Abundance of Non-Native Birds in the City: Spatial Variation and Relationship with Socioeconomics in a South American City

Abstract

Cities commonly support a high abundance of non-native species that can affect both wildlife and human health; however, their distribution across the urban environment and their relationship with socioeconomics are not well documented. Here, we map the abundance of three non-native birds in a Latin American city—domestic pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica), house sparrow (Passer domesticus), and monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)—and investigate the effect of socioeconomics on their abundance. We found that C. livia f. domestica exhibited a random distribution of abundance across the city but reached its greatest abundance in low-income areas. P. domesticus exhibited an aggregated distribution of abundance, being most abundant in the southern and western areas of the city and in low-income areas. M. monachus exhibited an aggregated distribution of abundance, being most abundant in the northeastern part of the city and reaching its greatest abundance in high-income areas. Low-income areas likely provide high abundance of food, shelter, and nesting sites for both C. livia f. domestica and P. domesticus, whereas high income areas have greater tree cover and larger trees in which M. monachus can build communal nests. Our study finds that the abundance of non-native birds varies across the city and between socioeconomic groups; therefore, targeted management is needed in different city zones to limit negative effects on native species and prevent zoonotic diseases.

Opposite Responses of Native and Nonnative Birds to Socioeconomics in a Latin American City

“…In fact, low socioeconomic neighborhoods exhibited highest abundance of nonnative birds. This finding is consistent with previous research on nonnative birds in our country, where the feral pigeon (C. livia) and the house sparrow (P. domesticus) reach their greatest abundance in low socioeconomic neighborhoods [53,61]. Few studies have assessed the relationship between socioeconomic status and nonnative bird diversity [22]; however, in Chicago (USA), no relationship was identified between per capita income and nonnative bird abundance [27].…”

“…In our study, the lack of statistically significant results on nonnative species richness between socioeconomic groups may be the result of a low number of nonnative bird species in our city. In Santiago, only three species are widely distributed across the city: C. livia f. domestica, P. domesticus, and M. monachus [61].…”