Institutional development · Research, innovation and assessment · Canada
Queen's University study links year-round residency to birds' tolerance of cities
Queen's University researchers report that bird species which stay put all year cope with urban areas better than species that migrate, and say the findings could guide conservation choices.
Why it matters: Conservation groups choosing which urban habitats to protect could draw on the traits the Queen's team ties to weaker tolerance of cities.
Queen's University researchers found that bird species that do not migrate seasonally were, on the whole, more tolerant of urban settings, and the university suggests familiarity with nearby resources may help explain this.
The university said species whose populations are partly resident and partly migratory also coped with cities more successfully than species that migrate entirely.
In roughly a quarter of the species examined, close relatives showed comparable tolerance of urban areas, which the university presents as a hint that evolutionary history plays a part.
According to the university, pinpointing the traits tied to weaker urban tolerance could help conservation organisations decide which species need more attention, which habitats to safeguard and how to make city green spaces more hospitable to birds.
Editor’s view
Sarah Williamson, Teaching, Digital and AI Editor
For conservation groups, the university says the traits identified could inform which bird species receive more attention and which habitats are protected as cities continue to expand.
