On fearfulness and patterns of bird urbanisation in an Australian metropolis

10.7287/peerj.preprints.1417 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Lawrence E Conole

Keyword(s):

Explanatory Power ◽

Bird Species ◽

Predictive Ability ◽

Landscape Scale ◽

Bird Flight ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Behavioural Factors ◽

Urban Exploiter ◽

Acting In Concert ◽

Flight Initiation

I have utilised an assemblage of 91 bird species, their urban tolerance status objectively classified, with data on bird flight initiation distance (FID), to test questions of the importance of birds’ fearfulness of humans in determining urban tolerance or intolerance in the metropolis of Melbourne, Australia. While several studies have shown that mean FID for bird species (mFID) differs between rural and urban populations of bird species, stronger predictive ability is shown by variability in FID (cvFID) in modelling urban invasiveness. I test two hypotheses. Firstly, that mFID will be shorter in urban exploiter bird species than urban adapters and avoiders. Secondly that cvFID is positively correlated with bird incidence at the landscape scale in Melbourne. Relatively weak explanatory power of cvFID found in this study suggest that environmental and behavioural factors acting in concert better explain the urban tolerance of bird species and assemblages, rather than fearfulness alone.

Download Full-text

Habitat-of-origin predicts degree of adaptation in urban tolerant birds

10.7287/peerj.preprints.156v2 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Lawrence E Conole

Keyword(s):

Bird Species ◽

Landscape Scale ◽

Predictor Variables ◽

Indirect Inference ◽

Behavioural Ecology ◽

Urban Rural ◽

Direct Data ◽

Urban Bird ◽

Similar Kind ◽

Urban Exploiter

Urban exploiters and adapters are often coalesced under a term of convenience as ‘urban tolerant’. This useful but simplistic characterisation masks a more nuanced interplay between and within assemblages of birds that are more or less well adapted to a range of urban habitats. Furthermore, cues are generally sought in behavioural ecology and physiology for the degree to which particular bird species are predisposed to urban living. The data in this paper are focused on two assemblages characterised as urban exploiters and suburban adapters from Melbourne, Australia. This study departs from the approach taken in many others of similar kind in that urban bird assemblages that form the basis of the work were identified at the landscape scale and from direct data analyses rather than indirect inference. Further, this paper employs a paired, partitioned analysis of exploiter and adapter preferences for points along the urban-rural gradient that seeks to decompose the overall trend into diagnosable parts for each assemblage. In the present paper I test the hypotheses that the distinct urban exploiter and suburban adapter assemblages within the broad urban tolerant grouping in Melbourne vary in their responses within the larger group to predictor variables, and that the most explanatory predictor variables vary between the two assemblages. In the end, habitat-of-origin better predicts degree of adaptation amongst urban tolerant birds.

Download Full-text

Habitat-of-origin predicts degree of adaptation in urban tolerant birds

10.7287/peerj.preprints.156v3 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Lawrence E Conole

Keyword(s):

Bird Species ◽

Landscape Scale ◽

Predictor Variables ◽

Indirect Inference ◽

Behavioural Ecology ◽

Urban Rural ◽

Direct Data ◽

Urban Bird ◽

Similar Kind ◽

Urban Exploiter

Urban exploiters and adapters are often coalesced under a term of convenience as ‘urban tolerant’. This useful but simplistic characterisation masks a more nuanced interplay between and within assemblages of birds that are more or less well adapted to a range of urban habitats. Furthermore, cues are generally sought in behavioural ecology and physiology for the degree to which particular bird species are predisposed to urban living. The data in this paper are focused on two assemblages characterised as urban exploiters and suburban adapters from Melbourne, Australia. This study departs from the approach taken in many others of similar kind in that urban bird assemblages that form the basis of the work were identified at the landscape scale and from direct data analyses rather than indirect inference. Further, this paper employs a paired, partitioned analysis of exploiter and adapter preferences for points along the urban-rural gradient that seeks to decompose the overall trend into diagnosable parts for each assemblage. In the present paper I test the hypotheses that the distinct urban exploiter and suburban adapter assemblages within the broad urban tolerant grouping in Melbourne vary in their responses within the larger group to predictor variables, and that the most explanatory predictor variables vary between the two assemblages. In the end, habitat-of-origin better predicts degree of adaptation amongst urban tolerant birds.

