How urban impervious surface shapes bird foraging behavior in an arid city.

ABSTRACT: Wildlife behavior and interactions in urban ecosystems can vary across landscape types and species, with some birds dominating human-derived resources. This study investigates the relationship between urbanization, measured as impervious surface cover, and bird foraging behavior in the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona, USA. We conducted 126 feeding trials across 13 sites along a gradient of urbanization and bird interactions with anthropogenic food sources present. Trials were conducted using popcorn placed at random distances and orientations from a trash can. We recorded bird species visiting feeding stations and time to first visit during 20-minute trials and then quantified relationships among visitation timing (latency), species richness, and impervious surface coverage. Time to f

SUBMITTER: Vega Rabelo S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12466499 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature