Man Builds Bird Feeder Which Accepts Bottle Caps For Food, And Smart Magpies Use It
Some backyard projects start as a hobby and end up turning into something much stranger. In Hans Forsberg’s case, the experiment involved magpies, bottle caps, and a feeder that paid birds for their trouble.
Hans, who works with robotics and artificial intelligence, noticed the birds on his property were already curious and bold. So he built a machine from scratch and trained the magpies to trade bits of rubbish for food, turning his garden into a tiny recycling station.
It did not take long for the birds to figure out the game, and once they did, the whole setup became even more impressive.
Hans created a dispenser, which is filled with some of the birds' favorite foods. Whenever a piece of rubbish—or a bottle cap, in this case—is placed into the receptacle, it releases one or two pieces of food.
Of course, Hans incorporated a camera to monitor the whole process. He also has detectors hooked up underneath the table to trigger the food dispensation.
The project is actually pretty complicated and much more detailed than what we can explain. It involves vibrating motors and several moving parts, along with a graphic user interface to track the birds' progress.
The setup only works once the birds decide it is worth the effort.
Hans says the first challenge was to get the birds interested in the feeder. He then began feeding them regularly to persuade them to keep visiting him.
Hans says the birds were suspicious every time he made changes to the machine. They were cautious, but the chicks were much braver in participating in his elaborate scheme.
As of now, there is one chick who has figured out how the system works and has been working hard collecting bottle caps to trade for treats. On the other hand, his siblings have been sneaky in discovering how to steal food from the other birds.
The younger birds were apparently the easiest ones to win over.
Hans hopes to move on to more than just bottle caps. He wants to train the birds to pick up cigarette butts, fallen fruit, and other rubbish from his backyard and neighborhood.
Here's how people reacted.
And just like Doug photographing a bald eagle and discovering surprising prey in its talons, Hans’s camera catches the unexpected.
Here's how people reacted.
For more “who knew birds could do that,” check out 50 people sharing unexpected bird nest locations.
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