Food fight

This graphic was part of the March 2024 issue of National Geographic magazine.

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

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