Download Full-text

Habitat-of-origin predicts degree of adaptation in urban tolerant birds

10.7287/peerj.preprints.156v1 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Lawrence E Conole

Keyword(s):

Bird Species ◽

Landscape Scale ◽

Predictor Variables ◽

Indirect Inference ◽

Behavioural Ecology ◽

Urban Rural ◽

Direct Data ◽

Urban Bird ◽

Similar Kind ◽

Urban Exploiter

Urban exploiters and adapters are often coalesced under a term of convenience as ‘urban tolerant’. This useful but simplistic characterisation masks a more nuanced interplay between and within assemblages of birds that are more or less well adapted to a range of urban habitats. Furthermore, cues are generally sought in behavioural ecology and physiology for the degree to which particular bird species are predisposed to urban living. The data in this paper are focused on two assemblages characterised as urban exploiters and suburban adapters from Melbourne, Australia. This study departs from the approach taken in many others of similar kind in that urban bird assemblages that form the basis of the work were identified at the landscape scale and from direct data analyses rather than indirect inference. Further, this paper employs a paired, partitioned analysis of exploiter and adapter preferences for points along the urban-rural gradient that seeks to decompose the overall trend into diagnosable parts for each assemblage. In the present paper I test the hypotheses that the distinct urban exploiter and suburban adapter assemblages within the broad urban tolerant grouping in Melbourne vary in their responses within the larger group to predictor variables, and that the most explanatory predictor variables vary between the two assemblages. In the end, habitat-of-origin better predicts degree of adaptation amongst urban tolerant birds.

Download Full-text

Habitat-of-origin predicts degree of adaptation in urban tolerant birds

10.7287/peerj.preprints.156 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Lawrence E Conole

Keyword(s):

Bird Species ◽

Landscape Scale ◽

Predictor Variables ◽

Indirect Inference ◽

Behavioural Ecology ◽

Urban Rural ◽

Direct Data ◽

Urban Bird ◽

Similar Kind ◽

Urban Exploiter

Urban exploiters and adapters are often coalesced under a term of convenience as ‘urban tolerant’. This useful but simplistic characterisation masks a more nuanced interplay between and within assemblages of birds that are more or less well adapted to a range of urban habitats. Furthermore, cues are generally sought in behavioural ecology and physiology for the degree to which particular bird species are predisposed to urban living. The data in this paper are focused on two assemblages characterised as urban exploiters and suburban adapters from Melbourne, Australia. This study departs from the approach taken in many others of similar kind in that urban bird assemblages that form the basis of the work were identified at the landscape scale and from direct data analyses rather than indirect inference. Further, this paper employs a paired, partitioned analysis of exploiter and adapter preferences for points along the urban-rural gradient that seeks to decompose the overall trend into diagnosable parts for each assemblage. In the present paper I test the hypotheses that the distinct urban exploiter and suburban adapter assemblages within the broad urban tolerant grouping in Melbourne vary in their responses within the larger group to predictor variables, and that the most explanatory predictor variables vary between the two assemblages. In the end, habitat-of-origin better predicts degree of adaptation amongst urban tolerant birds.

Download Full-text

Database of Bird Flight Initiation Distances to Assist in Estimating Effects from Human Disturbance and Delineating Buffer Areas

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management ◽

10.3996/082015-jfwm-078 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 181-191 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Kent B. Livezey ◽

Esteban Fernández-Juricic ◽

Daniel T. Blumstein

Keyword(s):

Human Activity ◽

Land Management ◽

Human Disturbance ◽

Human Activities ◽

Escape Behavior ◽

Bird Species ◽

State Agencies ◽

Bird Flight ◽

Fish And Wildlife Service ◽

Flight Initiation

Abstract U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists determine effects from disturbance to threatened and endangered bird species, and staffs of federal and state agencies estimate these effects when delineating protective buffers around habitat of bird species of concern on land management areas. These efforts can be informed by the distances at which human activities cause birds to react or move away. To that end, here we present a database of published alert distances (distances at which birds exposed to an approaching human activity exhibit alert behavior), flight initiation distances (distances at which birds exposed to an approaching human activity initiate escape behavior), and minimum approach distances (distances at which humans should be separated from wildlife). The database distinguishes between nesting and nonnesting situations. The nesting database includes 578 alert distances and 2,177 flight initiation distances from 45 studies representing 11 orders, 27 families, and 49 species of birds. The nonnesting database comprises 1,419 alert distances and 34,775 flight initiation distances from 50 studies representing 19 orders, 89 families, and 650 species.

