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INVADERS ON THE ROAD: SYNANTHROPIC BIRD FORAGING ALONG HIGHWAYS

M. D’Amico,C. Rouco,J. Russell,Jacinto Román,E. Revilla

Published 2013 in Oecologia Australis

ABSTRACT

Intercity roads potentially offer a high availability of easily accessible food and could therefore be expected  to represent a preferential area for synanthropic bird foraging. As a consequence, a road-network could act as an  invasion corridor for non-native urban birds. This study is a first approximation to verify such pattern of spread,  by determining if foraging is actually the main activity carried out along intercity roads. With this aim, during the  spring of 2011 we surveyed 200 points along the New Zealand intercity road-network, carrying out observations  on four invasive synanthropic bird species (Eurasian house sparrow Passer domesticus, Eurasian blackbird  Turdus merula, Eurasian starling Sturnus vulgarisand Indian myna Acridotheres tristis). For every species  we also investigated: food preferences, the possibility that certain road features could affect the occurrence of  feeding activity along roads, and foraging micro-habitat selection along roads. Predominant observed behaviors  related to feeding activity, with differences concerning species-specific foraging strategies. Sparrows were  mainly observed feeding on small-sized items (such as seeds and invertebrates), while both starlings and mynas  showed more generalist feeding habits. These three species were mostly observed along the side of the lane,  in contrast with blackbirds, mainly detected preying on invertebrates along the mown grassy verges of the  road. Similarly to urban areas, intercity roads provide easily accessible food, available for all the study species.  We propose a road-mediated invasion pattern for synanthropic birds, and encourage future studies to optimize  management strategies, and targeting intercity roads as the most suitable control areas to prevent spread.

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