Evolution in an Urbanizing World
Who would ever have expected to see plovers on the banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai? The Huangpu River is the "mother river" of Shanghai that flows north throughout Shanghai. It passes some of the most population-dense regions of the city, including Lujiazui and the Bund, and provides green paths on both banks for... Continue Reading →
When I returned to my hometown suburb in Texas, I was greeted by the familiar sight of Muscovy Ducks (Cairina moschata) hanging out in and around the numerous constructed wetlands that keep my suburb from going underwater. Notably, male Muscovy Ducks are the largest duck in North America! Despite being such a common sight in... Continue Reading →
Check out this fun-loving gull and its new toy! https://twitter.com/GarethUnwin85/status/1597610347212734464 This gull seen last week at Queen's Park in Brighton, UK, seems to have been enjoying a game of tennis! Gulls species are notoriously difficult to differentiate. There are more than 50 species of gulls, the majority being part of the genus Larus. If observing... Continue Reading →
Age-Related Variability of the Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) Song in Natural and Urban Environments A. E. Bastrikova, S. I. Gashkov, and N. S. Moskvitina Abstract The age-related variability of the frequency and structural–temporal parameters of the advertising song of Ficedula hypoleuca males in natural habitats and the urban environment were analysed. In the natural habitats, the... Continue Reading →
Urbanization processes drive divergence at the major histocompatibility complex in a common waterbird Ewa Pikus, Radosław Włodarczyk, Jan Jedlikowski, Piotr Minias Abstract Urban sprawl is one of the most common landscape alterations occurring worldwide, and there is a growing list of species that are recognised to have adapted to urban life. To be successful, processes... Continue Reading →
Replicated, urban-driven exposure to metallic trace elements in two passerines Marion Chatelain, Arnaud Da Silva, Marta Celej, Eliza Kurek, Ewa Bulska, Michela Corsini & Marta Szulkin Abstract While there are increasing examples of phenotypic and genotypic differences between urban and non-urban populations of plants and animals, few studies identified the mechanisms explaining those dissimilarities. The... Continue Reading →
Monk parakeets Myiopsitta monachus Sometimes referred to as the Quaker parrot due to their quaking vocalizations, the monk parakeet is a small, green parrot with grey breast and head feathers accented with blue feathers on their primaries. In addition to their unique color, these birds can often be picked out by their noisy/screechy vocalizations.... Continue Reading →
Cities, defined as large human settlements of the contemporary human population, have been part of the “Old World” landscape for long time, including Europe. However, the current exponential increase of the urbanised landscape is an unprecedented phenomenon, which has an impact at multiple ecological scales. Urbanisation and its derived actions can fragment wildlife populations and... Continue Reading →
Pigeons are one of the most common, iconic birds we see in cities. Did you know that pigeons are prey for larger, predatory birds? We like Red-tailed hawks so much they've been featured as our urban observation multiple times. Here, we see a New York City red-tailed hawk that caught a pigeon for lunch. Do... Continue Reading →
Urban areas are dynamic, heterogeneous habitats that differ dramatically from your traditional “non-urban” habitats. These centers are complex, multi-level habitats that are full of interacting stressors. Additionally, urban habitats are fragmented via impervious surfaces and are subject to noise, chemical, and light pollution alongside human interaction(s). Humans (and their pets) directly and indirectly interact with... Continue Reading →
When you think of urban birds, you probably don't think of a flock of 20 lb wild turkeys. A friend of mine shared his recent encounter with a group of these modern dinosaurs in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Photo credits: Louis Neidorf Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What... Continue Reading →
Once on the brink of extinction, thanks to conservation efforts the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) has made a comeback. This predator can be found across North America to Northern Mexico and once had an estimated population size of 300,000-500,000. However, the use of DDT disrupted the bird's ability to metabolize calcium and resulted in birds... Continue Reading →
https://twitter.com/brown_birds/status/1276523670530224128?s=20 I was recently browsing through Twitter and came across this fantastic tweet by Rafael Marcondes showing a flock of white-eyed parakeets (Psittacara leucophthalmus) gathering on a building in the Tatuapé neighborhood of São Paulo. Maisa Infante wrote the original post and explains that the parakeets eat the clay off the building's facade. White-eyed Parakeets... Continue Reading →
Pigeons are pretty common in urban areas. In fact, they are human commensals, so you are most likely to see them in the city, as opposed to other types of birds. You'll usually see them in the park where someone feeds them seeds and bread. Sometimes, you'll see them on the streets eating scraps. It... Continue Reading →
Do you enjoy spotting urban birds but need some help with identifying what you find? This is something I constantly encounter (often with family members sending me photos and videos for identification). Luckily, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a fantastic guide to help you. A few weeks ago my brother sent me this video... Continue Reading →
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