Urban food subsidies reduce natural food limitations and reproductive costs for a wetland bird.

ABSTRACT: There is a strong conservation need to understand traits of species that adapt to urban environments, but results have been equivocal. Wetland birds exhibit a strong phylogenetic signal towards urban tolerance; however, they have largely been ignored in urban studies. In their historic ranges, wetland birds inhabit dynamic systems, traveling long distances to locate food. This ability to exploit dynamic resources may translate to success in urban environments, areas characterized by novel food opportunities. We used the Wood Stork (Mycteria americana), a species of conservation concern, to determine if the ability to exploit resources in natural environments translated to exploitation of urban resources. During optimal natural foraging conditions, storks nesting in both urban and natural w

SUBMITTER: Evans BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7441144 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature