Bird feeders can be found in backyards around the globe. Some people like to watch as the birds flock to the feeders and peck at the seeds. Others may like the idea that they are offering a service by feeding the local birds in their neighborhood. But do bird feeders help native populations of birds? A recent study suggests that bird feeders may do more harm than good by increasing competition for food. A team of scientists in New Zealand observed that bird feeders may be attracting more invasive, or non-native, birds. They conducted an experiment to see if this observation could be supported with data. The scientists set up 23 bird feeder locations scattered around urban areas. Food in the form of mixed bird seed and bread was offered daily at 11 experiment locations. "Twelve locations were left alone, without food, to serve as a control group. The number of birds that visited each location was counted daily. The study went on for almost two years. After analyzing the data, scientists discovered that the 11 experimental bird feeders attracted two to three times the number of invasive species of birds as the control group feeders. The control group feeders had approximately equal numbers of native and invasive birds visit them. The team of scientists noted that the increase in invasive species may have been due to the food choices that were offered at each feeder. Native birds typically eat fruit, nectar, and insects. Invasive birds were more attracted to the mixed bird seed and bread. The data supported the conclusion that backyard bird feeders were not helping native bird populations and suggested that invasive species are pushing out native species in competition for food.

The team of scientists also noted that they are not suggesting that people stop feeding the birds. They just want people to be aware of the types of food they offer and how often they fill the feeders. Making better choices in backyard feedings may help increase the number of local birds that visit while decreasing visits from invasive species.

Conducting backyard bird feeder experiments is a great way to see which local birds and which invasive birds are in your neighborhood. The more you know about the local bird populations and their food preferences, the better equipped you are to support them in a more positive way.

Question- How did the backyard bird feeders in the article increase competition in that ecosystem? (yes its a lot but 20 points and brainliest to the best answer!)