Urban gulls adapt foraging schedule to human‐activity patterns

Anouk Spelt; Oliver Soutar; Cara Williamson; Jane Memmott; Judy Shamoun‐Baranes; Peter Rock; Shane Windsor

doi:10.1111/ibi.12892

journal article Open Access Nov 02, 2020

Urban gulls adapt foraging schedule to human‐activity patterns

Anouk Spelt

Oliver Soutar

Cara Williamson

Jane Memmott

Judy Shamoun‐Baranes Peter Rock Shane Windsor

Ibis Vol. 163 No. 1 pp. 274-282 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/ibi.12892

Abstract

Numerous animals are able to adapt to temporal patterns in natural food availability, but whether species living in relatively novel environments such as cities can adapt to anthropogenic activity cycles is less well understood. We aimed to assess the extent to which urban gulls have adapted their foraging schedule to anthropogenic food source fluctuations related to human activity by combining field observations at three distinct urban feeding grounds (park, school and waste centre) with global positioning system (GPS) tracking data of gulls visiting similar types of feeding grounds throughout the same city. We found that the birds' foraging patterns closely matched the timing of school breaks and the opening and closing times of the waste centre, but gull activity in the park appeared to correspond to the availability of natural food sources. Overall, this suggests that gulls may have the behavioural flexibility to adapt their foraging behaviour to human time schedules when beneficial and that this trait could potentially enable them to thrive in cities.

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Citations

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References

Details

Published: Nov 02, 2020
Vol/Issue: 163(1)
Pages: 274-282
License: View

Authors

A

Anouk Spelt

Department of Aerospace Engineering University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1TR UK

O

Oliver Soutar

School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1TQ UK

C

Cara Williamson

Department of Aerospace Engineering University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1TR UK

J

Jane Memmott

School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1TQ UK

J

Judy Shamoun‐Baranes

Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics University of Amsterdam Amsterdam 1098XH The Netherlands

P

Peter Rock

Department of Aerospace Engineering University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1TR UK

S

Shane Windsor

Department of Aerospace Engineering University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1TR UK

Funding

Horizon 2020 Framework Programme Award: 679355

Cite This Article

Anouk Spelt, Oliver Soutar, Cara Williamson, et al. (2020). Urban gulls adapt foraging schedule to human‐activity patterns. Ibis, 163(1), 274-282. https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12892

Urban gulls adapt foraging schedule to human‐activity patterns

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