Table 1 The variables analyzed in experiments regarding landing, time allocation, and food exploitation. Variable abbreviations are in parentheses

 First landing latency (FLL)

The duration between an entry into the aviary and the first landing of a sparrow on the ground.

 Exploration time (ET)

The duration of a sparrow spent on the ground before the first patch discovery.

 Exploring-feeding time (EFT)

The duration of a sparrow spent on the ground after the first patch discovery.

 Food consumption (FC)

Amount of feed consumed by a sparrow.

 Ground-feeding rate (GFR)

Amount of feed consumed by a sparrow per second on the ground [FC/(ET + EFT)].

 Food consumption as finder (FCF)

Proportion (%) of feed consumed by a sparrow via active patch discovery.