This is Bird Note.

Bird Featers full of seeds or suet can spark non-stop action.

Chickadees flitter in and out.

Finches expertly crack one seed after another, while nut hatches stab at Sueet.

Jay's, doves, woodpeckers, and sparrows all join the flurry.

Where seed lies scattered on the ground, dozens of birds hopped, peck, shuffle, and flick their wings and tails.

This might bring to mind a neighborly picnic, but it's not quite as friendly.

At any given moment,

there's a distinct hierarchy in effect. A blackbird brusquely takes over a finch's perch at the feeder.

Junkos scratching on the ground jump out of the way when a J land's near them. Even among juncos,

adults oust youngans from prime feeding spots.

Simply put, more dominant birds are able to displace lower-ranking birds.

Carnell's lab of ornithology has created relative dominance scores for birds that visit feeders.

The scale is based on observations people have made at their backyard feeders. In general,

bigger birds rank higher, but not always. A pint-sized downy woodpecker can eject some larger birds from the feeder. Is it because woodpeckers have especially spiky bills and powerful claws?

Feisty small birds, like warblers and hummingbirds,

tiny dominators often chase off weight of your species. So the next time you're watching a bird

feeder, try to figure out who's in charge. For Bird Note, I'm Mary McCann.