de Antón, Panama. The video clips are from three days in February 2020 and five days in February-March 2018.

What if the video clip isn't playing?

This has happened to a handful of people and we aren't sure what's causing it. If the clip doesn't move (effectively is a "still" picture), click "Done&Talk" and comment on it using #still. If the video player isn't there or the play button doesn't work (ex: a gray box), then click "refresh" in your internet browser. Also make sure your internet browser is up-to-date. You can also try another internet browser.

Other questions?

If your question isn't here, head over to the Talk forum. There you can pose your question to the community and the research team. If you have a question specific to a clip, click "Done & Talk" after your classification.

Want to get more involved?

Battling Birds: Panama Edition is an investigation that is part of a larger project that the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is co-developing with viewers called the Birds Cams Lab. Join Bird Cams Lab and co-create with us! Sign up today.