Phenotypic plasticity in the anthropause: does reduced human activity impact novel nesting behaviour in an urban bird?

Bressler, Samuel A; Diamant, Eleanor S.; Cen, Christina; Yeh, Pamela J.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.06.010

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 60 publications

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“…There is no doubt that COVID-19 lockdowns made urban environments more attractive for some wildlife species [71], including carnivores such as hyenas [72]. Landscape factors have not changed, just human activity has been significantly reduced [73]. At the same time, during restriction periods, outdoor activities became more extensive than in the pre-COVID-19 period, and appreciation of wildlife, including domestic animals, increased [74].…”

Section: Urban Mammals and Roadkills In The Time Of Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mammal Roadkills in Lithuanian Urban Areas: A 15-Year Study

Balčiauskas,

Kučas,

Balčiauskienė

2023

Animals

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We investigated roadkills in urban areas in Lithuania from 2007 to 2022, including two periods with COVID-19 restrictions on people’s movement. We analyzed the proportions of wild and domestic animals in roadkill, annual trends, the predominant species involved, and monthly changes during the restrictions. Urban roads were characterized by a low species diversity of roadkilled mammals, with roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) dominating. Total numbers increased exponentially during the study period. The proportion of domestic animals, 12.2%, significantly exceeded that on non-urban roads in the country. The proportion of domestic animals decreased from over 40% in 2007–2009 to 3.7–5.4% in 2020–2022, while the proportion of wild mammals increased from 36.1–39.6% to 89.9–90.6%, respectively. During the periods of COVID-19 restrictions, the number of roadkills in urban areas was significantly higher than expected based on long-term trends. Compared to 2019, the number of roadkilled roe deer in 2020–2021 almost doubled from 700 to 1281–1325 individuals. These anthropause effects were, however, temporary. The imbalance between the roadkill number and transport intensity might require new mitigation strategies to sustain mammal populations in urban areas, at least through improving driver awareness on the issue.

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