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The emergence of tolerance of human disturbance in Neotropical birds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 October 2019

Piotr Tryjanowski*
Affiliation:
Institute of Zoology, PoznańUniversity of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71c, 60-625 Poznań, Poland Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
Jakub Z. Kosicki
Affiliation:
Department of Avian Biology & Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
Martin Hromada
Affiliation:
Laboratory and Museum of Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences, University of Prešov, 17 novembra 1, 080 01 Prešov, Slovakia Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Z. Szafrana 1, 65-516Zielona Góra, Poland
Peter Mikula
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 43 Praha 2, Czech Republic
*
*Author for correspondence: Piotr Tryjanowski, Email: piotr.tryjanowski@gmail.com

Abstract

Animals living close to human settlements more often experience disturbance, but also reduced predation risk. Because an escape response is costly, behavioural adjustments of animals in terms of increased tolerance of humans occurs and is often reported in the literature. However, most such studies have been conducted in and around long-existing cities in Europe and North America, on well-established animal populations. Here, we investigate the degree of tolerance of human disturbance across 132 bird species occurring in disturbed (small farms) and undisturbed (intact wetlands and grasslands) areas in Pantanal, Mato Grosso (Brazil), a region with only a very recent history of human-induced disturbance. We found a clear across-species trend toward higher tolerance of human disturbance in birds near farms when compared with birds in wild areas. Such a flexible and perhaps also rapid emergence of tolerance when facing small-scale and very recent human disturbance presumably involves learning and might be attributed to behavioural plasticity. The ability of birds to modify their degree of tolerance of human disturbance may play a key role in the facilitation of wildlife–human coexistence.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2019 

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