News & Events
Search for Local Events!
Staff & Bird Store Videos
Meet our franchisees and staff here!
Exclusive Bird Supplies
A Word from Dr. Horn
DAVID J. HORN, Ph.D
Director of Research
Dear Wild Bird Center customer:
My name is David Horn, and I am the Director of Research at Wild Bird Centers of America, Inc. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself, and describe my role in providing you with the most current, scientifically sound, advice on feeding wild birds.
The first thing you should know about me is that I love birds, and have been feeding birds since I was a teenager. Whether I was at my parent's home, a dormitory, or my home, a bird feeder has always been close by. I have also been affiliated with Wild Bird Centers for about as long as I have been feeding birds. It was around the time that I became interested in birds that I met George Petrides, Founder and President of Wild Bird Centers, at the first Wild Bird Center in Cabin John, Maryland. George introduced me to Dr. Al Geis, the company's first research director who conducted pioneering work in seed preferences. George and Al fostered my love for birds and science, and I have been studying bird feeding ever since.
Currently, I am an Assistant Professor of Biology at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. My favorite course to teach is a research in biology course, where during winter around ten students conduct research projects on bird feeding. For example, my students were recently hard at work studying whether the color of a feeder influences the number of birds that visit the feeder, and how tube width influences seed consumption by birds. Results from this research is presented at scientific meetings and submitted for publication. Most importantly, research results are distributed to your local Wild Bird Center. For example, information about a recent study "Bird abundance at feeders increases with decreasing distance to cover and increasing distance from housing" can be found at most stores in a colorful, easy-to-read poster format. These studies found that more birds and species visited feeders 0 meters from cover compared to 7.5 meters from cover, and more birds and species visited feeders 8 meters from a house compared to 2 meters.
The Wild Bird Centers of America, Inc. has been in the forefront of wild bird feeding research since its inception in 1985. I am very excited to be carrying on the tradition of excellence set by Dr. Geis by examining the factors that contribute to a highly successful feeding experience for you, the Wild Bird Center customer. Look for my column in the Wild Bird News, I will be keeping you informed of the latest research findings derived from Wild Bird Centers of America studies. I will also be asking for your help in documenting the birds visiting your feeders, and I am always looking for a core of dedicated volunteers who would be interested in conducting an experiment or two.
Happy feeding!
Sincerely,
David J. Horn