Landscape features modeling nesting sites of Columba livia and Patagioenas maculosa pigeons in a South American desert city

FERNÁNDEZ-MALDONADO, VIVIANA; GORLA, DAVID; BORGHI, CARLOS E.

El Hornero

Asociación Ornitológica del Plata

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2017 vol. 32 p. 257 - 268

0073-3407

Urban centers are dominated by species adapted to human presence. The intensity of human activity has a strong influence on habitat selection by animal populations across landscapes. The objectives of this study were to assess abundance and spatial distribution of the nests of two pigeons and evaluate the effects of anthropic factors on the Probability of Nesting-Site Selection (PNSS) in different zones. Our results revealed that nest abundances increased for Columba livia in city centers and for Patagioenas maculosa in zones away from them. We showed the existence of the most likely clusters for C. livia in the city center and for P. maculosa in green areas. Regarding the PNSS for C. livia, we found that influencing urban variables were distance to the Main Square of San Juan city, distances to food and water sources and their interaction. Also the type and height of buildings affected the PNSS. With respect to P. maculosa, we found that the urban variables influencing the PNSS were distance to water and food, human density and the interaction between the last two. Tree height and canopy diameter had a positive effect on the PNSS. This species selected in greater proportion Platanus x hispanica and Morus spp as nesting sites. We consider that nesting sites could be a limiting factor for these species. These results have important implications for selecting appropriate control strategies for the management of pigeon populations in urban desert environments.