Evolution in an Urbanizing World
Our typical urban rats, mainly brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), have undergone adaptations that enable them to thrive in urban environments. These adaptations distinguish urban rats from their wild relatives and highlight the impact of urbanization on species evolution. Genetic evolution and neighborhood adaptations In cities like New York City, with a rat population estimated to... Continue Reading →
The shrinkage of natural landscapes with increased urbanization causes substantial shifts in ecosystems, particularly a decrease in bird diversity. Understanding the interactions between the urban heat island (UHI) effect, urban wetlands, and bird diversity is crucial to conserving biodiversity. Advised by Kristin Winchell, New York University undergraduate researcher Emerald Lin presented her poster at SICB... Continue Reading →
Wow, last month dolphins were spotted swimming in the Bronx River for the first time in over five years! Check out the video tweeted by NYC Parks below. https://twitter.com/NYCParks/status/1616138540672516098 The Bronx River is the only freshwater river in NYC and used to be a thriving, abundantly diverse ecosystem. In the 1840s, the New York Central... Continue Reading →
As this tepid winter sweeps through NYC, a few careful eyes may spot a peculiar sight lounging in the mid-afternoon sun of our urban park spaces. Turtles, out and about in the middle of December! This Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) was found on December 9, 2022, at 2:06 pm; it was one of nearly... Continue Reading →
While huddled up in a nook on my apartment's rooftop, camera set up and aimed at the skies above, I briefly witnessed a skirmish between a Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) and a Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus). I was able to document the interaction above my head with the featured image above. I feel so honored... Continue Reading →
Pigeons are super common in urban areas. We find them so often that it is actually rare for them to get a spot on our observation of the week. But, we couldn't resist this one. This week we bring you bird on the bed. Yes, a pigeon, which are notoriously bad at making nests, made... Continue Reading →
New York City is the largest city in the United States. It has concrete, sky-high buildings, insane traffic, and yet it is home to a variety of birds and birders. Today, we bring you a red-tailed hawk, identified by Jeff Ward, in the Harlem back yard of Jacqui Farmer. Do you have a photo or... 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 →
Lizards are becoming increasingly common in urban areas. They are able to forage longer than usual because of the urban heat island effect. Today's observation is a lizard still out and about, back in late October, when they should have already wrapped up the season! Do you have a photo or video of an urban... Continue Reading →
The birders are back! This time, we see a Black-throated Green Warbler on the street. These birds are seen in the Northern American forests in the warm months and fly south for the winter months. This little bird is probably a tourist on the street on its migration south! Do you have a photo or... Continue Reading →
If you enjoyed last week's urban birder observation, you'll probably get a kick out of this week's. Here we have a Peregrine Falcon just hanging out on a rusty vent! Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What about a rare plant or animal that you were surprised... Continue Reading →
This week we are cross-posting from the Ecology & Evolution blog written by Dr. Emily Puckett and Elizabeth Carlen. Check out the original post here. Observations of numerous animal populations have documented morphometric changes in response to urbanization. Examples abound including: urban populations of anole lizards have longer limbs and more toe lamellae that aid in moving... Continue Reading →
As you may have guessed by now, urbanization changes the natural landscape and this can have consequences for the organisms that live in them. Feral pigeons, which had been domesticated thousands of years ago and transported globally by humans, are not immune to rapid urbanization impacts. Previous studies have shown that there can be inbreeding... Continue Reading →
The percent of impervious surface increases as you move from rural to urban areas, with city centers having the highest percent impervious surface. In a Megapolis like New York CIty, there is a gradient from the core of the city to less urban areas. There is typically less available habitat for plants to grow in... Continue Reading →
I've spent years trapping rats across Manhattan in New York City as I study the urban evolution and ecology of brown rats (Rattus norvegicus). This fieldwork has led to many experiences, some good, some bad, and some smelly. Below are my thoughts about each. THE GOOD: The lunch…New York City provides endless opportunities for good eats... Continue Reading →
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