Individual variation and seasonality drive bird feeder use during winter in a Mediterranean climate.

ABSTRACT: Purposeful provisioning of food to wild animals is a widespread and growing activity that has the potential to impact populations and communities. Nevertheless, studies assessing use of recreational feeders by free-living birds during winter are surprisingly rare and largely limited to regions with continental climates characterized by freezing temperatures and snow cover. In contrast, there is little information available regarding bird use of feeders within warmer climates during winter, despite widespread recreational feeding in these areas. In this study, we quantified visitation patterns to bird feeders in a Mediterranean climate to evaluate the relationship between feeder use and several environmental variables known to influence supplemental feeder use in continental climates. We es

SUBMITTER: Lajoie JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6405926 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature