Many North American landbirds undergo biannual migrations, which are energetically costly. Quality stopover sites are crucial to avian survival, as they provide opportunities to quickly replenish fat stores, rest, and avoid predation. One component of habitat quality that is often overlooked is the level of pedestrian activity, which birds may interpret as a predatory threat. If intrusion levels are high, birds will flush repeatedly and may not adequately restore energy reserves, which hinders successful migration. We compared body mass index between birds at different intrusion levels, testing the hypothesis that birds near continuous intrusion will be in poorer condition. Results between migratory guilds indicate long-distance migrants were in poorer condition in areas with high pedestrian activity. In contrast, resident species captured in high activity areas were in better condition than those captured in areas with lower activity. Since Neotropical migrants show increased sensitivity to human presence, conservation measures should focus on reducing pedestrian activity for quality stopover habitats.
Recommended Citation
Marsh, Laura and Aborn, David A.
(2023)
"Relationship Between Pedestrian Activity and Avian Body Condition During Fall Migration,"
Cities and the Environment (CATE):
Vol. 16:
Iss.
2, Article 3.
DOI: 10.15365/cate.2023.160203
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cate/vol16/iss2/3
DOI
10.15365/cate.2023.160203
