Drivers of avian habitat use and detection of backyard birds in the Pacific Northwest during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

ABSTRACT: Birds living in developed areas contend with numerous stressors, including human disturbance and light, noise, and air pollution. COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns presented a unique opportunity to disentangle these effects during a period of reduced human activity. We launched a community science project in spring 2020 to explore drivers of site use by and detection of common birds in cities under lockdown in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Our goals were twofold: (1) consider how intensity of urbanization, canopy cover, and availability of bird feeders and bird baths influenced avian habitat use; and (2) quantify how daily changes in weather, air pollution, and human mobility influenced detection of birds. We analyzed 6,640 surveys from 367 volunteers at 429 monitoring sites using occupancy models

SUBMITTER: Sanderfoot OV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9372093 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature