Q. 3.180 - Elementary Statistics

Question

Cuckoo Care. Many species of cuckoos are brood parasites. The females lay their eggs in the nests of smaller bird species, who then raise the young cuckoos at the expense of their own young. Data on the lengths, in millimeters ($mm$), of cuckoo eggs found in the nests of three bird species - the Tree Pipit. Hedge Sparrow, and Pied Wagtail - were collected by the late O.M. Latter in $1902$ and used by L.H.C. Tippett in his text The Methods of States (New York Wiley, $1952$. p. $176$). Use the following boxplots to compare the lengths of cuckoo eggs found in nests of the three bird species, paying special attention to center and variation.

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

The variation in cuckoo eggs of the pipit is less than that of sparrow and wagtail.

Step 1: Given information

We need to find out the comparison in the lengths of cuckoo eggs found.

Step 2: Explanation

The whiskers of the boxplot are of low and high value. The box starts at the lower quartile, finishes at the upper quartile, and has a straight line at the median.

The median length of cuckoo eggs in all three boxplots is practically identical, indicating that these three species have the same length of cuckoo eggs.

The difference between sparrow and wagtail cuckoo eggs goes beyond simply recognizing Pipit cuckoo eggs because their boxplots are wider.