Invasion of a new environment brings novel challenges that favour species with adaptive traits. Western European blackbird (Turdus merula merula) and song thrush (Turdus philomelos) have been introduced into new habitats worldwide. We examined neophobia and neophilia responses toward a novel object in different anthropogenic New Zealand environments, including urban and rural habitats. Urban inhabitants approached a novel object closer and at a higher rate compared to rural dwelling individuals. Blackbirds showed a higher level of individual approach compared to song thrushes, but approach distance among those song thrushes that approached was closer than blackbirds. Birds living in urban habitats may reduce neophobic responses where there is increasing anthropogenic stressors through increased interactions, competition over space, food and mate would be higher than rural habitats.
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