Last week we brought you a bald eagle in Manhattan, this week we present you with a woodpecker found in Union Square Park in NYC. Urban birders win again! Parks are a great refuge for many organisms that find themselves living inside the big cities. Check out the other animals found near Union Square Park.... Continue Reading →
Cities’ Shrinking Gene Pools
PDF version of infographic Download Full paper here: Schmidt, C., Domaratzki, M., Kinnunen, R. P., Bowman, J., & Garroway, C. J. (2020). Continent-wide effects of urbanization on bird and mammal genetic diversity. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 287(1920), 20192497. doi:10.1098/rspb.2019.2497
Urban Observation of the Week: Bald Eagle in Manhattan
Thanks to the collective efforts of urban birders, we have been able to bring a suite of urban observations of birds. Here is the majestic bald eagle, hanging out in a tree in the East River Park of Manhattan, NY. Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What... Continue Reading →
Urbanization has Varying Effects on the Population Structure of Six Bird Species in Singapore
Urban areas are known to be prone to habitat fragmentation. We've seen the intense urbanization in New York City lead to the rapid divergence of mouse populations and the subdivision of bobcats in Los Angeles. But the adverse effects of habitat fragmentation are difficult to quantify given that they differ based on the ability of... Continue Reading →
Urban Observation of the Week: Canoe Plants
Throughout the city of Toronto, there are a number of old canoes that have been repurposed as pots to grow plants. In fact, several have milkweed planted in them to help local pollinators. Now that we are in the middle of winter, only the stems remain. Can you identify what was planted in this canoe?... Continue Reading →
Urbanization and Zoonotic Disease
The Wuhan novel coronavirus is dominating the news, with reports of thousands infected and new cases reported worldwide every day. Are we at the verge of a pandemic? That's not a question I'm equipped to answer, and I encourage our readers to follow all advice from the CDC and WHO regarding the spread of the... Continue Reading →
Urban Observation of the Week: Elephant Seals
It is breeding season for Northern Elephant Seals (Mirounga angustirostris) which means elephant seals are coming onshore to give birth and mate. Because elephant seal breeding grounds are also popular destinations for humans seeking to observe this once nearly extinct marine mammal, precautions are needed to ensure the safety of both the humans and the... Continue Reading →
The Urban Island: Landscape Genetics of Red Foxes in Berlin
Urbanization can impact wildlife in different ways, depending on the organism and how it interacts with humans and the built environment. Geographical barriers may limit or prevent an organism from moving through a city and an organism's behavioral variability (particularly its ability to tolerate humans) may also influence if and how it disperses throughout a... Continue Reading →
SICB 2020: Artificial Light at Night and West Nile Virus in House Sparrows
As habitats become increasingly urbanized, wildlife are exposed to artificial light at night (ALAN). Greater exposure to ALAN can have detrimental effects on animal physiology, such as suppressing components of the host immune system. However, how these changes ultimately affect infectious disease dynamics remains poorly understood. Meredith Kernbach, a PhD candidate at the University of... Continue Reading →
Urbanization Reduces Genetic Connectivity in Bobcats
When you live in the outskirts of the city, every once in a while you may spot a bobcat in your neighborhood. In fact, we have had a few urban observation posts of neighborhood bobcats. But how are these urban bobcats fairing compared to ones that stay in their natural habitat? Recently, Kozakiewicz and co-authors... Continue Reading →
SICB 2020: How is Light Effecting Behavior and Physiology of Anoles?
Urbanization is becoming a huge concern and many researchers at SICB 2020 wanted to study the effects it has on the surrounding wildlife. Laura Taylor, an undergraduate student at Trinity University, looked specifically at how urbanization and artificial light at night (ALAN) effected both the physiology and the behavior of anoles. Green anoles (Anolis carolinensis),... Continue Reading →
SICB 2020: Urban Lizards Lay Lower Quality Eggs
The decisions that a parent makes or conditions that a parent experiences can influence the survival and fitness of their offspring. These transgenerational effects, in which impacts of the environment on one generation impact subsequent generations, are widespread and can originate with both mothers and fathers. In organisms that make eggs, the environments mothers experience... Continue Reading →
Urban Observation of the Week: Australian Magpie
Wildfires have been devastating southeastern Australia, and along with these fires comes an increase in anthropogenic noise as firetrucks race to the scene. Gregory Andrews spotted this Australian Magpie in Newcastle, New South Whales mimicking the sound of a fire truck. https://twitter.com/isobelroe/status/1212500562102505472?s=20 Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something... Continue Reading →
SICB 2020: Artificial Light at Night and Stress
Urban areas are easy to find during the night as they quite literally light up. Urban light pollution disrupts biological processes from gene expression to ecosystem composition across multiple taxa, including birds, insects, mammals, and fishes. With ever-increasing urbanization, understanding the effects of artificial light at night (ALAN) on urban organisms is crucial to future... Continue Reading →
SICB 2020: Lead Pollution of Human Water Supplies Impacts Songbirds
Heavy metals, such as lead and mercury, are common pollutants in human-affected ecosystems, including cities. These metals can bioaccumulate, or reach high concentrations in exposed organisms, because heavy metals may be stored in some tissues, like fats, and are difficult for organisms to remove from their bodies. High levels of heavy metals have negative impacts... Continue Reading →