Storks at the Nest: A Seasonal Survival Model

Overview of the Simulation

The 'Storks at the Nest' simulation provides an engaging and educational glimpse into the lives of storks, focusing on their survival strategies throughout different seasons. This 2D village scene models a parent's hunting trips to a nearby frog pond, the chick's hunger cycles, and the overall growth and development through the changing seasons.

By adjusting various parameters such as season, time of day, wind conditions, and the number of frogs in the pond, learners can observe how these factors influence the storks' survival. The simulation also allows users to interact directly with the chick by clicking on it to make it beg for food.

Key Biological Concepts

The model captures essential biological concepts such as resource availability, parental care, and environmental factors affecting survival. For instance, the number of frogs in the pond directly influences the parent stork's hunting success rate, which is crucial for chick nutrition.

Seasonal changes affect both the availability of food resources and the overall health of the chicks. In winter, when fewer frogs are available, the parents must work harder to find enough food, impacting the chicks' growth rates.

Environmental Factors

Wind conditions in the simulation can simulate real-world weather patterns that affect a stork's ability to hunt and fly. Strong winds may make it more difficult for parents to locate frogs, while also potentially affecting the chicks' comfort and growth.

The time of day is another critical factor as it influences both the availability of food and the energy levels of the storks. Parents are most active during daylight hours when they can hunt more efficiently.

Seasonal Migration

Autumn migration in the simulation represents a significant challenge for the stork family, as it requires them to prepare for long journeys while ensuring their chicks are ready. This involves balancing food intake and energy expenditure to maintain health during the migration period.

The model helps illustrate how environmental cues trigger migratory behavior, such as changes in day length and temperature, which signal to the parents when it's time to start preparing for the journey.

Frequently asked questions

Try it live

Everything above runs in your browser — open Storks at the Nest: 2D Village Scene and change the parameters while it is running. Nothing is installed, nothing is uploaded, the whole model lives in one tab.