Spatial distribution and the value of green spaces for urban red-tailed hawks

Morrison, Joan L.; Gottlieb, Isabel G. W.; Pias, Kyle E.

doi:10.1007/s11252-016-0554-0

Cited by 16 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…A preference for large patches of parkland and woodland has previously been demonstrated for other raptors inhabiting urban areas (e.g. Hogg and Nilon 2015, McPherson et al 2016Morrison et al 2016) and confirms the importance of the abundance and arrangement of green vegetation for urban biota (Lepczyk et al 2017).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

Habitat selection by an avian top predator in the tropical megacity of Delhi: human activities and socio-religious practices as prey-facilitating tools

et al. 2017

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Research in urban ecology is growing rapidly in response to the exponential growth of the urban environment. However, few studies have focused on tropical megacities, and on the interplay between predators' habitat selection and human socio-economic aspects, which may mediate their resilience and coexistence with humans. We examined mechanisms of breeding habitat selection by a synanthropic raptor, the Black Kite Milvus migrans, in Delhi (India) where kites mainly subsist on: (1) human refuse and its associated prey-fauna, and (2) ritualised feeding of kites, particularly practised by Muslims. We used mixed effects models to test the effect of urban habitat configuration and human practices on habitat selection, site occupancy and breeding success. Kite habitat decisions, territory occupancy and breeding success were tightly enmeshed with human activities: kites preferred areas with high human density, poor waste management and a road configuration that facilitated better access to resources provided by humans, in particular to Muslim colonies that provided ritual subsidies. Furthermore, kites bred at 'clean' sites with less human refuse only when close to Muslim colonies, suggesting that the proximity to ritual-feeding sites modulated the suitability of other habitats. Rather than a nuisance to avoid, as previously portrayed, humans were a keenly-targeted foraging resource, which tied a predator's distribution to human activities, politics, history, socio-economics and urban planning at multiple spatio-temporal scales. Many synurbic species may exploit humans in more subtle and direct ways than was previously assumed, but uncovering them will require greater integration of human socio-cultural estimates in urban ecological research.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

Habitat selection by an avian top predator in the tropical megacity of Delhi: human activities and socio-religious practices as prey-facilitating tools

et al. 2017

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“…For instance, Morrison et al (2016) monitored the movements of urban-nesting Red-tailed Hawks through the use of radio telemetry and found that green spaces, such as cemeteries and parks, were valuable hunting habitats within the urban landscape. An increased understanding of the behaviour of raptors in urban environments will ultimately aid our understanding of their responses to changing environments.…”

Section: Management Implications and Future Research Effortsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The breeding performance of raptors in urban landscapes: a review and meta-analysis

et al. 2017

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Global urbanisation is rapidly increasing and can have profound impacts on wild flora and fauna. For many species, the impacts are detrimental and irreversible, whereas others are able to colonise and apparently thrive in these novel, human-made environments. Raptors are particularly susceptible to changes in the environment due to their position at the end of the food chain, yet some species are increasingly associated with towns and cities. To explore the impact of urbanisation on raptors, we reviewed the literature and compared breeding performance in urban and rural populations globally. In general, raptors began breeding earlier and had larger brood sizes in urban compared to rural environments. However, some of these raptors also fledged fewer young in urban habitats, apparently caused largely by a lack of prey and, in some cases, increased human disturbance. As such, urban environments may act as ecological traps for some raptor species. Species differed in their response to urbanisation. In particular, specialist bird predators such as Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) had a higher breeding performance (clutch size, brood size, number to fledge and nest success) and showed a positive response to urbanisation compared to those that predate on small mammals, such as Eurasian Kestrels (F. tinnunculus), which showed a negative response. This suggests that prey availability is one of the most important determinants of the success of urban-nesting raptors. We demonstrate a need for continued research into the breeding performance of raptors that live in urban environments, and stress the importance of focusing on the reasons for any differences in breeding performance between urban and non-urban environments in order to aid conservation and management efforts for this iconic bird group.

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“…Previous studies attempting to track urban breeding birds are generally restricted to large species (e.g. raptors, pigeons and parakeets: [39][40][41][42][43]), and studies of songbirds within an urbanised environment have focused on postnatal dispersal [44][45][46][47]. Here, we used radio telemetry to identify the structural habitat of a typically woodland bird, now breeding in the highly urbanised area of central Copenhagen, and characterise movements of Short-toed Treecreepers in the built landscape.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple fragmented habitat-patch use in an urban breeding passerine, the Short-toed Treecreeper

et al. 2020

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Individual responses of wild birds to fragmented habitat have rarely been studied, despite large-scale habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss resulting from widespread urbanisation. We investigated the spatial ecology of the Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla, a tiny, resident, woodland passerine that has recently colonised city parks at the northern extent of its range. High resolution spatiotemporal movements of this obligate treeliving species were determined using radio telemetry within the urbanized matrix of city parks in Copenhagen, Denmark. We identified regular edge crossing behaviour, novel in woodland birds. While low numbers of individuals precluded a comprehensive characterisation of home range for this population, we were able to describe a consistent behaviour which has consequences for our understanding of animal movement in urban ecosystems. We report that treecreepers move freely, and apparently do so regularly, between isolated habitat patches. This behaviour is a possible driver of the range expansion in this species and may contribute to rapid dispersal capabilities in certain avian species, including Shorttoed Treecreepers, into northern Europe. Alternatively, these behaviours might be common and/or provide an adaptive advantage for birds utilising matrix habitats, for example within urban ecosystems. OPEN ACCESSCitation: Snell KRS, Jensen RBE, Ortvad TE, Willemoes M, Thorup K (2020) Multiple fragmented habitat-patch use in an urban breeding passerine, the Short-toed Treecreeper. PLoS ONE 15(1): e0227731. https://doi.org/10.

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Spatial distribution and the value of green spaces for urban red-tailed hawks

Cited by 16 publications

References 53 publications

Habitat selection by an avian top predator in the tropical megacity of Delhi: human activities and socio-religious practices as prey-facilitating tools

Habitat selection by an avian top predator in the tropical megacity of Delhi: human activities and socio-religious practices as prey-facilitating tools

The breeding performance of raptors in urban landscapes: a review and meta-analysis

Multiple fragmented habitat-patch use in an urban breeding passerine, the Short-toed Treecreeper

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