Download Full-text

Shyer and larger bird species show more reduced fear of humans when living in urban environments

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2017.0730 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 20170730 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Javier delBarco-Trillo

Keyword(s):

Bird Species ◽

Generalized Least Squares ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Phenotypic Traits ◽

Flight Initiation Distance ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Urban Populations ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Consistent Response ◽

Flight Initiation

As the natural habitats of many species are degraded or disappear, there is scope for these species to be established in urban habitats. To ease the establishment and maintenance of urban populations of more species we need to better understand what degree of phenotypical change to expect as different species transition into urban environments. During the first stages of urban colonization, behavioural changes such as an increase in boldness are particularly important. A consistent response in urban populations is to decrease the distance at which individuals flee from an approaching human (flight initiation distance, or FID). Performing a phylogenetic generalized least-squares (PGLS) analysis on 130 avian species, I found that the largest changes in FID between rural and urban populations occur in species that are larger-bodied and naturally shy (higher rural FID), two phenotypic traits that are not normally associated with urban colonizers. More unlikely species may thus be able to colonize urban environments, especially if we design cities in ways that promote such urban colonizations.

Download Full-text

Diversity, status and habitat usage of avifauna at sadar upazila, magura, Bangladesh

Bangladesh Journal of Zoology ◽

10.3329/bjz.v48i2.52434 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 441-456

Author(s):

Ashikur Rahman Shome ◽

Md Mahabub Alam ◽

Md Fazle Rabbe ◽

Mohammad Mijanur Rahman ◽

Mohammad Firoj Jaman

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Winter Season ◽

Bird Species ◽

Diversity Indices ◽

Habitat Diversity ◽

Seasonal Abundance ◽

Line Transect ◽

Common Myna ◽

Rural And Urban

A study on diversity, status, and habitat preference of avifauna was conducted from November 2017 to October 2018 in Magura Sadar upazila, Magura. Data was collected through direct field observations using line-transect method. Field surveys were made for three days per month in both rural and urban sites. A total of 140 species of birds belonged to 18 orders and 48 families were reported. Among the total species, 55% (77 species) were non-passerines and 45% (63 species) passerines with the highest individuals were counted under order Passeriformes. Resident bird species were dominant (106 species, 75.71%) over migratory (34 species, 24.28%) species. Species richness was the highest in the rural areas (124 species, 88.57%) and occurrence was the highest in winter season (97 species, 69.29%). The maximum species were recorded from trees (87 species, 62.14%) as preferred habitat. In this study, in total 4,060 individuals of birds were counted and among them, 51.55% (n=2093) were observed in the rural areas and 48.45% (n=1967) were in the urban areas. The highest number of birds was found in December (10.34%, n=432) and seasonal abundance was the highest in winter (40.15%, n=1630). Abundance was the highest for Common Myna (5.76%, n=234) among all recorded species. Diversity indices showed that the bird species were the most diverse in the rural areas in the winter season and in July. Habitat diversity indices were the highest for trees and birds used different types of habitats at different times for roosting, breeding and feeding. Regarding the observation status, 29.28% species was very common, 4.28% common, 31.42% fairly common, and 35% were few. This baseline data indicate that this study site is significant from the ecological and conservation point of views. Therefore, further research is necessary to understand how this avian diversity is maintained in this ecological setting. Bangladesh J. Zool. 48(2): 441-456, 2020

Download Full-text

Anti-predator behavior along elevational and latitudinal gradients in dark-eyed juncos

Current Zoology ◽

10.1093/cz/zoz046 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 66 (3) ◽

pp. 239-245 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Madelin Andrade ◽

Daniel T Blumstein

Keyword(s):

Human Impacts ◽

Bird Species ◽

Passerine Bird ◽

Latitudinal Gradients ◽

Junco Hyemalis ◽

Predator Density ◽

Elevational Gradients ◽

Main Driver ◽

Flight Initiation ◽

Predator Behavior

Abstract Flight-initiation distance (FID), the distance between an individual and experimenter when it begins to flee, can be used to quantify risk-assessment. Among other factors, prior studies have shown that latitude explains significant variation in avian FID: at lower latitudes, individuals and species have longer FIDs than those living at higher latitudes. No prior studies have focused on the effect of elevation on FID. Given the similar patterns of seasonality, climate, and potentially predator density, that covary between latitude and elevation, birds at higher elevations might tolerate closer approaches. We asked whether elevation or latitude would explain more variation in the FID of a common passerine bird species, dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). Juncos live in a variety of habitats along both latitudinal and elevational gradients. We found that statistical models containing elevation as a variable explained more of the variation in FID than did models containing latitude. We also found, unexpectedly, that birds at higher elevation fled at greater distances. While more predators were sighted per hour at higher elevations than at lower elevations, the frequency of predator sightings did not explain a significant amount of variation in FID. This result questions whether predator density is the main driver of risk perception along elevational gradients. Nonetheless, because elevation explains more variation in FID than latitude in at least one species, these findings have direct implications on how human impacts on birds are managed. Specifically, those designing set-back zones to reduce human impact on birds may consider modifying them based on both latitude and elevation.

Download Full-text