Food fight

This graphic appeared in the March 2024 issue of National Geographic magazine. It received an Award of Excellence from the Society for News Design.

Interactions between birds at a feeder may look chaotic, but there is a method to the madness. Using data collected by approximately 9,500 citizen scientists participating in Project FeederWatch, this graphic illustrates the hierarchy of social dominance that governs everything from food access to perch position.

Explore the interactive online version of this graphic (which may be behind a paywall) and play the game to discover which birds dominate feeders in North America.