Journal of Urban Ecology,
Journal Year:
2022,
Volume and Issue:
8(1)
Published: Jan. 1, 2022
Abstract
We
examined
Red-tailed
Hawk
(Buteo
jamaicensis)
nestling
diets
in
Reno
and
Sparks,
NV,
USA
during
the
2015
2016
breeding
seasons.
Field
researchers
nest
cameras
recorded
1348
prey
items
spanning
28
species
at
88
nests.
Prey
consisted
of
86%
mammalia,
10%
aves
4%
reptilia.
Differential
selection
occurred
among
population
individual
nests
relative
to
an
expected
diet.
Diet
breadth
differed
between
increased
with
urban
density.
Avian
consumption
mammalian
reptilian
impervious
areas.
When
were
plotted
on
a
continuous
density
spectrum,
suburban
areas
decreased
toward
core
was
inversely
correlated
avian
prey.
Mammalian
end
April
mid-May
before
increasing
through
remainder
season
(mid-June).
peaked
May
season,
varied
little.
The
geographic
patterns
consumed
our
study
reflect
those
cities
elsewhere.
As
area
changes,
we
predict
that
densest
populations
Hawks
will
continue
reside
where
diversity
abundance
are
highest.
This
one
first
studies
record
diet
revealed
how
used
food
resources.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
379(1898)
Published: Feb. 5, 2024
Global
climate
change
has
increased
average
environmental
temperatures
world-wide,
simultaneously
intensifying
temperature
variability
and
extremes.
Growing
numbers
of
studies
have
documented
phenological,
behavioural
morphological
responses
to
in
wild
populations.
As
systemic
signals,
hormones
can
contribute
orchestrating
many
these
phenotypic
changes.
Yet
little
is
known
about
whether
mechanisms
like
hormonal
flexibility
(reversible
changes
hormone
concentrations)
facilitate
or
limit
the
ability
individuals,
populations
species
cope
with
a
changing
climate.
In
this
perspective,
we
discuss
different
by
which
flexibility,
primarily
glucocorticoids,
could
promote
versus
hinder
evolutionary
adaptation
regimes.
We
focus
on
because
it
key
gradient
influenced
change,
easy
quantify,
its
links
are
well
established.
argue
that
reaction
norm
connect
individual
population-level
species-wide
patterns
will
be
critical
for
making
progress
field.
also
develop
case
study
urban
heat
islands,
where
several
questions
regarding
addressed.
Understanding
allow
animals
when
conditions
become
more
challenging
help
predicting
vulnerable
ongoing
change.
This
article
part
theme
issue
'Endocrine
variation:
conceptual
approaches
recent
developments'.
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
86(3), P. 199 - 216
Published: April 1, 2024
Global
contamination
of
environments
with
lead
(Pb)
poses
threats
to
many
ecosystems
and
populations.
While
exposure
Pb
is
toxic
at
high
concentrations,
recent
literature
has
shown
that
lower
concentrations
can
also
cause
sublethal,
deleterious
effects.
However,
there
remains
relatively
little
causal
investigation
how
environmental
affects
ecologically
important
behaviors.
Behaviors
often
represent
first-line
responses
an
organism
its
internal
physiological,
molecular,
genetic
a
changing
environment.
Hence,
better
understanding
behaviors
are
influenced
by
pollutants
such
as
generates
crucial
information
on
species
coping
the
effects
pollution
more
broadly.
To
understand
sublethal
behavior,
we
chronically
exposed
adult
wild-caught,
captive
house
sparrows
(Passer
domesticus)
Pb-exposed
drinking
water
quantified
suite
behavioral
outcomes:
takeoff
flight
performance,
activity
in
novel
environment,
in-hand
struggling
breathing
rate
while
being
handled
experimenter.
Compared
controls
(un-exposed
water),
environmentally
relevant
exhibited
decreases
performance
reduced
movements
environment
following
9-10
weeks
exposure.
We
interpret
this
results
be
consistent
influencing
fundamental
neuro-muscular
abilities,
making
it
difficult
for
birds
mount
faster
activities.
It
likely
suppression
would
increase
predation
risk
similar
wild;
hence,
conclude
observed
could
influence
fitness
outcomes
individuals
populations
altering
ecological
interactions
within
naturalistic
settings.
Frontiers in Physiology,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
16
Published: April 2, 2025
Urbanization
represents
a
dramatic
and
relatively
rapid
change
in
the
environment
that
has
profound
impacts
on
wild
animals.
Shifts
behavior
endocrine
mechanisms
of
stress
response
could
allow
animals
to
successfully
survive
reproduce
urban
habitats.
Numerous
studies
have
examined
behavioral
physiological
responses
territory-holding
male
songbirds
urbanization.
However,
breeding
females
likely
experience
anthropogenic
noise,
light
at
night,
human
disturbance
more
frequently,
their
coping
these
disturbances
are
limited
during
incubation.
Moreover,
face
higher
energetic
demands
(allostatic
load).
Understanding
how
some
species
cope
with
novel
habitats
requires
studying
individuals
facing
greatest
challenges,
such
as
females.
Therefore,
we
compared
glucocorticoid
recovery
from
between
rural
female
song
sparrows
(Melospiza
melodia)
If
facultative
adjustments
birds
habitats,
predicted
would
return
parental
care
behaviors
after
standardized
stressor
soon
or
sooner
than
females,
lower
stressor.
We
captured
end
incubation
period
measured
(corticosterone)
levels
baseline
30
min
restraint.
Concurrently,
installed
radio
frequency
identification
(RFID)
systems
nest
capture
time
behaviors.
found
incubating
had
significantly
corticosterone
when
controlling
for
sampling
timepoint
(baseline
restraint-induced)
rural.
Nest
times
did
not
differ
across
latency
was
correlated
levels.
Our
findings
consistent
prior
work
our
study
sites;
males
provide
restraint-induced
The
absence
relationship
glucocorticoids
makes
it
unlikely
hormones
directly
regulate
care,
but
reflect
resistance,
which
been
hypothesized
permit
breed
challenging
conditions
Environmental Science & Technology,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
58(23), P. 10028 - 10040
Published: June 1, 2024
Our
understanding
of
connections
between
human
and
animal
health
has
advanced
substantially
since
the
canary
was
introduced
as
a
sentinel
toxic
conditions
in
coal
mines.
Nonetheless,
development
wildlife
sentinels
for
monitoring
exposure
to
toxins
been
limited.
Here,
we
capitalized
on
three-decade
long
child
blood
lead
program
demonstrate
that
globally
ubiquitous
commensal
house
sparrow
(Passer
domesticus)
can
be
used
risks
urban
environments
impacted
by
mining.
We
showed
sparrows
are
viable
proxy
measurement
levels
children
at
neighborhood
scale
(0.28
km2).
In
support
generalizability
this
approach,
relationship
established
our
focal
mining
city
enabled
us
accurately
predict
elevated
from
another
using
only
second
location.
Using
concentrations
isotopic
compositions
environmental
biological
matrices,
identified
shared
sources
pathways
children,
with
strong
links
contamination
local
emissions.
findings
how
species
identify
over
time
space.