Abstract
Rapid urbanization has a great impact on avian distribution, ecology, habitat selection, and behavior. Recent avian studies indicated that individuals remain consistent in their behavioral responses to human disturbance across short periods of time. However, there is still little information about keeping consistent behaviors in distinct locations across different stages of the annual cycle. In this study, we aimed to test for long-term consistency in habitat selection with respect to urbanization in a migratory waterbird species, the Eurasian coot Fulica atra. For this purpose, we individually marked ca. 300 coots from four populations that varied in urbanization level and tracked their habitat preferences during the non-breeding season. We found that individuals from urban breeding populations selected habitats with a higher share of artificial areas during the non-breeding season, when compared to non-urban individuals. Also, a comparison of non-breeding sites selected by birds from our study populations with random sites showed that urban birds selected sites with higher urbanization level than resulting from random availability. Finally, we found a seasonal variation in habitat preferences in coots—individuals from all study populations selected more urbanized areas as the non-breeding season progressed. The results indicate that birds are able to remain consistent in habitat preferences not only at a large geographical scale, but also across different seasons. Marked between-population variation in habitat selection across the annual cycle may reflect personality differences of coots from urban and non-urban populations, and it stays in line with the personality-matching habitat choice hypothesis.
Highlights
Rapid urbanization has a great impact on avian distribution, ecology, habitat selection, and behavior
We provide empirical support for consistency in habitat selection across the annual cycle of a migratory waterbird species, the Eurasian coot
We found that coots from urban breeding populations (Warszawa and Łódź) selected habitats with a higher share of artificial areas during the non-breeding season when compared to non-urban individuals
Summary
Rapid urbanization has a great impact on avian distribution, ecology, habitat selection, and behavior. Significant feature of urban-dwelling animal populations is elevated population density, often resulting in increased competition and aggression towards conspecifics[14] These specific conditions contribute to the emergence of the intense selection pressure, which prevents many species from living and breeding in human-dominated landscapes, making them urban avoiders. Many studies showed lower baseline corticosterone levels[29,30], as well as an attenuated acute corticosterone stress r esponse[8] and lower H/L ratios (proxy of physiological stress)[31] in urban individuals These results suggest that urban-dwelling birds reduce their levels of stress via alterations in their behavior to avoid it or via a weaker stress r esponse[22]. We are aware of only one previous study about the consistency in disturbance tolerance at different annual stages in a long-distance migratory bird, the common crane Grus grus[45]
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