Birds of prey flocking to cities to escape drought, data shows

By Shelley Lloyd

Posted Tue at 3:43am

Eagles, hawks and other large birds of prey are flocking to cities and towns, with the drought forcing them out of the parched countryside, bird watchers say.

Data compiled by Birdlife Australia from citizen scientists has revealed large numbers of birds of prey are moving into urban areas.

Figures from past the four years of the Aussie Bird Count revealed 27 of Australia's 34 raptor species have been spotted in capital cities.

Birdlife Australia's Sean Dooley said nearly all raptor species are on the decline in rural area across most of Australia.

"You wouldn't think of eagles, hawks and owls as being suburban birds but they certain do occur and they're being attracted into cities looking for food," he said.

"The cities can offer raptors rich pickings … what we are seeing is more inland raptors, like barn owls and even black-shouldered kites coming towards coastal and city areas in search of water and food."

He said last year, a very rare forest owl decided to roost in the pulpit of a church in Toowoomba.

"Masked owls sometimes roost in caves and this owl had decided that the church pulpit looked very much like a cave and took up residence … you just never know what will turn up," Mr Dooley said.

"Famously there are the peregrine falcons that nest in the skyscrapers in Collins Street in Melbourne and there are thousands of people around the world watching them on web cameras."

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Prized peregrine falcons falling prey to greed

John Simpson, Crime Correspondent

January 9 2018, 12:01am, The Times

Britain’s peregrine falcons have long been synonymous with their nesting sites on barren crags.

The world’s fastest bird is now seeking sanctuary in cities as it comes under threat from egg poachers and people killing them to protect lucrative game shoots.

They have also become the target of criminals, as in the Middle East wealthy enthusiasts race birds, and falcons can change hands for as much as £200,000.

Peregrine falcons, which can reach 200mph while hunting their prey, have faced increased persecution in the countryside, specialist wildlife police and the RSPB told The Times.

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Using urban pigeons to monitor lead pollution

Date: July 19, 2016

Source: University of California - Davis

Tom Lehrer sang about poisoning them, but those pigeons in the park might be a good way to detect lead and other toxic compounds in cities. A new study of pigeons in New York City shows that levels of lead in the birds track with neighborhoods where children show high levels of lead exposure.

"Pigeons breathe the same air, walk the same sidewalks, and often eat the same food as we do. What if we could use them to monitor possible dangers to our health in the environment, like lead pollution?" said Rebecca Calisi, now an assistant professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior at the University of California, Davis, who conducted the study with undergraduate student Fayme Cai while at Barnard College, Columbia University. The work is published July 18 in the journal Chemosphere.

Decades after it was banned from paint and gasoline, lead pollution remains a significant concern. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene carries out routine screening of children in areas of the city identified as hot spots for lead contamination.

Calisi and Cai looked at blood samples collected from 825 sick or injured pigeons brought to the city's Wild Bird Fund rehabilitation center from 2010 to 2015. Each was identified by the zip code where it was found.

Lead levels rise in summer

They found that the pigeons' blood lead levels rose in summer, as they do in samples from children. Zip codes with high lead levels in pigeons also had some of the highest rates of raised levels of lead in children.

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Seagulls head to big city not for better homes, but more abundant food

Date: June 2, 2016

Source: Taylor & Francis

Being bothered by gulls while eating our chips is a problem most city-dwellers have encountered. Now, scientists have reported in the journal Bird Study that concentrating on making food supplies less accessible may prove more effective at countering these 'nuisance events' than removing rooftop nesting.

The researchers, based at Buijs Eco Consult B.V., Oud-Vossemeer, The Netherlands, and the Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands, studied a nearby colony of gulls in The Hague in 2014. By tracking colour-ringed gulls throughout the study area, the researchers were able to monitor numbers and behaviours during different breeding phases.

Conflicts between gulls and human populations are a particular problem in seaside towns, with noise, defecation, aggression and destruction of rubbish bags all highlighted as problems. The increase in urban breeding colonies in the Netherlands is thought to be due to increased predication of the gulls in their natural breeding grounds by the red fox.

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Later supper for blackbirds in the city: Artificial light gives birds longer to forage for food

Date:

October 20, 2014

Source:

Helmholtz Centre For Environmental Research - UFZ

Summary:

Artificial light increases foraging time in blackbirds. Birds in city centers are active not just considerably earlier, but also for longer than their relatives in darker parts of the city. The study showed that artificial light has a considerable influence on the activity times of blackbirds in the city and therefore on their natural cycles.

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Cities support more native biodiversity than previously thought

Date:

February 12, 2014

Source:

University of California - Santa Barbara

Summary:

The rapid conversion of natural lands to cement-dominated urban centers is causing great losses in biodiversity. Yet, according to a new study involving 147 cities worldwide, surprisingly high numbers of plant and animal species persist and even flourish in urban environments -- to the tune of hundreds of bird species and thousands of plant species in a single city.

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