Anthropogenic impact of feeding on wild avifauna abundance and behavior in an urban ecosystem

Abstract

One of the most common human-wildlife interactions in urban areas is the feeding of wild birds. This research aimed to investigate the anthropogenic feeding of avifaunal species in the ecology of the metropolitan regions. The study determined bird populations and documented bird behavior using a point count method. The Shannon-Wiener Index value of H′ = 1.536, a richness of SR = 9, an abundance of N = 424 birds, and an evenness value of E = 0.699 indicated poor urban ecosystem health. The most dominant species at feeding locations were the House crow, Rock dove, and Common mynah. Of the 12 types of food offered by humans, rice and bajra (Cenchrus americanus) were the most abundant, while the most unusual foods found were table sugar and makhana. Data analysis showed that birds visited feeding sites along Canal Road based on learned behavior regarding the availability and predictability of food items. A spatial distribution pattern using GIS revealed that more birds were present at feeding spots closer to less noisy green belt areas. Principal component analysis indicated a relationship between bird species and food types showing that wheat was preferred by House crows and Common mynah, while bajra was favored by Rock doves. Interestingly, House sparrows were most commonly found near table sugar scattered on the road. The ecological parameters indicated that the populations of bird species (House crow, Rock dove, Common mynah, etc.) are increasing at feeding spots. This study finds that anthropogenic feeding negatively impacts wild avifauna, leading to long-term implications such as instability in bird populations, changes in foraging behavior, and serious threats to bird health and safety due to vehicular traffic along the roadside. Hence, there is a need to monitor and regulate the feeding of wild birds to mitigate the negative effects of urban ecosystems on birds.